Australians Waiting For Interview at US Consulate Sydney

[zochu 255]

10 minutes ago, M2r13 said:

Thanks i hope I'll receive mine very soon. Do they email us when they mail the passports? 

 

 
no, but you will get an email the day the visa is printed. I got my email around 11am and by 6pm that day they posted it 

[B&ANZ 134]

Husband's interview is suppose to be in in 8 hours but Auckland is going to Level Alert 3 and the embassy website says they are now closed  Have to wait until the morning to see what is going on. Level alert 3 isn't effective until noon and his interview is at 8:30 in the morning.

[zochu 255]

2 minutes ago, B&ANZ said:

Husband's interview is suppose to be in in 8 hours but Auckland is going to Level Alert 3 and the embassy website says they are now closed  Have to wait until the morning to see what is going on. Level alert 3 isn't effective until noon and his interview is at 8:30 in the morning.

I wouldn’t panic just yet.

 

relax.

 

I would like to think they would finish up today and then close. Might mean his visa/passport may be delayed, but the interview is what needs to happen. Fingers crossed he can still do this interview. 
 

💕

[aus2tx 168]

Heads up, it’s being reported now that the consulate will not schedule you for interviews if you say you’re from VIC. A friend had their case expedited, then asked for an available interview date around September b/c Covid/VIC and were told to contact the consulate again once restrictions went down.

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

13 hours ago, Lelly said:

I had the thought that if I can get an exemption to go visit my Fiance in the US and then upon my return I quarantine in Sydney, it might be the easiest way for me to get into NSW and stay there until my interview (I'm from VIC). I know it would be horribly expensive but we are so desperate. And if I got an expedited interview granted maybe it wouldn't be too long a wait in Sydney after quarantine. I would probably have to get my medical done before taking my trip to visit my fiance though. It's a bit of a joke that it would likely be easier for me to be granted an exemption to go to the US to help my fiance right now and then fly back through Sydney and have to quarantine there, than it would be for me to get into NSW from within Australia. 

Although I'm not sure if after the quarantine after returning from overseas if you would have to immediately catch a flight to your final destination that was on your ticket (in my case, VIC), or if you can just choose to stay in Syd. 

Very expensive... flights are so limited right now, pushing their cost through the roof.. last I checked a flight home for me one way was well over 5k and you’ll need a return ticket. 

 

while k1 is still ok to enter on esta you need to check if it’s still valid.. many esta have been cancelled due to the virus and you may need to reapply..

 

not sure how long it would take you to apply for the permission to leave Aus you still run the risk of being turned away at POE due to the virus, and regular conditions of entry - it’s well known here that the number of cases is on the up back home and that Vic has been segregated from the rest of the country pretty much.. —- and that you can’t leave the country without permission, they may ask to see the permission which will clearly say to visit fiancé and put you in a high risk category for AOS... CBC are on extra high alert right now for potential overstays due to the virus and EO’s and with pending k1 it will be hard to prove you have no intent.. 

 

not to mention you still have the costs of quarantine to cover on return to Aus and Hiawei have very strict quarantine at their end too... they’ve stopped heaps from entering 

 

i think you might just be better off waiting it out.. it’s a significant financial risk only to get turned away at the gate.. 

Edited August 11, 2020 by Duke & Marie

[Lelly 65]

5 hours ago, Duke & Marie said:

 

 

i think you might just be better off waiting it out.. it’s a significant financial risk only to get turned away at the gate.. 

I'm also nervous about being bumped off a flight back to Australia again and again. Although if I made the trip 4 weeks or gives me a fair bit of wiggle room to get on a flight without overstaying.

 

Thank you for all your input. I was worrging about this all night. 

 

We've decided to watch the numbers over the next 1-2 weeks and hope we see some improvement. We've been in panic mode thinking the interstate border may stay closed until the end of the year. Things are just so fluid it's hard to know. Going to wait and watch a bit. Always so grateful for everyone's help. Thank you. 

[Lelly 65]

6 hours ago, aus2tx said:

Heads up, it’s being reported now that the consulate will not schedule you for interviews if you say you’re from VIC. A friend had their case expedited, then asked for an available interview date around September b/c Covid/VIC and were told to contact the consulate again once restrictions went down.

I wonder if this will also effect them granting an expedited interview right now if you're from VIC and put in the request now. Or if they'll assess it regardless of that and then just have it sit there waiting for an interview to be scheduled once restrictions have eased.

[zochu 255]

8 hours ago, aus2tx said:

Heads up, it’s being reported now that the consulate will not schedule you for interviews if you say you’re from VIC. A friend had their case expedited, then asked for an available interview date around September b/c Covid/VIC and were told to contact the consulate again once restrictions went down.

I know of a man who is in the same position!! 
 

I wonder if people could “move” to NSW and live in an air bnb until their interview, visa is received and then leave Australia from there. 
 

🤷‍♀️

1 hour ago, Lelly said:

I wonder if this will also effect them granting an expedited interview right now if you're from VIC and put in the request now. Or if they'll assess it regardless of that and then just have it sit there waiting for an interview to be scheduled once restrictions have eased.

I don’t know, have you applied for the expedite yet? 

[zochu 255]

7 hours ago, Duke & Marie said:

Very expensive... flights are so limited right now, pushing their cost through the roof.. last I checked a flight home for me one way was well over 5k and you’ll need a return ticket. 

 

while k1 is still ok to enter on esta you need to check if it’s still valid.. many esta have been cancelled due to the virus and you may need to reapply..

 

not sure how long it would take you to apply for the permission to leave Aus you still run the risk of being turned away at POE due to the virus, and regular conditions of entry - it’s well known here that the number of cases is on the up back home and that Vic has been segregated from the rest of the country pretty much.. —- and that you can’t leave the country without permission, they may ask to see the permission which will clearly say to visit fiancé and put you in a high risk category for AOS... CBC are on extra high alert right now for potential overstays due to the virus and EO’s and with pending k1 it will be hard to prove you have no intent.. 

 

not to mention you still have the costs of quarantine to cover on return to Aus and Hiawei have very strict quarantine at their end too... they’ve stopped heaps from entering 

 

i think you might just be better off waiting it out.. it’s a significant financial risk only to get turned away at the gate.. 

 

flights are so limited. I’ve booked my flights but I am watching the same flight get cancelled everyday. 
 

 

[Lelly 65]

2 minutes ago, zochu said:

 

I don’t know, have you applied for the expedite yet? 

I haven't yet, I plan to soon. I would rather have it approved and sitting waiting to be scheduled. I'll absolutely update people here on what happens though.

[zochu 255]

Just now, Lelly said:

I haven't yet, I plan to soon. I would rather have it approved and sitting waiting to be scheduled. I'll absolutely update people here on what happens though.

I would apply for expedite ASAP. That way all your waiting for is them to contact you for an interview date.

 

then you can go get a Medical. I recommend the DR clinic in Melbourne CBD - NOT TOORAK. 

[Lelly 65]

3 minutes ago, zochu said:

 

flights are so limited. I’ve booked my flights but I am watching the same flight get cancelled everyday. 
 

 

Wow!!! I looked up flights yesterday (we were doing the sums for an in between trip for me). There were definitely less options than I had seen a few weeks ago but I had been pleasantly surprised that there were multiple flights that were a return ticket for me around $1200 (I was expecting way worse). But I didn't realise so many flights are getting cancelled on the way out too. Ugh. 

[Lelly 65]

Just now, zochu said:

I would apply for expedite ASAP. That way all your waiting for is them to contact you for an interview date.

 

then you can go get a Medical. I recommend the DR clinic in Melbourne CBD - NOT TOORAK. 

OH thank you for that heads up on the medical! Noted! 

 

And yep, going to apply asap. NVC asked me last week to email them documents about my case because they couldn't find it, but they have advised me they now have it! Phew! So I have been waiting on the number to send through the expedite request 😊 I should be good to go any day now (and I've drafted the email, although the situation on my fiance's end has continued to go from bad to worse so it has gone through a few edits now lol).

[zochu 255]

10 minutes ago, Lelly said:

Wow!!! I looked up flights yesterday (we were doing the sums for an in between trip for me). There were definitely less options than I had seen a few weeks ago but I had been pleasantly surprised that there were multiple flights that were a return ticket for me around $1200 (I was expecting way worse). But I didn't realise so many flights are getting cancelled on the way out too. Ugh. 

my flight was relatively well priced for me and our daughter (16m) but because everything is so uncertain, I’m expecting my flight to Auckland will be cancelled meaning I’ll miss my connecting flight. I hope that’s not the case ... but these are such uncertain times.

 

i really feel for those who have had their interviews cancelled. 
 

The Immigration process is hard enough without the added pressures and stress of a global health crisis 

Edited August 11, 2020 by zochu

[Lil bear 3,878]

6 minutes ago, Lelly said:

Wow!!! I looked up flights yesterday (we were doing the sums for an in between trip for me). There were definitely less options than I had seen a few weeks ago but I had been pleasantly surprised that there were multiple flights that were a return ticket for me around $1200 (I was expecting way worse). But I didn't realise so many flights are getting cancelled on the way out too. Ugh. 

Air New Zealand with transit through Auckland and then into Lax or SFO is my preferred choice right now. Or it’s United SFO to SYD or Qatar through Doha   The last two are looking like business class mostly and I’m seeing frequent cancellation with them also