Expanding E-3 Visas to UK Workers Is an Answer to H-1B’s Crisis

President Donald Trump’s extraordinary $100,000 price tag for H-1B visa petitions will effectively shut out all but the largest corporations, fundamentally reshaping access to global talent. For UK nationals with business or financial interests in the US, this is a wake-up call.

Talent mobility must be a central part of UK-US treaty talks. Without it, innovation, investment, and transatlantic business risk serious disruption. As the US and United Kingdom deepen their diplomatic and economic ties, we have a rare opportunity to strengthen both nations while addressing a growing need: expanding the E-3 visa program to include British nationals.

The E-3 visa, currently reserved for Australians, allows professionals in specialty occupations to work in the US with relative ease and minimal bureaucracy. Created in 2005 as part of the US- Australia Free Trade Agreement, the visa’s annual cap of 10,500 is rarely reached. Expanding this program to include the UK would provide a ready-made solution to today’s talent mobility crisis.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Trump underscored the importance of the “special relationship” between the US and UK after a state visit in September. The trip focused on trade, technology, and strategic cooperation, with top tech leaders from OpenAI Inc., Nvidia Corp., and Apple Inc. joining the discussions. Together, they announced £150 billion ($200 billion) in collective investments.

This offers proof that the US and the UK’s economic relationship is about far more than tariffs—it’s about innovation and future competitiveness.

With new trade agreements and defense partnerships reinforcing this bond, now is the moment to add immigration cooperation to the mix. If UK businesses are priced out of the H-1B visa program, expanding the E-3 would be a logical, low-friction solution. It would deliver a practical, people-centered benefit: making workforce mobility as seamless as trade and capital flows.

UK nationals currently qualify for E-1 (trade) and E-2 (investment) visas, but they lack a streamlined employment-based pathway like the E-3. Existing options such as the H-1B (which faces new regulations, fees, and strict caps) or the O-1 (reserved for individuals with extraordinary ability) aren’t accessible for the many skilled professionals, innovators, and startup founders who wish to contribute to the US economy.

The E-3 visa fills this gap beautifully. It requires that foreign workers fill specialty roles that demand at least a bachelor’s degree, ensuring US workforce protections while giving employers a reliable pipeline of talent. When talent can move, innovation thrives, and so does the economy.

This proposal is both narrowly tailored and politically realistic. Adding the UK to the E-3 program doesn’t require raising the visa cap or undertaking sweeping immigration reform. Because the existing cap is underused, UK participation wouldn’t displace Australian applicants or spark major labor market concerns.

We have precedent for this kind of focused legislative action. After years of advocacy, Congress successfully added Israel to the E-2 visa program, a clear example that country-specific amendments can succeed, particularly when paired with economic or defense agreements.

The most efficient path forward would be a statutory amendment to include the UK in the E-3 program without changing the cap. This streamlined approach would make the proposal easier to advance while delivering real benefits to both nations.

As a US immigration lawyer, I see every day how limited visa options stall growth, block innovation, and frustrate entrepreneurs. UK founders, executives, and key personnel frequently find themselves stuck in a bureaucratic maze that slows their ability to contribute to the US economy.

The E-3 visa can unlock that potential. It’s a visa category that already exists in the US immigration system—we simply need the political will to expand it. Now is the time to act.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Tax, and Bloomberg Government, or its owners.

Author Information

Tahmina Watson is an author, podcast host, and founding immigration attorney of Watson Immigration Law.

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