congratulations everyone with your medicals, operations and moves.

matt

hiya all

stella y dont u take all the insides out of the computer an rebuild it over in the states..thats wat i am doing all ya gotta do is buy one of their cases with a power supply in it...robbie has main comp an 2 laptops there was no question about me bringing mine lol

thanks 4 all the heads up about my op... not allowed 2 do a damm thing but i will survive..gotta invest in a nightie hate pj bottoms lol (will say no more u git the gist lol) an hate typing with 1 hand....

robbie is buying the airline tickets this week whooooooo all the wedding is organised not keen on having a wishing well at the reception but i gotta go with the flow on that 1 lol

ok this is killing me typin like this talk 2 u all later

tc all
kath

Hi Matt, thanks. It's all starting to move very quick now, Kinda wish I hadn't sent off that checlist form so quick now. Thought it would take a month or so to get an interview, not just 10 days. Hope the police checks etc come in time.

Never even thought about taking the computer, good idea but I am getting an alright price for it and well we do need every cent I can get.

Bon Voyage Kaffy too.

CIao for now and phew! Sydney does move quick,
Stella.

YAY for fast moving Stella (I'm sure you'll get it all back in time!)

YAY for wedding planning Kath!! I know you're excited!

Not much to report here. Life is just peachy! I still can't believe I get to wake up next to Stewart every morning. He still likes his job and I got a major promotion of sorts which is awesome. It's not a $$ increase but a MAJOR status increase which in the education field is all you can expect really!

We have to plan our trip back to Oz over xmas soon - those tickets get majorly expensive if you wait to o long!!
Hope all is well with my aussie (aussie american) friends!

Ah ta Karo. Love hearing about your warm and snuggly stuff. Not long now for a few of us around here.

I was wondering, I never did get Part 2 of the DS-230 form. I am guessing they will give this to me on the day of the interview to fill in. Can anyone tell me if this is so or should I email an enquiry??

And also I was arrested for a DUI in 1980. I know I have to state this on the DS-156 form but know it never shows on the several criminal checks I have had done for jobs in the past ie. DOCS. The police lady I spoke to said it may not show on this one either, so should I try the impossible to obtain court records of this (apparently from what I remember in the past they only keep records for 5 or 7 years for this sort of thing) or do you think me just stating it on the form without it showing on my criminal record should be enough. Damn I wish I had waited a little till I sent back that checklist form. I'm sure you are all right when you say it will all come in time and I am a natural born worrier.

Hope you are all having a great Ozyanky weekend.

Hey Kath Im pleased your opp went well and you are on the road to recovery

Karo Everything is falling into place for you thats good

Stella R Im not sure on the drink driving hopefully someone here can answer that, but you did get your interview in record time. so yes i hope you get it back to....When i sent back my check list i got a phone call out of the blue from sydney asking me if i could be there in 5 days (they must have had some free time ) so i said yep not a problem. When i hung up from them i went into a panic, 5 days ######, but it all worked out good luck with it all



and on a different note


I GOT MY EAD APPROVED ON THE 19 JUNE I GOT AN EMAIL TELLING ME YESTERDAY IM SO EXCITED NOW I CAN GET A JOB AND FEEL HUMAN AGAIN

ANGELA

I can answer that question with absolute certainty Stella. Stewart had a DUI in the states LAST SUMMER. We were petrified...but it was not a crime of moral turpitude...so it's fine.

We did list it, and had all the court paper work and forms saying he fulfilled his "punishment" or whatever...but since it was so long ago you wouldn't need that probably. Esp if it's not showing on your criminal check.

AGAIN NOT A CRIME OF MORAL TURPITUDE. His was LAST SUMMER AND in the states and he's o k

hope that helps./

Thanks guys, now can you tell me if Part 2 of the DS-230 form came in one of the packets or do they give you that at the consulate to fill in.

I tell ya if it wasn't for this site and all you great people especially in LAND DOWNUNDER I would definitly be loosing the plot right about now. Be glad when the day comes I can help someone else out with something.

Congrates again Angela on the EAD.
Stella.

Stella--- I'm 99% certain that K-1s won't complete DS-230 II. That's an immigrant visa application.

If/when it is required, the beneficiary often gets Part II at the interview.

Thanks so much meauxna. That makes sense now I think about it.

Glad to help I remember how anxious we were about the DUI ... so it's all good!

Tell me about it...without VJ I'd still be waiting for my husband to get here

Well I spoke to a police lady from my local cop shop and she said since it was so long ago, don't worry about it, I think meaning not to mention it. I am not sure if that was good advice. I do wish I had not sent off my checklist now. Think I will have to cancel that appoinment and try to make another.

Where's Kaffy Kat?? Isn't she heading off soon. Hope she pops in just to wave or something.
Stella.

Hello

I've been lurking here for a little while, but I thought I should introduce myself as I'm about to start my visa journey!

I'm an aussie from Melbourne, and I've been living in New York for four years now on a student visa. When I came here I certainly didn't expect to stay, but then I met my man and plans changed... We're getting married in Melbourne in September and are planning on doing DCF after the wedding. We received our packet 3 today, so the process has just begun!

I'm returning to Melbourne in late July/early August to get my police certificate and my medical, and thought I'd just send in the DS-230, I-864 and DS-2001 when I arrive, requesting an interview date in October after our wedding. I've got one question I wonder if anyone has an answer to (I've read all the DCF info on the site, and can't find anything about this): Can I send the DS-230 to Sydney from the US, or do I need to actually be present in Australia to start the ball rolling? If no-one has an answer, I think I'll send an email off to the consulate to ask.

welcome to the thread mate

and a melbournian to boot..not many of us in here lol...thats a question i cant answer but i cant see why you couldnt start the ball rolling from there as long as you have an address over here for them to correspond with i suppose...i would drop them an email on it anyways ...

where in melb you from . im on the west side...
if ya got any questions on where to go for medicals an such or police certs give me a yell and i will email you the details...
take care and good luck
kath

Stewart is from Geelong I love Melbourne MUCH better than Sydney IMHO.

I think you can start the ball rolling from anywhere but be sure to put your Australian address for all future correspondance I'd say.

Good luck with everything - where are you getting hitched in Mel?? We did it at the Registry and it was quite nice...Small and low key which was great for us!!!

Stay in touch and let us know if you have any questions. Stew and I JUST did DCF in March so it's still pretty fresh in my memory

Thanks Kath and Karo.

I'm a bit of an inner-suburbs girl (Fitzroy, Carlton, North Melbourne), and I do miss the good coffee there! Our wedding is going to be out at Werribee Mansion -- I think it's really beautiful out there, plus we thought it might be nice for our handful of US guests to head out of the city to see something more of Melbourne. It's not going to be a very big affair, given there are lots of people here who can't make it, but the main thing is our families will be there.

And Kath, I would love any extra info you have to share about the medical and police check - never hurts to be prepared!

Look forward to chatting more as we go through the process. I might be here a bit sporadically, as I'm crazy busy taking the NY bar exam this summer but I'll try to keep in touch!

Chris

Hi there Chris

good to hear from you...ohh i love werribee mansion...if ya want any pics of the mansion or the rose garden give me a yell havent been there for like 2 years took robbie there he just loved it we spent hours there just wandering around...

there is alot of information about the process within the embassey info at the top of this page I have updated quite a bit of the info in there so it is update stuff on what i know anyways lol...

police check is $117 dollars but it goes up every 1st july ...below is the link you will need to print an fill out the form:
My Webpage

this is their email address if you have any questions:
[email]publicenquiryservice@police.vic.gov.au [/email]

Ok the damm edit wouldnt let me add cos i took too long.. this is what i wanted to add to the above message:

Victorian police check phone number is: (03) 9247 5901

There are two doctors that do the medicals..
1. is in Bourke st. melbourne...
2. is at monash medical clinic
depending where ya wanna go i suppose..melbourne one is easy to find its in bourke street then you go up to top of collins street to go for the xray...
all the info is in embassey link for you anyways..

hope this helps saves ya searching to find stuff lol
take care
kath
p.s. STELLA: i think kaffykat has already left for the states i saw a post and calculated it to be around the 22nd she left i reckon..

Hi Lunamel and welcome. I am originally a Sydney girl but I so love Melbourne too.

Well I have just got back from sending a FAX to the consulate asking them to reschedule my interview as I may not have the police checks in time. Has anyone ever canelled an interview appointment and asked for another. Gosh I hope they still like me after this. Feel pretty stupid and getting pretty tired of the back ground anxiety. Oh well here's hoping.

Oh well I guess KaffyKat will be busy for a bit yet. I am so jealuos. Miss my darling sooooooooooooo much.

Stella.

hi stella

yeah i faxed them an emailed them an requested a particular date that we wanted and got it...it was the actual email they responded to first then the fax lol ..i remember being so stressed over it cos they only gave me like 4 days i think it was to organise everything an my police check hadnt arrived..so dont sweat it they will contact you as soon as they can ...give the police department a call to see how much longer they are going to be with your police check might help huh...
shoulder is doing really well not as much pain now ... still gotta not do much though an it will be better in the long run ...off from work for another 2 weeks so will see how i go from there..
take care
kath

Yayyyyyyy lots of movement down here at the Land Downunder station. I so love to read whats happening with everyone.

Welcome aboard Chris

Glad your shoulder is doing better Kath

Stella, hope you get that damm police certificate soon. Shame you had to reschedule your interview waiting for it

Karo

And a big hello to all my other downunder buddies

I have 12 days till my interveiw

Take care everyone

i got my work permit in the mail today it looks rather nice to


stellar i hope you get your police certificate soon keeping my fingers crossed for you

Kath how long till your interview?

aussie wench you must be in count down mode as well

angela

Just a note i have just read in another thread where an aussie got a fine in the mail to her address in aust because she didnt vote in an election i never even thought about removing my name from the electrol roll, I aslo reead i think from matt that if you do your tax retrun and say it is your last one they hit you for extra tax well i went on line and put in my gross for last year and it came up with x amount of tax then i did it again cheching the box saying last tax retrun and the tax was nearly twice the amount so i dont think i will let on it is my last one. i will do my tax on line like always and get the check sent to my old address in tassie then get my daughter to send me the check here, then i will remove my name from the electroll roll just in case they have some way of checking if you are on it

just thought id let you all know in case you hadent thought about it


angela

Thanks for the heads up Angela

Its got me wondering with the voting though. Can aussies living overseas still vote if they want to? I think I remember reading somewhere on a gov site that these kinda things are important for later as far as pensions go. Dont quote me on that though lol

congrats on the work permit

actually that would be interestnf to know maybe whle your still in aus you could make a general inquiry to the electrol commision annoymously they might be able to tell you then you could let me know lol. if we can still vote while in usa it might help out in the long term with pension if needed and that way we stay on the roll

angela

Yeah well as far as I know you can stay on the electoral roll here you just have to get someone or them maybe to send you an absentee voting form each time there is an election. I'm pretty sure I did that when I was in Sweden. This is done way ahead of actual election time. So do you think that would help with pensions in our old age??

Congrates on the work permit too, Angela. Glad it's pretty too.

Bet that shoulders bugging you Kath, thinking of all the stuff you have to do to get ready to migrate. But yes you must rest it so you have no further problems. Sent an email today now too to the consulate, thanks for the advice Kath.

and Wenchie, some of these off-topics you get yourself into (I read silently) makes me wonder if the US is a safe place for us wild ones from downunder. They don't burn you at the stake anymore though do they? Mid-west Missouri, mmm.........I think I feel a Zsa Zsa moment coming on "Greenacres is the place to......."

Maybe another week for the criminal check.
Stella.

I have wondered that often .....I know Dan doesnt quite know what to think at times. I have often thought too about all the different silly laws over there that I could be up for a life sentence if they ever decided to use any of them against me


I was mistaken about the tax and its effect on pension.......here is a link. Good to know for when we gonna need it

PENSIONS

Oh weird I thought that after 3 months oversea's you can't get a pension anymore...but I might be wrong. I think you can vote you just enroll as living abroad I know someone in london who told me once they still voted but that was ages ago. I think from memory they forms where sent to her.

Yes you can vote while you are overseas, I enrolled online and sent the required paperwork back. It isnt compulsory to vote though.... I will see if I can dig up the URL

[quote name='aussiewench' post='215353' date='May 24 2006, 09:12 PM'] Thanks for the heads up Angela

Its got me wondering with the voting though. Can aussies living overseas still vote if they want to? I think I remember reading somewhere on a gov site that these kinda things are important for later as far as pensions go. Dont quote me on that though lol

congrats on the work permit

[/quote]



Oh weird I thought that after 3 months oversea's you can't get a pension anymore...but I might be wrong. I think you can vote you just enroll as living abroad I know someone in london who told me once they still voted but that was ages ago. I think from memory they forms where sent to her.
[/quote]

Voting in Australian Elections

The Consulate-General provides postal voting facilities for Federal and many State elections. For further information, election results, enrolment and postal voting forms, please visit the Australian Electoral Commission website at www.aec.gov.au.

Australian citizens residing overseas for an extended period of time are not necessarily eligible to vote, even if they were registered when they left Australia. To check eligibility criteria and to find out about registering as an "Eligible Overseas Voter" read the Australia Electoral Commission's special enrollment provisions. Registering as an overseas voter does not mean you will automatically be notified of upcoming elections or sent ballots.


I often also get helpful info from ozinamerica a yahoo group

cheers

I'm afraid the answer about voting is a bit more complicated than that. Before leaving Australia, or within 3 years after leaving Australia, you can register as an overseas elector to make sure your name stays on the electoral roll. The form, however, asks if you intend to return to Australia within the next 6 years (you have to tick yes to stay on the roll), and you have to keep an address in Australia to use as your enrollment address. If you don't do this within 3 years after leaving Australia, you become permanently disenfranchised, and can't get back on the roll unless you return to Australia for a month and re-enroll from your Australian address.

If you've registered as an overseas voter, and you come up to the six year mark, you must write to the Australian Electoral Commission EVERY year thereafter, to ensure you remain on the roll (!) And you've always got to do this in the 3 months before your registration is due to expire. (If you are going overseas indefinitely, there is also a form to fill in if you want to take your name off the roll permanently.)

(You can find all the info here: http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/What/enrolment/elig_os.htm)

Voting is really important to me, especially as we might move back to Australia one day and I want to keep having a say about how the country is run! So, I'm going to try and keep going through this annoying process each year once I hit the six year mark, though I worry I might forget at some point...

On a more positive note, there are some groups lobbying the Australian government to change the law on this, so if we're lucky, things might change as more aussies leave the country! Here's some info: http://www.southern-cross-group.org/overse...seasvoting.html

And thanks for the police check and medical info Kath!

Chris

stressing somewhat. I have faxed the consulate on wednesday to ask what to do about my appointed interview on next tuesday (no criminal check as yet) and emailed from the library yesterday and again today. When I looked in my "sent" box there was no record of an email being sent, the one from the library yesterday. So I ring the consulate today, of course you can't speak with them or get a message thru or nothing. She tells me they do not except Fax's only written snail mail or emails. So I ran off a letter and posted it today and too late. I have not heard from them and wonder if I should just turn up at my interview if I have not heard from them by Monday. I didn't think to put my phone number on the original FAX or email. I have to travel to Sydney the day before the interview. Gosh I wish I had not wrongly sent back that checklist before I had every thing in my hot little hands.

Stella.

When did you get the police check, surely it cant take more than a week ......damn. It's so stupid if they do so many checks surely that should be enough but alas...

hi stella

dont stress too much this is exactly what i went through also.. but i know for a fact they do get faxes...cos i got an email stating it ...is your email with hotmail or your server or outlook...cos i know if you dont check send copy to sent items within hotmail it wont do it ...outlook does keep record for you...

i emailed wed too about my interview an they got back to me friday...just keep checking your email.. if you cant get your fiance to do it for you mate...or someone you trust with your password to keep an eye out for you...

take a look at my time line .. my police check took ages cos they were back logged...

just deep breathe an fingers crossed mate..this is the part i hate about the sydney embassey.. there is no bloody way of talking to anyone...dont they think there are people getting stressed over these things everyday...grrrrrrrrrrrrrr ...sorry just had to vent for a second...

take care
kath

I have a question regarding the effects of IMBRA on applications. From what I understood, it is to protect women, therefore the U.S citizen is getting a background check. Well, my better-half in Australia is male...so I have to have a background check to make sure i won't slap him around when he gets here?

hi there ladygatsby

i have done some reasearch for you on that and email you with the results...we all go through the background check even the u.s. citz do...

its just apart of the visa journey that u may or may not agree on an u get it done because u love that aussie man of yours...

take care
kath

hahahahaha on the slapping him around the head.

Ok...now the effects of IMBRA. The act is not only to protect women. That is only a portion of the act. All USC petitioners whether male or female will be subject to certain requirements....these include background checks for criminal history and filing of multiple petitions. Unfortunately the service centers will not be continuing to processing petitions for fiances, by the looks of it, until they have the instructions from Washington re how they are going to proceed in obtaining certain information from the petitioner. It could be a couple of weeks or it could be much longer....thats the problem, no one knows as no information is being released. I feel for anyone filing a fiance petition right now This is a long enough process as it is.

All the best to you.

Lorelle

Edited to add.....IMBRA also affects spouses filing the I-129F for the K-3.....It is all K nonimmigrant petitions.

Hi Ladygatsby Phew! yeah on the IMBRA. We already waited long enough for me. Yeah I kind liked the slapping bit too. There are nearly as many psycopathic women as men. It would be nice if someone was saved through all this upheaval. It is unfortunate for you and many others the changes are happening right now. Hope it all gets sorted quickly.

Oh and thank god Kath. I had it all wrong, I didn't realise you had such a similar situation. I am so relieved. Sorry for your then stress too. Yeah Andrew used to do criminal checks as part of his job and he said it took him no time at all, so when the cops said "oh you just come down and get it done" I thought I'd just walk out with it.

And once again y'all on this site are such a support. Silly girl on the phone, put me right in a spin. So they should have got the FAX then, all being well......and the email......and another email........and the snail mail.........I remembered you had your date changed but thought it was to coincide with your man to come over here or something. The first email was at the library on my server and the second was on outlook. Yeah it's all organised for watching but just on dial-up. Hope you shoulders still on the mend.

Take care all,
Stella.

Oh Kath I forgot to ask. They wouldn't send an email on the weekend, would they??

And I also forgot to say thanks for all the voting and pension info girls. Very handy knowledge. All saved and ready to go on a disk for an airoplane ride. Sooner than later I hope.

Stella

I have sent a few emails off to them late in the week and it has been usually the following Monday that I have gotten a response. Doubt they work on a weekend.

Fingers crossed that you hear something soon.

Just popping in to say - good luck to everyone with everything - I know we have several interviews coming up!!!

SENDING GOOOOOOOD Vibes to the land down under

BOO!!!

hehehehe helloooooooooooooooooooo

Yup we been 'busy'. So great to be back home and with my Mikey again. The only place I ever felt I belonged. We have had pretty busy week, getting stuff sorted out and buying some things for the house, but we are almost set now and will finish off the odds and ends that need to be done for the wedding, like sending out the invitations

We had a fairly uneventful trip over, the first two planes were early, can you believe that, but the last one to get us to Louisville was a half hour late, typical. We were looking out for him, cause he wasn't allowed past the security gates, my daughter spotted his akubra and said is that him, I looked up and spotted him and the last 50 metres were done in a sprint til we collided, hehehe. A lady from the plane was walking past and said that we made her want to cry seeing us getting back together after 10 loooooooooong months apart. It was fantastic.

We have just taken up where we left off, with my daughter here this time, she and Mike get on better than her and the 'sperm donor' ever did. hehehe

It was so cool to surprise his parents and his girls, they all expected us to arrive on the 31st. Luckily it was a good surprise for everyone and they were all happy to see us. Honestly it is like I never left now and the last 10 months never happened apart.

Anyways guys and girls, Mikey is cooking dinner, num num and I better git going and go help him .... eat it. I am getting very spoilt this week...

"Busy" ha Tears of joy for you Kaffy

Kaffy and Mike! So happy for your reunion enjoy it!! And keep us posted! Don't just disappear on us!

awwwwwwww great to hear things are going well kaffy



News on my front...

1 WEEK until interview

Just in case i don't get on here much in the near future & in case I forget later & I'm sure you two girls won't need it,

GOOD LUCK for your interviews

....and where's that girl that used to spread that mojo everywhere, I need some mojo for the police check to arrive THIS MORNING please. Heading off to Sydney today unless I hear from the consulate.

Will I do Stella

MOJO MOJO MOJO

Good luck darlin'.........we're rootin for ya

hi everyone. just popping in to see what's happening.

we went to the indy 500 this weekend...what a blast!! but geez it was hot. 96F - 32 C. after the winter i'm not used to the heat was bad...but it gets that hot in sydney so i survived. the americans were complaining but.

good to see that everyone is well and things are falling into place for you all.

take care,

matt

Yep you did it, yyiiiipppppeeee, all went well. You must have the mojo thingy too.
Just have to post them back my pasport and and the Criminal History thing when it comes and they post it all back to me, 10 or so days after that.

Look I know it's been said before but I will say it again, got to the loo before you get in that cue. When you get to the tenth floor and at that door, it's just down the stairs behind you. Maybe you don't have bladders like mine and I really did need that cup of coffee but it was definitly not a good idea. If ya gotta go after you been through security you just may have to get in that cue again. I was there for nearly 5 hours, even though I was the 3rd through the door.

So glad to have a bloke here for a bit, G'day Matt. Glad your having fun too. Mmmm not to keen on that heat either.

Anyways, very tired and staying at my cousins in Sydney tonight but I am one very happy little love bunny tonight.

Yiiiippppppeeeeee!!!!

whooooooooo hooooooooooooo stella ... way to go stell

smiling frome ear to ear for ya ...thanks for the info on the loo ...dont forget to update your info and do a report for syd for us...

damm i bet it was the longest 5 hours for you too please dont let it be that long for us and the wench lol

so does that put you back a bit longer than u expected to be leaving oz stella...and did the embassey ever get back to you at all ...

looking forward to hearing your experience mate congrats an its great news...another one bites the dust...haaaaaaaaaaay ya ya yaaaaaaaaaaa
whooo hooo
take care on your journey home
kath

Stella: WOOOOO that is awesome news. Sydney is still kicking some major butt!

Matt: I watched almost the whole thing. I LOOKEd hot, but fun! I hope you had a blast. How's the job going? Are you the head pro yet

Kath and Lorelle: Not long now