KLS2010

Follow the advice Harpa has given you. You are wasting your time looking for any other solutions, as there aren't any to be had. Immigration processes are not compassionate to your situation - they have rules to follow and so do you. A rule was broken and now it needs to be fixed. Luckily your family gets to stay with you while you fix it, but it will cost more time and more money. No "higher up" is going to change that.

Not necessarily the case. I wasn't charged for my immunity check, nor was I charged for any of the vaccines I received.
I was advised by my panel physician's office get the titre and any required shots done by my GP, as they would be cheaper than if done by the panel physician at the exam. Hence why I advised that the best thing to do would be to call the panel physician's office and let them tell the OP what their options are, based on their history.
Secondly, the other part I highlighted - this may be true for K1, but it isn't for CR-1. The NVC schedules the interview, not the consulate. The NVC will require the Police check to be sent to them, but the medical results will need to be taken to interview. The NVC does not ask for proof of having done the medical before scheduling the interview.
To OP - the NVC generally schedules interviews during the first two weeks of each month (although they do also schedule outside of this time). Interviews at Sydney will usually be about 6weeks (give or take a week) after you get your CC (case complete).

sorry to hear about your luck, but man.. this never fails.. every time Americans want a divorce, they automatically want their ex-spouses out of the country.. it's disgusting to read stuff like that..
you loved him enough to bring him over here and now that you no longer want him, you are looking for a return policy..maybe you should have put a clause in your prenup about it or something.. no, really, this is ridiculous.

That is one of the agendas, yes. It is hard to promote that when a person defends his family in a home, but when a "White racist" kills an "innocent black boy", Oh yeah. THAT's what they need to promote the agend a and they need to do so real fast before any evidence showing the guy may not be a racist, may not even be white and the black boy is actually a 6 foot 3" man and maybe not so innocent.
Some people are going to look very foolish when all is said and done. Can anyone say "Duke/Lacrosse"?

"I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife".
(Author Unknown)

It isn't easy...but sometimes you have to do what you feel is right for you, no matter what anyone else - including family - says.
My husband and I had a courthouse ceremony also, attended only by a couple of family members and friends, and then went out for dinner afterwards. We did this in part due to financial reasons also, and also because his parents weren't very supportive of our relationship either. They thought I was a gold-digger and just after a green card because I am 20yrs younger than my husband and they couldn't understand how we could possibly have a real relationship. His parents and sister were not invited because of this, in fact, they didn't know anything about it until my husband called them after the ceremony.
In the end - I could care less where I got married....the main thing is I am now married to the man I love.
Yes, you may step on some toes if you decide to go with a courthouse wedding. In the end though, you and your fiance are the ones who need to decide where to get married.
Best of luck to you both...I hope it works out for you.

It isn't easy...but sometimes you have to do what you feel is right for you, no matter what anyone else - including family - says.
My husband and I had a courthouse ceremony also, attended only by a couple of family members and friends, and then went out for dinner afterwards. We did this in part due to financial reasons also, and also because his parents weren't very supportive of our relationship either. They thought I was a gold-digger and just after a green card because I am 20yrs younger than my husband and they couldn't understand how we could possibly have a real relationship. His parents and sister were not invited because of this, in fact, they didn't know anything about it until my husband called them after the ceremony.
In the end - I could care less where I got married....the main thing is I am now married to the man I love.
Yes, you may step on some toes if you decide to go with a courthouse wedding. In the end though, you and your fiance are the ones who need to decide where to get married.
Best of luck to you both...I hope it works out for you.

Vanessa is right (she usually is!! Pay attention to what she says and you can't go too far wrong with this process!)
I don't understand why the 'official' line is still that K3s reduce the amount of time that couples are separated. This hasn't been true for a couple of years apparently from what I have read here on VJ. There is a very knowledgable member here called pushbrk - I read a few posts of his not too long ago where he was explaining the history of the K3 visa - basically it was introduced as a way of re-uniting couples sooner as at the time it was taking a couple of years to have a CR1/IR1 visa approved.
In the last couple of years, the processing times for CR1/IR1 have improved drastically (although it doesn't feel like it when you wait 9mths like I did (and I know of others for whom it has taken over a year), but I would still much prefer that then the 2yrs or more it used to take). Now, K3 and CR1/IR1 are approved in much the same amount of time. And in reality, a K3 will probably never be issued anyway as apparently the NVC effectively 'kills' the K3 and processes the CR1/IR1. That's not necessarily a bad thing - as Vanessa mentioned - the CR1/IR1 is easily the superior (read: 'cheaper and less paperwork') visa anyway.
Best of luck!

Well I do get what he is saying. Upon oath you are commiting to the country and, in the USA's eyes, becoming just a us citizen as they dont recognize dual citizenship. You are right in the fact that by becoming a citizen you are wanting to abide and live by the laws of the land but you also have to think about the fact that they might go to war. It is a very small chance, if at all, that they go to war with your home country. The US would expect you to pick them. Who would you choose. Or what if the usa went to war with a country but your home country didnt approve of this war at all, who would you side with?
Again, I know that these situations are very unlikely to occur but they CAN happen. Becoming a citizen and swearing an oath to the country is pledging alligance. You have to be prepared that it may happened. This is why I dont take citizenship very lightly at all and my loyalties lie with my home country, which they should as I am a citizen.
Hopefully for you it will just be a matter of abiding by the 'laws of the land' but I hope thats not all you think about when you swear on oath for citizenship.
BUT lets not get side tracked. I was merely asking about re-entry. There is many reasons and circumstances behind somebody (and that doesnt mean bad things) but things that cant be communicated over a forum. Its not black and white and so people shouldnt judge as to why or why not somebody is doing something.

I just think its a huge huge step and one that cant be taken lightly. Once done, you can't take it back or change it so its a huge commitment and you need to be sure of it, Just like on any huge commitment (marriage/kids etc) Because of this, I need to make sure I do it for the right reasons and not because it might be easier travelling back and forth countries. That isnt what its about. If thats all the reasons for somebody choosing citizenship then thats wrong. Im a very stong believer in 'itll work out' and so if I choose not to become a citizen, as long as I take the right precautions and Im careful and work hard at getting something achieved, I know itll be OK. Thats why I was enquiring about the 're-entry permit' because I wanted to make sure. I want to establish all my options.
I dont have kids so I dont have to think about that.
We are both teachers and are thinking of buying a condo and when we leave, renting it out. That way we will have an asset and therefore a 'tie' to America. This isnt to satisy immigration because this will prove to be beneifical to us as well but it helps!

Thank you to everyone for your replies.
In response to the question about dual citizenship, I just don't want it. I am British and I don't want to become an American. Theres no hard feelings but i am happy being a permenent resident. I feel like I shouldnt be made to become a citizen and take such a big step on the basis of the fact that it may pose problems in the future. Its a big step and one that should be done on the basis of the fact that such a person truly wanted to be an American otherwise its fraud.
This is why I wanted to know if the governement had put a system in place for situations such as this (among others.) If it means that there is no other way and I have to stay here then so be it but read somewhere that there was parole so thought Id enquire about it.
Thanks for all the help

For others who are reading: Western Union receipts may be helpful for the Manila embassy, but they can just as easily be detrimental elsewhere. Read the reviews and stories about YOUR consulate before deciding how to proceed in regard to these receipts.

'Low' fees on US ATM withdrawls? Guess it depends on your definition of 'low' - I wasn't impressed paying something like $18 every time I withdrew $500 from an ATM here (that was about 2yrs ago using a Commonwealth Bank debit/ATM card)
The maximum daily cash withdrawl from ATM amount varies from bank to bank, as does the maximum amount of cash you can take out of your account within 24hrs.
I have a Citibank Australia account - no monthly account keeping fees, allows me to make cash withdrawls from US Citibank ATMs for free, I haven't had any trouble getting $1000 out in one transaction and they increased the daily cash withdrawl amount on my account to $2000.
I don't know about other banks, but I know my Commonwealth Bank ATM card can be used like a credit card for purchases, as can my Citibank card.

My situation: 3mths after my divorce was finalised I married my USC husband - who is 20yrs older than me- while visiting the US on VWP, returned to Australia two weeks after I got married, then came back to the US on the VWP about 4mths later - filed our I-130 a week after entry, stayed for the full 90days the VWP allows, then returned to Australia and waited out the rest of the process.
I was never questioned about the age difference, the timing of my divorce and subsequent marriage, marrying while on the VWP, or filing the I-130 while in the US.
As others have said, you are over-thinking this a little - but I can understand the feeling - I felt the same way when we first started this process too. I had concerns about all of those things mentioned above - and it turned out I worried over nothing! The fact that you are thinking this through allows you to be prepared for any questions you may be asked - but in all probability you wont be asked about any of it anyway.
Good luck with everything

The U.S. consulate has a lot of discretion in the decision-making process and they don't have to justify their decision to anybody short of the U.S. Secretary of State. Not even a congressman can give them a headache.
Based on the double stunt that you already performed, which, if somebody wanted to, could be seen as attempted visa or immigration fraud, I'd strongly suggest not to stir up any more mud from the bottom of the ocean but to relax and pretend to be the nicest, most patient husband of a U.S. citizen wife who is deserving of a CR-1 visa. Always keep in mind that immigration is not a right, but a privilege, and good will and vibes are an essential part of this process.

Your friend must report her marriage to SSA so they are already going to be alerted to the possibility that she will be on travel. The last thing someone petitioning someone from the apparent fraud capital of the world needs to be doing is commiting benefits fraud themselves.

You think that $750 is a reasonable fee for filling out forms, in light of the fact that they have to ask YOU to provide all of the information they'll need on those forms? You're aware that 90% of the work they're going to do involves giving you a questionnaire, and then transcribing your answers to the forms, right?
Have a look at the AOS guide on this site here. If you can follow those instructions then you can do it yourself and save a bunch of money.
BTW, the forms are FREE on the USCIS website.
Interesting that you and your son entered with tourist visas and a month later you're married and ready to adjust status and get a green card. I sure hope this wasn't planned in advance.

Don't bother calling DOS - they have absolutely nothing to do with the case and usually give out incorrect information.
If you have concerns - they need to be directed to the Sydney Consulate - they are the ones in charge of approving and issuing visas.
Having said this - I think it's likely that you have been given incorrect info from DOS. It is rare for Australians to be put on AP (and by rare I mean I have never heard/read any cases where this has happened).
The CO's in Australia do not usually lie - if they say he's approved, then he's approved. Did they give him a slip of paper saying 'approved' at his interview? I got one at my interview on a Tuesday and had my visa on the Friday.
Just relax....he will probably get his visa in the next couple of days.

Hey....if you forgot your log ins.....just request your pass words again....
and....
mates up over is now on facebook....
there is also a mates up over for each state you get aligned with....so
.. would love to hear from yah's as they do have 'get togethers' from time to time.... :dance: :dance:

Found this forum the other day and thought I'd share it
MATES UP-OVER
It is a forum mainly for Aussies living in the US. If anyone joins in I have the same screen name over there.

As a heads-up - I know nothing about the process in DR, but......
Not meaning to add more stress to the situation....but just check out what will happen with your wife's medical if she is pregnant.
I don't know your case - but pregnancy can be a contra-indication for some of the vaccinations (ie you can't have them done while pregnant). So if your wife is missing some of her vaccinations this may be a problem. Also, do they do a chest x-ray at medicals in DR? If so - this could be another issue as again - your wife probably shouldn't be getting an x-ray if she is pregnant. I know that we have to have a chest x-ray in Australia and that they can be done using a lead shield over the belly - but this isn't recommended by Australian medical authorities. In that situation (ie woman can't have x-rays and/or vaccinations) they wont issue a visa until they are done.
Like I said, I don't know DR specifics and I don't mean to add any more stress....but I just wanted to point this out in case it may be a problem for you. If I am wrong and way off-base I sincerely apologise!!!

Congrats!!
Rice is an excellent school! My husband is graduate of U of H...but you'd think he was UT the way he loves his Horns lol.
And yes, I'm sure he will be very happy with the winter here. I'm sorry - what winter? It was 80F here today lol

It is recommended by airlines and vets not to drug your animals for flights - it makes them scared, unable to react and subject to injury if there is turbulence.

I've only been here 6mths, so I can't really speak to how long it should take you to adjust.
That comment you made about the environment making you depressed - that hit home with me and I absolutely believe it's true. I was born in Sydney but I am a country girl at heart. I can't stand the city, I can't deal with seeing nothing but concrete and traffic and smog, and crowds of people. And now I'm living in Houston TX - which is maybe the 4th or 5th largest city in the US!! For the 6yrs before I moved here I had been living in a small country town of around 3000 people, Houston has something like 5mil!!
My husband sees a huge change in me when we get out of the city. When we go somewhere where there are trees and grass and open spaces its like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders. I would love to move (ideally back to Australia, but even just somewhere else in TX), but I know that this is where we need to be for now - we need to get my step-daughter through school first and get her started at college before we can even think about moving anywhere else. I want to go back to Australia, and I am lucky that my husband is open to the idea once his daughter is settled, but in the back of my mind is the knowledge that my husband will probably have the same problems adjusting to Australia, just like I'm having adjusting to America.
So maybe a compromise of moving to another town/city nearby would work for you.
Now I may be completely out of line here and I don't mean to offend....but you may end up banging you head against a wall with this. You husband has never lived anywhere else, isn't really open to the idea (of moving to NZ at least, I don't know about another town), and you said your MIL wont be happy either. It sounds to me like you may have bigger problems than just the issue of where to live. I see the same thing in my husband's family - he was born and raised here in Houston, has never lived anywhere else, but at least he is open to moving. His sister will never live anywhere else as that would upset their parents. Same thing with my husband's uncle and their family - his uncle and two of their children (and their families) all live in the same neighbourhood (one daughter actually lives right next door to her parents), and have never lived anywhere but Houston either. Now I'm all for families being close and supporting...but with them it just seems like they don't get to live their own lives because all of their family are right there with them all the time. And I know from being in that sort of situation....it's not always easy to make a decision when you have an entire family making their opinions known. I hope I'm wrong on this part of it...and my apologies if I'm out of line.
I wish you well and hope that you and your husband can work something out so that both of you can be happy.

Well, you guess it, you were right! I got my RFE today, and yep, it's asking for proof of the co-sponsor's citizenship or LPR status.
NOTHING to do with the medical, crikey!
Who's for a beer? My shout :innocent:
Phew, that's an easy one :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: