Sorry, just another question about the interview - will it be a problem if my husband (USC) doesnt attend the interview with me? It was always our intention for him to accompany me (like how I went to the I-130 appt with him) but we are having trouble with flights right now and at this stage it looks like he'll have to fly out of Oz a few days before my interview

Possum, you asked my question Thanks!

Hope everyone is doing well! Two weeks until I get to go to the wonderful land of Oz to visit my fiance. It has been four months since we last saw eachother, and the days are inching by....we will be staying in Townsville/Magnetic Island before heading off to "The Bush" ha ha!

One quick question for the Sydney K1 people who have already been approved: From the time you were approved for the NOA2, how long from that day did it take for the interview/visa? I know that everyone's will be different due to the Packet 3 times being sent out. Jimmy just recieved his Police Cert from the QLD police, and they did say it was valid for one year. I am also gathering the new documents needed for the Packet, getting a letter from my boss saying that I work there, pictures, etc...I am still also a little confused about the medical, if you can get it before you have your appointment scheduled or not. The police dept. said that the certificate is going to be mailed directly to Jimmy, is that correct, or should it have been forwarded directly to the Consulate?

Possum, your NOA2 is right around the corner, seeing all these March approvals! Grats in advance! (Hopefully one more month for this April filer! What a great b-day present if so!)
Heather

Buying a home...

Hi everyone! My now-husband Steve moved over here from Aus in Feb. and we really want to buy a home next year. Does anyone have information about the possibilities of getting a mortgage together, as he'll obviously have a limited credit history? I think my credit history should be pretty good. Any info and/or personal experiences would be a GREAT help!!!

Thanks!!
Jen

Our stuff arrived in Sydney in early April and our interview was May. So about a month and a half.

I faxed the Consulate a provisional file request and they sent Liam packet 3 straight away (had I known I could do that earlier then I would have faxed it over the day I got the NOA2). I attached a copy of the NOA2 as proof of our approval. This way we could see what exactly was in packet 3 and get our things in to them faster rather than waiting around for them. I mailed supporting documents (I-134 stuff, pictures, etc) to Liam before receiving packet 3 so he would just have to turn around and send it back as soon as possible.

Liam put the Consulate's address on the Police Certificate request. So they mailed it directly to the Consulate. Though if Jimmy receives it he can just include it when he mails his things in with packet 3. Liam hadn't had his Medical yet when we sent in Packet 3 so we just put a note in saying his appointment date and that results would be brought with us to the interview.

Hope this helps!

i need to ask a very important question to those that may of already gone thru this...

i am filing my final tax return with the ATO .... my cousin is doing it for me .... and he is sending me the cheque ...

can anyone tell me where i can cash this cheque? i live in california - in barstow more specifically ...... since its a international cheque some banks may be real buggers about it .....




thanks in advance!!!!

oh and jenni!!

i am having real issues getting credit anywhere because i have no history ..... i've been told to get a credit card so at least i'll be in the system ..... so i'm in the middle of looking for one with low interest and no annual fee ......

Just wanted to share that I found heaps of Fat Pizza episodes on Veoh TV, an online player you can download for free!! SBS never released them on DVD, a real shame. I am going to spend all day watching Fat Pizza now.

hiya all
just thought i would let ya know i have sent in my removal of conditions pettition today..so the waiting game yet again starts over for me...

sharyna..
the only thing i can think of is if you have an account in australia still open to get it directly deposited into there..or
get your cousin to send you the cheque you sign it over to him/her and post it back that way it can be cashed over there and the money wired back over to you by western union maybe..

you could google cashing international cheques to find out what the process is mate..they might charge a large fee to do it also and not be able to touch the money for awhile until it cleared..

hope everyone else is going well..not much other news here just working gardening and all the normal stuff like ya did in oz lol just living life..
take care
kath

thanks Kath, i was thinking of doing that .. . endorsing it so that my mom could cash it for me and then change it to US dollars for when she comes in November to stay with us for holidays

hiya sharyna

there go...that would work for you...hows the waiting for the new arrival going...hope all is well for you..
have you heard anything about your green card lately?

kath

oh i rang USCIS .. and they said "we are processing October 2007" .... i did get a RFE which we dealt with quickly .... so that must of stuck me at the bottom of the pile again ..... i asked the girl if they needed anything else from me because the website said they were "processing and case has been resumed after recieving the RFE they requested" and she said all was fine and that it could take up to less then a year for my green card to get thru ....

as for our new arrival .... we are having a girl! ..... im nearly in my 6th month ...... and getting more tired by the day lol .....

CONGRATS TO YOU KAFFY ON YOUR APPROVAL IN SYDNEY...WAY TO GO GIRL..HAVE A SAFE TRIP OVER HERE...
was there any changes or new hints for the ones going for their interview mate..im sure they would appreciate it...

awwwwwwww sharyna a baby girl...dont forget to post some photo's of her when she arrives mate..
as for your aos i know the waiting is gruelling as was the visa but at least your over here with your hubby and to me the wait was much better being with robbie than being apart...
good luck to you and hope you hear something soon..

take care
kath

thanks Kath! Here's my review copy & pasted over from the Aussie thread in the DCF forum

My appointment was scheduled for 9am and so I got to the Consulate at about 8.30am. There was a minor hiccup at the security check since my interview letter was in my married name and all my ID was in my maiden name. But in the end she let me in and I made my way up to level 59(?). I took a ticket (#11 and it was only 8.35 - busy day there), sat down and waited. It took about an hour before I was called (the other IV applicants there seemed to have some problems with their paperwork and so it was taking a while to process theirs). Anyway I eventually got called to Window 3- friendly lady. I handed over the documents that my Packet 4 asked me to bring (marriage cert, passport, one photograph, Japanese police check). She took them, and asked me to head over to window 8 to pay the fee. The Packet 4 letter said it was $AUD460 but when I got to the window the lady asked for just $440 so I happily paid that and walked away with an extra 20 bucks in my pocket. I returned to Window 3 and the lady returned some of my original documents to me and handed me a 4-page "Pre-Departure Notice for Conditional Permanent Residents" document which she asked me to read. She said it looks like everything is in order and asked me to sit down and wait to be fingerprinted. I sat back down and waited.. she spent about 10mins or so reviewing my documents and making sure everything was in order before passing my file onto Window 5. Lady in widow 5 was busy juggling IV fingerprinting and NIV applications so I had a 10 min or so wait before I was called. Fingerprint was easy and she asked me to sit down and wait for my interview. Another 10min or so wait, then I got called to Window 6. Friendly officer, he asked a few general questions.. if I can remember they were:
1. How long have you been married for? almost 2 yrs (haha I made a mistake.. it's actually 1.5yrs)
2. Where is your husband? flew back to the States on Sunday
3. Where are you intending on moving to? Seattle
Is your husband from Washington? yes, he was born in Port Angeles
4. Have you been to the US before? yes, twice
5. Did you study there? no
6. How long have you been in Australia? been back for less than a year
7. Where were you before that? Japan
8. Did you get married in Japan? yes
um.. I think that's it. I was all prepared with my supporting documents (which I brought for the second time to Sydney!) but he didnt ask to see anything. I even offered to show him my photos but he said no, he didn't need to see them because it sounds like we have a genuine relationship. Anyway I wasn't going to argue with him on that and he handed me the 'Instructions for Receiving Your Immigrant Visa' letter, congratulated me and said my visa will be issued in a few days (I heard 24-48working hours from the other Consular officers).

Being new here, thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Jon and a USC, my fiance is Danni and resides in NSW. We met several years ago via an online poetry site just as my marriage was coming undone. Shortly after finding each other, she nearly succumbed to an often fatal bone marrow disease. I would not let her give up, and over the 18+ months of her battle to recover, we became very close, pretty certain we had each found the real deal. She came to visit for 2 months in April of this year, and that cemented things but good.

We have been trying to figure out which route to go for her to immigrate to the US. Fiance visa was the first thought, but the AP requirement is a big issue. Though she is considered in the clear right now, should a relapse occur, there would be no choice but to fly her home for treatment. She also wants to get straight to work here and contribute, so it looks like the IR1/CR1 is our best bet.

She loves it here, but there's a really good chance that sometime after my kids graduate high school we will move back to NSW permanently. I've always loved Australia, it's the one country above all others that I've most wanted to visit. How fitting that I should find my soul mate there!

Right now we're looking into getting married in NSW so we can begin the process of immigration. I'm a total klutz at paperwork and the bureaucratic process, so will be following others situations and asking questions.

Thanks to Kath for answering a number of my questions and pointing me to this topic!

Jon

Hi guys, just wondering how soon after your interview was your visa posted to you?

My interview was on Tuesday and the letter I got said it should leave their office within 2 business days of the interview.. meaning it should have been sent out Thursday.. and assuming the Express Post envelope is an overnight one, I should have received it by today

hi kaffy
hopefully your visa arrived on friday..this is why we stayed the weekend and picked my passport up on the monday..we didnt want to take the chance of extra stress of it not arriving on time for us to leave..

have you emailed the embassey..did you have some kind of tracking for the envelope..if you do see if you can find it on the australia post website..at least that way you know exactly where it is..

hi jon and welcome ..
not being good at paperwork is one thing will change for you by the visa journey end...when you are getting this all together dont forget to make a complete copy of what you send into them for your own records..there have been many people who have received RFE's and they swear it was included in the package..be overboard about it all..read..ask questions..and just learn..that is all the advice i have really for anyone starting this process..
you found the right place to help you out with it at least mate and thats a start..
good luck
kath

Nothing came on Friday and when I rang Australia Post today to enquire if the package had been sent they said they have no record of it

I sent the Consulate an email last night but I'm not sure when they'll get back to me.. and I tried to call them before but they said the information is not available over the phone and I need to contact them by email or post

I am starting to panic because I fly out in 4 days!

*sigh* still no passport or response from the Consulate...

nevermind, finally got it! don't know what the delay was but I don't care.. just glad that it's over

hi kaffy
thanks goodness for that...what postmark did the package have? now you can relax a bit and only have to worry on what to take over and say goodbye to your relo's..spend as much time with them as you can and take plenty of photo's of you with them..

dont forget to pack any goodies you might miss it will help ..

good luck an safe journey across the ocean..
take care
kath
p.s. received my NOA with 1 year extension of my greencard, now waiting on the biometrics letter..

Thanks Kath! My visa says it was issued 19 August - which means it took a whole week between my interview and when they issued it Oh well.. I have everything I need now and will fly out tomorrow which is what matters!

Good luck with your I-751 process! Hope it all goes well for you!

hiya kaffy
so be looks of it they didnt post it out until a day before you received it..must have a hell of alot of visa issues going on and they are back logged..but you would of thought they would of answered your email at least...
your probably in the air as i type this or just touching down...hope it was an uneventful POE for you..
thanks for the well wishes for the removal of conditions..i expect no problems really unless they decide to choose us for an interview lol..fingers crossed that i get my biometrics letter next week so i can get them done early ...

no news here..my relo's arrive wednesday night ...looking forward to it..

take care all
kath

Hi there!
I was wondering if anyone could help me. I live in New Zealand but spent over a year in Australia many years ago. One has to have police certificates/reports from the countries resided (for K1), and wondered if anyone could tell me where/how do i get a police certificate from Australia?
Many thanks in advance.
NOW..........

hi kiwiana.
you just go to your local police station or call ahead to ensure that when you go you wont have any issues at all in getting it done .... if they have criminals in the room etc they dont like to let you in just incase...

I made it! Like Kath said POE was uneventful (but a little slow). Think I was the only one of the new immigrants waiting there who spoke any English ah well.. I'm just glad to be "home" So far am loving the neighborhood - everything here is so green and lush which makes up for the rain Customs officer said that my SSN would be sent to be in 4-6 weeks but if I wanted it sooner I just have to go down in person so I might try and get it done today.

kiwiana- try this link: http://www.newzealand.embassy.gov.au/wltn/..._clearance.html

I've been lurking around the forums for a little while and thought I'd say hello to the fellow Aussies on here.
Congrats on your safe arrival to the poster above me, Washington is a very pretty state, I love visiting Spokane.

Congrats Kaffy and welcome to the USA! I've just been back to Australia for 3 weeks and I too arrived back here on the 24th August and thought just maybe we might have been on the same flight! Qantas flight 73 from Sydney to San Francisco was the one............just curious.
Had no problems through customs and immigration with my expired green card and extension letter.......in fact he didn't even look at the letter, so I guess they have it all on their computers.Wish VSC would hurry up with removing conditions because I don't really want to take the 5 hour drive to Buffalo to have my passport stamped but still have plenty of time before that will be a necessary.

Welcome J girl!

Hi Kath, Enjoy the family while they are there and will talk to you soon!

Hope everyone else is doing well.

Susan

Susan

Hey Susan, no I don't think it was me.. I flew direct into Seattle

J_Girl- yes, it's soo lush and green here, rainy too - complete opposite to Brisbane

Hey folks,

It's been a while since I've visited. Time is flying yet again! Lots of congrats to go around...

Congrats Kaffy on your arrival! I know that panic feeling before leaving. Glad everything worked out. I was with my wife throughout the whole process and boy was it hair-raising at times. Seattle (and Washington in general) is beautiful! I think you'll love it there.

Congrats again Sharyna! Any potential names yet? Everyone must be excited! We are in the same boat too as far as filing taxes and getting things deposited. My wife still has her bank account open. I should have her contact them to find out a way to deposit directly or from overseas.

Congrats on your next wait Kath LOL! We have another year to go before filing for my wife's removal of conditions. I can't believe a year being together has almost passed. I hope everything goes quickly and smoothly for you.

We get to test my wife's green card now as we go on vacation to Vancouver next week. Hope there aren't any problems flying back home heh.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

-Alex

Haha! Where I am now is the complete opposite to Brissy, you can't even have a clothes around here because all your gear would be caked in dust after 10 minutes!
I will say I'm lucky enough to have a World Market a short walk away so I can stock up on things like Tim Tams etc (I have done a side by side comparsion taste test & they don't tase as good as the ones from Oz but they will do)

Woot!!!

recieved finally my interview letter for homeland security .... october 21st .. that may change however - if and when we move to colorado - ...... yay!!!

about time something happened..... 6 months waiting!

Hi all!

So my fiance recieved his NOA2-woo hoo! Now we are just pre-compiling the Packet 3 as much as we can.

I was able to visit his hometown of Charters Towers QLD (about one hour inland of Townsville-tiny mining town!) this past month, and its so beautiful. I know he always told me it was tropical, but he meant TROPICAL!!! lol.

Quick question: according to the Affadavit of Support tips, it says, "Some foreign U.S. consulates require a 2nd affidavit of support which is called "sponsor's financial responsibility
under the social security act." It is a simple form and easily filled out and signed. The Hong Kong consulate does
require this form, as does the Sydney (Australia) consulate."

Does anyone know exactly the name for this form on the Sydney Consulate Website? I have seen the I-864, but that one looks like it's in regards to an I-130 petition. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!
Heather

Congratulations!

I posted a question re the 2nd affadavit of support and unfortunately didn't get any answers, so I'm really not sure whether we need this extra form or not in Australia - I found a thread somewhere that had a link to get a form DS-1858 - it's a PDF file that's in pretty poor shape, so I did long searches on the web, but only found copies in similar poor quality. Joe is going to fill it out and send it with 1-134 anyway in case they ask for it, but it doesn't seem to be in the Packet 3 instructions. BTW, the Packet 3 arrived via email to Joe - I had been checking my mailbox everyday! I'm not sure whether I will receive a hard copy or not...meanwhile I have done the police check, booked a medical and sent in the DS-201 (Part 1) which they require to start processing the case. It's probably best for you to wait until you receive yours to proceed with sending stuff in, but you could prepare some stuff in advance - here's what the email states:

The Consulate has received your approved petition. You may now download the initial set of instructions, known as “Packet 3”, from the following website:

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/visas/iv/fiance.html.

Forms required:
Form DS-156 — Nonimmigrant Visa Application (2 copies)
Form DS-156K — Nonimmigrant Fiancé(e) Visa Application (1 copy)
Form DS-230 Part I— Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration
Form DSL-1076 — Applicant’s Statement of Readiness to be Interviewed
Form I-134 — Affidavit of Support

A medical examination is required. For further information please refer to the following website: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/visas/iv/medical.html.

To obtain a list of the Panel Physicians, please refer to the following website: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/visas/iv/doctors.html. Medical forms are only obtained from the Panel Physician.

If you need to obtain a police certificate for Australia, please refer to the following website: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/pol...ertificate.html.

If you need to obtain a police certificate for another country, please visit the State Department website:
http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/reci...ocity_3272.html.

The visa applicant should complete and return form DS-230 (Part I only) as soon as possible to the U.S. Consulate General, Sydney. We only accept original forms, not faxed or scanned copies.

Please note that you must be interviewed and have your visa issued within the four-month validity of your petition.

When you have obtained all of the documents required for your case, complete and mail all of the documents(do not fax or scan) with Form DSL-1076 to advise the U.S. Consulate General in Sydney that you are ready for your final visa interview.

K-1 visa processing times vary. There may be unexpected ineligibilities that become apparent only at the time of your interview which require additional time and processing. For this reason, you should not make any irrevocable arrangements, such as purchasing non-refundable tickets, selling your home, or quitting your job, until after your visa is actually approved and issued to you.

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit
U.S. Consulate General, Sydney

Thanks so much for that info Ali and Joe!

I went to the website as well, and have been getting the forms at least situated so I can send them all over to my fiance.

It looks like your case went quickly! 10 days from the NOA2 being recieved to getting the packet? Wow, I can only hope mine comes so fast!

Keep me updated on your progress, will you? Since we are so close in approval and going to the same embassy, I would like to see how your experience is going

finally got my interview letter from homeland security after waiting 6 months after filing the AOS ..... its next month so they've given me plenty of time to get prepared.... hubby will take the day off to come, cause they said in the letter that he has to.

Hi again HednJimmy

Joe did send the fax to the Sydney Consulate to request the opening of a provisional file once we learned our case was at the NVC - perhaps this helped - I didn't receive anything from them to confirm this. I took the plunge and bought a ticket last week to leave on November 8th, so I'm hoping to have the visa in hand by then. Ticket can be changed if needed, but it would be great if all goes quickly and smoothly! I am just waiting on the I-134 stuff from Joe and hope to send in the rest of the forms as soon as I get this from him.

Here's the file template that I got from another post:

Click to view attachment

Good luck!

Hello to you too!! I live in Spokane, nice to meet someone else familiar with the area!!

hiya all
well my visitors have been and gone..blew in and flew out with a wink of ya eye lol..4 days is just not right to come all this way for a visit lol..took them to some places they had a good laugh over outback steak house...it was good to speak to aussie's again and laugh with them..it was my ex-sister in law (22 years divorced from my bro) and my niece..my niece was a bit taken aback i think when i introduced cath as my sister in law to someone..lol..i dont think she realised how close we were actually...

had my biometrics today..travelled to detroit and they have major damm road works going on what should of only been an hour trip ended up being an hour and 40mins..i made my appointment by 2 mins lol..getting out of detroit was even a bigger nightmare got lost twice lol..so that is over and done with now...

hi sharyna congrats on finally getting your interview mate...gives you plenty of time to gather all that you need to take to your interview...good luck to you ..but i doubt you will need it ...as i have always told you..

welcome to the new faces i see in here...cant remember who posted about the 2nd affidavit of support question...we only needed one to take to our k1 interview...do you have a co sponsor .. is that what it is talking about..

hey susan welcome home from oz ... hope you had a great trip an will give you a ring next thurs mate ..i gotta get catch up on stuff here now that the visitors are gone..sleep being one..cath gave me a damm cold she had caught..told her not to give to me but she insisted on sharing lol..

talk to ya all later take care

kath

I was just there about 6 weeks ago, I love all the old buildings in the downtown area - and the park.
My parents in law live just across the border in Idaho.
It kinda reminds me of home in a little way, unlike living in the dust & heat of Phoenix! (although we don't have to deal with snow which can be a good thing!)



Brooke

Which park, lol, we have a zillion of them I love it here too, and when I went to Queensland people kept asking me how I liked it compared to home, and I kept thinking, it really didn't feel much different to me like I expected it would. I think my fiance will be comforted by that Except, I think he might have some issues with winter time here

Char

Hi everyone!

As you know from my handful of e-mails, this week has been an active one: Ali and Joe, they processed our case at the NVC in two days, and as we speak it is on our way to the Sydney Embassy. Woo hoo!

I would just like someone to clear this up for me once and for all, if possible: For the I-134 Affadavit, I plan on sending the following:
A) Letter signed by my employer stating my salary/status
2006 and 2007 Tax Returns (where both show that I am well above the poverty line)
C) Paycheck Earning Statements from my work from June-August 2008

I am sending my fiance all of the things needed for Packet 3 on Monday, and I am just stuck on this affadavit. Is this enough? I don't have an ETA on the bank letter I requested (according to the bank officer, they have never even heard of doing a letter like the one I need!), and I am wondering if I should gather alllll of my W-2's for the past two years. Will A, B, and C be enough?

Again, thanks to all my mates in this thread for any help they can give!!
Heather

hi heather
congrats on the journey so far going great for you...your nearly there now..
if someone can help me out on this one that has recently done the K1 interview..wasn't the affidavit of support the
I-184 .. im sure we filled that one out..just want to make sure ...

i went on the embassey website heather to check about the w2's and found this about affidavits...

A signed affidavit of support, form I-864, I-864A (if needed), or I-864EZ for each applicant.
A letter from his/her U.S. employer on company stationary verifying date of hire, position, wages or salary, numbers of hours worked per week and whether the job is full-time, permanent, part-time, or seasonal.
Most recent U.S. Federal Income Tax Returns and W-2 forms.

the above is why i question the I-864 form
good luck this part of the journey is the easy part for you..
take care
kath

The park in the downtown area with the river, merry-go-round and the big red radio flyer in it, (and all those metal statues of people running). That's the only park I've been to in Spokane.
Being the dork I am I couldn't resist going down the children's silde on the radio flyer... Here is me standing in it, my brother in law is the clown hanging upside down underneath it.

LOL either that thing is huge or you are tiny

Wow nice wagon!

Just thought I would drop in and say hello to the other Aussies on the forums!

Im looking after our account because I'm the one who is all stressing about this, Chris is dealing with this much better lol!

I have been checking out the other Aussie timelines around the place and it seems to be a fairly safe conclusion to say they do the process at a fair reasonable pace, with most having been approved in about 5 or 6 months.

I'm trying to plan out a timeline atm (rough estimation), would saying that my interview is likely to roll around in Jan be a good estimation?

Chris is planning a trip over for xmas/new year, we were just trying to figure out if its like that a trip to Sydney might be a part of his holiday lol.

If dreams turn into reality though I might just get to fly home with him come jan *crosses fingers and prays*

- Mara

*edit - spelling

Hi Kath! Thanks for always helping out your "mates"

I saw the I-864 as well while looking at all of the forms and affadavit of support, but I believe those are for another Visa (I think the K-3), because it states, "Must be completed by the person who filed the I-130 petition", and the one we did for the K-1 is the I-129F. I think I will at least take the info to heart and send him everything that they need for the I-864. I think I am going to forfeit the bank letter and just send the employer letter, pay stubs for three months, the last two tax years of forms and W-2. I am so anxious about...what if I didn't send enough and bam, DENIED! I know we all go through the worst case scenarios in our heads, I just want to be over-prepared ha ha.

Thanks for having a double look for me Kath!

Heather

hi heather
your most welcome with the help mate..i think ya might be right about the form..i will just have to take a look at my files in mountain of stuff i have collected over the years for this stuff ..lol

heather if you feel you need to get as much stuff together as you think you need do it just for your own peace of mind...but as many can tell you they just might not even look at it...with this process ya never know who ya might get on the day of interview..so better to be safe than sorry i reckon..

well i have a full blown cold now thanks to my sis in law..rotten thing lol..the drugs have just kicked in so thought i would pop in while the bumping of my head is quite..
talk to ya soon
kath

Ah, that would be Riverfront Park...the carousel is one of the oldest still operating ones in the US and has 4 very old and expensive rides on (random factoid ). It's a great park, the kids love the radio flyer slide! Next time you're in town, you should check out Manito Park (assuming it's during the warm time of the year!!), it's absolutely amazingly beautiful!! Cute pic

Hi Aussies (and lurking Kiwis)!

Whew! *wipes brow*

I FINALLY finished collecting/collating/photocopying/highlighting (you name it, I've done it) all the documents Matt needs from me for our first K1 packet.
I've just mailed it to him 30 minutes ago. It's taken me five days. I've used at least 1,000 sheets of paper! (Not all of them got sent, mind you.)

This visa shenanigans is tiring and expensive, eh?

Worth it, though.

My fiance and I just got the NOA2 so we are both pretty excited! Was wondering what you Aussies (or Kiwis for that matter) do to try and stay in touch with fellow Australians. I love the US and am looking forward to eventually living there but having spent months at a time there before I have to admit that the accents kind of drive me a little nuts and I long to hear some 'normal' sounding people. I am going to be in Waco TX if that helps. How do you Aussies cope with the similar but different feeling that the US evokes? (in me at least)

I mean I love basketball and MMA (sports wise) and I am going to a similar climate in east Texas so it isn't exactly a shock to the system... but I wouldn't mind keeping in touch with some Aussies if just for the laid back attitude, the lack of religiousness and the general irreverence.

"This visa shenanigans is tiring and expensive, eh?" - You are not wrong! It's a wonder they don't ask what colour underwear you have on with all the questions!

Good Luck!