Worries about visiting partner in the US with our circumstances

[Aus83 0]

Hello everyone,

I'm from Australia and will be traveling to the US in the next week to visit my partner for 6 weeks. We have lived together in Au since 2011 and he has temporary residence here.

We both traveled to the US in Feb because there were some things that needed to be handled before our visa process in Au could be completed (long story). So I stayed with him for just under 6 weeks before returning home to our children. We have two children together and I have one from a previous relationship that he treats as his own.

Some events are coming up and I would like to be there to support him through it. We are hoping everything will go smoothly and we will be able to return together before the 6 weeks for me are up.

When I enter the US it will be 12 and a half weeks since I left. My partner was working here in Australia until a few months before leaving and I receive a government payment. We moved with our children into my fathers home to start saving for a house.

I have the documents showing my partners temporary residence in Aus, we have our 3 children here, they are all under 6 years old. I will be taking $5000 cash with me and we both have joint loans/bank accounts and car reg, things like that here in Aus.

Do you think they would give me any hassle or am i being too paranoid?

Thank you for your help

[Boiler 43,397]

A lot of cash!

[Aus83 0]

A lot of cash!

Sorry, what do you mean? I will also have my credit card and debit card?

[canadian_wife 1,785]

Why are you bringing so much cash with you? don't you think that is a tick dangerous?

good luck

[Aus83 0]

Would taking 5 thousand for 6 weeks stay really look bad? The Australian dollar is constantly dropping and it was alot cheaper to have it changed into usd than to keep using a credit card at whatever the exchange rate may be with the 3% fee.

As my partner does not live in the US anymore and is not currently there by choice we have to find hotels/motels to stay in and I'm hoping to pay everything we can with the cash and not card. We also have some lawyer expenses in the US.

Also to pick up some toys for our little girls that can't be purchased in aus.

[canadian_wife 1,785]

Ok, but why cash?

[Aus83 0]

Ok, but why cash?

Our foreign cash is done through our post offices linked to american express. They offer a much better exchange rate than the banks do with no fees at all.

They have a prepaid currency card but the reviews are just terrible. I'm unsure if I can post links here but it isn't recommended by anyone.

http://www.productreview.com.au/p/australia-post-load-go.html

[uniquelyJo 34]

Our foreign cash is done through our post offices linked to american express. They offer a much better exchange rate than the banks do with no fees at all.

They have a prepaid currency card but the reviews are just terrible. I'm unsure if I can post links here but it isn't recommended by anyone.

http://www.productreview.com.au/p/australia-post-load-go.html

Carrying so much cash on you is always a risk but as far as getting a hard time by immigration for having that much on you, I highly doubt they would bat a eyelid at it. I went home to Australia with $3K in my wallet and didn't get asked any questions. They may ask you why you are carrying so much cash, but once you explain as you have here they won't harass you about it. To be honest they hardly even look at us Aussies when entering this Country, well put it this way I have never had any bad experiences and all my Aussie friends that come here have never been drilled with questions, it depends on the Officers you get but most of them just wave us through.

[Aus83 0]

Thank you for your reply. Do you think I would have any issues entering?

[NancyNguyen 1,657]

Not at all. I always traveled with more than 5000 cash, not a problem at all.