POWER OF ATTORNEY

      Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of W. Scott Jardine, Kristi A. Maher, Erin E. Chapman, James M.
Dykas and Eric F. Fess, signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful
attorney-in-fact to:

             (1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the
       undersigned's capacity as an officer, employee, trustee, and/or ten
       percent stockholder of any of First Trust Portfolios L.P., First
       Trust Advisors L.P. ("Advisors"), or any company registered as an
       investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, of
       which Advisors is an investment adviser (each a "Company"), Forms 3,
       4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange
       Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder;

             (2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
       undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and
       execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5, including a Form ID, complete and
       execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and timely file such
       form with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and
       any stock exchange or similar authority; and

             (3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection
       with the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact,
       may be of benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required
       by, the undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed
       by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to
       this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such
       terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
       attorney-in-fact's sole discretion.

      The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such
attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming,
nor is the Company or Chapman and Cutler LLP assuming, any of the undersigned's
responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.

      In consideration of the attorneys-in-fact acting on the undersigned's
behalf pursuant to this Power of Attorney, the undersigned hereby agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless each attorney-in-fact, each substitute
attorney-in-fact, and each of their respective heirs, executors, legal
representatives, successors, and assigns from and against the entirety of any
and all losses, claims, causes of action, damages, fines, defense costs, amounts
paid in settlement, liabilities, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys'
fees and expenses (collectively, "Losses"), relating to or arising out of the
exercise of this Power of Attorney by any such attorney-in-fact or substitute
attorney-in-fact, and will reimburse each such indemnified person for all Losses
as they are incurred by such indemnified person in connection with any pending
or threatened claim, action, suit, proceeding, or investigation with which such
indemnified person is or is threatened to be made a party. The undersigned will
not, however, be responsible for any Losses that are finally determined by a
court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted solely from an
attorney-in-fact's or substitute attorney-in-fact's bad faith or willful
misconduct.

      This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities requiring such filings,
unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of July 15, 2011.

                                            /s/ David P. O'Connor
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                                                David O'Connor