HI VJ members,
I'm a newbie and have just started filling out my forms for the DCF/Spouse visa. I have read everything on DCF from this site and am grateful for all the help it has given me thus far. I'm pretty sure I am doing it right so far, but don't want to stuff it up so I just have a couple of questions to make sure I'm doing it all right!
Background: My fiance is an American citizen and I am an Aussie citizen. We are getting married in Brisbane in August this year and he intends to fly over here for the wedding and we will then fly down to Sydney for the interview together which we are hoping will be shortly after the wedding. We then intend to fly back to the US together after my visa is granted (here's hoping!).
Questions:
1. I read on previous threads that all my documents should be filled out "as if" already married because by the time they are filed at the interview we will be. So I am presuming that we should be filling in the DS-230 part 1 & 2, I-864, G-325A, I-130 and DS2001 all with my "married" name? Obviously my police check and medical report will have my maiden name, but am I correct in using my married name on all the other forms?
2. In sending back the forms do I send the DS-230 (part 1&2), G325ax2 and the I-864 first? I thought this was the case and that we send the DS2001 when we have all docs (inclu. police check and medical) ready for interview. Then I thought we took the I-130 with us to the interview (and all other docs required). Is this correct?
3. I've also read in previous threads that people have attached cover letters to their DS2001 forms asking politely if they could please have their interview on particular dates (i.e. close to the wedding date). I also plan to do this as my fiance will need to go back to work ASAP and can't really linger in Aust for too long after the wedding. Do you think that if I am sending back all these forms now (and planning to send DS 2001 as soon as I get all our docs together) I am being realistic in getting a date close to our wedding (5 months from now)?
Thanks for all your help,
Clare

You seem to be right on track.

YES put the docs in your married name because you will be married at the time.

Also in terms of what to send in - if you are not in ACT or NSW, you only have to send DS 230, parts one and two (Remember don't sign the one you are supposed to sign at the consulate...) and DS3001 with your cover letter requesting a date....

For us, from VIC, that was IT. All the other stuff we are doing ont he day of the interview. One user is from Sydney and she has to file some of those in advance, but from Brisbane I don't think you have to - hopefully somone else will checkk in behind me and confirm

Best of luck

Thanks Caroline. Sorry to be a pain, but I just had another question regarding the married name thing!
I've filled all the forms out with my married name but at the end of the DS230 part 1 and the DS2001 I am supposed to sign it and date it (i presume this should be the current date at which i post the forms back, and not some date in the future?) and I wasn't sure if I should sign it with my married or maiden name? I know that it will be "processed" after we are married but if I am dating the form as today's date, should I still use my maiden name for the signature? Thanks again for your help!

You need Mellie or Sean to answer this. I filled mine out after I was married so I don't know. I don't even know waht I'd do BUT i'm pretty sure Mellie DID ask this question - go to the old forum and look at the OLD dcf forum - mellie asked some great questions. I'll look too.

try this

Thanks Caroline. I did recall reading Mellie's post some time back regarding the name change, but it was before I had received my pack so I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to specifics such as this! And thanks for the link, cause I had trouble getting to the archived thread- all I can find is the one attached to the pinned DCF Sydney thread. Is there somewhere where there is a link to all the old archives, not just the sydney one?

I read through that link, and it still hasn't really clarified the signature thing for me. This signature thing only really bothers me for the DS forms as they are the ones that I am sending back now, prior to the marriage. I know that I can sign my married name on all the other forms as we will be taking them to the interview after the wedding. Just feel unsure about signing a document that's dated for today with my married name, which won't be legal until after wedding in August.

I'll just hold out and see if anyone else has been in the same situation and can offer advice, otherwise prob just go with gut instinct of filling form out with married name but signing maiden name where it needs to be dated with today's date. Figure that the worse thing that can happen will be they send the forms back and ask me to fill out again!

Thanks for your help, and best of luck for your impending interview! Hope it all goes well!

where are you getting married? are you excited? how did you and your man meet?

We now have people on here representing all over Australia

We are getting married in Brizzy on the 4th Aug this year. I'm born and bred in Bris and all my rellies are here so we decided that trying to fly them all over to the US would be a nightmare and my fiance has a smaller family so we are flying them out here for it. I'm excited, but pretty stressed at the moment as I'm trying to plan the whole wedding (with the help of friends/family- gotta love em!) and I'm also working and studying part-time too! So spare time is rather scarce atm, but am enjoying all the planning so far!

Theron and I met 4 1/2 yrs ago at a bar in Brizzy! (how embarrassing ) Who ever thought you could find a decent guy in a pub in Brizzy?! Obviously he had to be a foreigner! He was out here with friends on a working holiday and we started dating. He left Oz 5 months later and I was devestated (even though I knew it was coming!) and we decided to try the "long-distance" thing, and I guess it worked! We travelled back and forth to each other for the past 4 years (expensive r'ship!) and we managed to keep a record of no longer than 3months apart from each other that whole time, which I think is pretty good! I've been a student that whole time, so Theron was keen for me to finish uni before we decided to take the plunge into marriage! We are both pretty young (me-22, theron-27) so we weren't in any hurry, but we miss each other too much, so on christmas eve last year he proposed to me on top of the Colorado National Monument (lives in Grand Junction, CO) and it was super romantic! I'm actually back at uni studying another degree now and he has a good stable job over in the US so we decided that I would move there to be with him so I can complete my studies over there while he works. But we both have our hearts set on returning to Oz one day to start a family and raise them here. But I've gotta get through the next 5 months before I can start thinking about things like that!!!

But I'm not as excited as I wish I could be- we decided that it was too expensive to fly him out to Oz now before the wedding (as he will be out here a few weeks beforehand and after while the visa is sorted) so I haven't seen him since I left the US in Jan and won't see him until July, right before we marry! Longest time we have ever been apart! But I guess we have something to look forward to- never being apart again, so if I have to suffer the next 5 months it will all be worth it in the end! (assuming the visa is granted!) I know people go much longer apart than we will have to, so I really shouldn't complain!!!

Anyway, enough of my rambling! I can tend to get carried away! I'll be happy to share my experiences as a Brisbanite, since I know how helpful it is! So far everything has been pretty straight forward (except for some confusion when filling out forms) but I am only really just starting, so I'm sure things will get interesting as I progress! I have my medical on Friday and am shaking in my boots!!! Not a fan of needles and am pretty sure I lack quite a few vaccinations! Ouch! Wish me luck!

You know, you can use any name you want, at any time? It's not illegal to use a new name before the wedding as far as I know, but you must declare all names used on your biographic information and any other form that asks 'other names used'.
Ask around elsewhere, please---the above is my understanding.

My sister, for example, just started calling herself by a new name one day (almost one million years ago). She uses it for her professional life, and uses another name in other cases. She's never gone to court to change her name, and she's never been married.. actually, I think her checks are printed One Name aka Second Name.
I like to call her 'aka' sometimes, just for fun.

What a wonderful story, thanks for sharing!

I'm the user with the man from Sydney. Karo is right, although we have to file things beforehand you get to do it all at once!! So, listen to Karo and be excited! You get to walk in with your sweetheart for that fun interview! I'm a little bummed my husband has to go all by himself . . . Ah well. It's all good!

As for the name thing, I have no idea at all, but why not try asking the Consulate? They've been incredibly helpful and really timely when I've sent emails full of clarifying questions. As in, I get an email response in about 3 - 5 hours if I send it during business hours. (Maybe that's unusual, but I was dang impressed!) Couldn't hurt, might help!

sydneyiv@state.gov

Good luck! And enjoy your wedding! Strong thoughts of peace and tranquility with you tomorrow for your medical.

Thanks for your advice Wolvendove, I actually sent them an email yesterday quite late, but had a response from them today, so I think their promptness is excellent! They told me to complete all the forms as if already married including the signature, as I guess it will all be correct by the time I get to the interview. Guess I better start practicing my new signature!!!!
P.S. Medical went well today- a few jabs in the arm from missing vaccinations, but overall quite a pleasant experience. Everyone was really nice (including the doctor!) and interested in our story! I couldn't help but laugh when a few of them commented on how all the yanks are stealing our good lookin' sheilas! So if everything else to do with this process runs as smooth as today I will be very happy

What wonderful news, Clare!! Glad to hear the medical went so well for you. Also glad to hear the Consulate was as prompt responding for you. Yahoo!

I'm still getting used to my new signature . . . It keeps morphing. Worse is when I keep forgetting to use the new pin number on my bank account. (New joint account, new pin) I keep getting funny looks . . . "Shoot! Did it again!" Ah well.

clare,

happy your medical went well. you'll have to check out the land downunder thread that aussiewench started...a few of "us" aussies hang out in there.

matt

Hi there on congrats on the marriage! I am also doing DCF (in June) and have been talking with teh Sydney Consulate. They have been EXCELLENT at responding to my questions and sent my DCF packet to the US yesterday. My fiance and I are getting married in San Fan in May and then filing for DCF--he is from the Gold Coast. Yeah, I only have to show up for the INTERVIEW in Sydney, due to his residence.

Could I ask you, what Dr. did you use in Brisban and how long did it take to get an appointment? thanks!

hey usaus,
I saw Dr Brian Kable in Brisbane. There is only one place in Brizzy you can get it done at- Anzac Square Medical Centre and he is one of the doctors there. I think there are 2 other male docs there that do it too. I didn't ask for him specifically, they just book you in for the closest date when you call. I called up on a Friday and was booked in for the following Fri morning, so the waiting time is pretty good. But if you aren't able to make it during "working" hours then you may have to wait a little longer. The whole thing only took about 2.5 hours and most of that was just walking time between the QML pathology for bloods, brisbane private hospital for xray and then back to the docs office. But they are all within walking distance which is great. Then you wait one working day for the blood test results and I will go back in to the docs office to collect the results next monday. Piece of cake! They usually make you come back in to collect the results, but I'm sure if your fiance is down the coast they will mail it to him to save him the trip (esp. if he asks nicely- the secretaries were really sweet!)