danielleNJ

Danielle no order really just get him to have the the official papers from them on top with the checklist and the DS 230 part one and 2 if he has not already sent off part 1. Put all the papers in order of the checklist with paperclips darl that's all that is needed.. Put passport pics in a little snap bag if he can and what I did was place them all in a business brown envelope, addressed and our case number and then placed all that in an express post envelope to send off to the consulate. Friday there now so if he sends it today express they will get it Monday as we don't' have Sat post back home.

Thanks so much Barbara! Will it be a problem if he attached the passport photos to the DS156 already? In the little space they have for the photos? Or does he need to send 2 MORE photos?

Thanks again!

Danielle

Hi all,

I've been MIA for quite a while. My fiance is finally about to send off Packet 3 today (when he wakes up in a few hours). We spent hours on Skype last night making sure we had everything and it was in proper order.

My question is:

Is there a certain order in which the documents have be in? And a certain way to have them assembled, like with paper clips/folders/etc?

Also, do we need to write any sort of cover letter or index to mail off with it?

I'd appreciate any quiock responseS since we're sending this off in a few hours.

Thank you so much!

Danielle

My fiance and I just received Packet 3 yesterday. I have my W2's for 2011 (although I have not filed my taxes yet), or my tax transcripts for the last three years (2008-2010). Which should I submit with Packet 3? I read on one of the consulate reviews that having not filed your taxes yet can cause trouble with the approval. Help me!

Thanks

Ok great thanks! Looks like we will pursue filing for the K1 visa while she is here visiting with the tourist visa then! I just wanted to make sure that this would not jeopardize our plans of being together. I kind of got the feeling while speaking to the lawyer that follows the law 150% and did not even want to consider any alternate options of us being together during the processing period.

What about marrying here on a tourist visa, filing paperwork for I130 , and then sending her back home before her 6 months are up? Then she could come back when the I-130 and other documents are all said and done? Would doing this also be legal?

Thanks and good luck with your situation!

I'm sure that's why the lawyer told you to wait til she was back home. Just wanted to make sure there was no chance of you getting denied. As long as she's always returned on time in the past and has a return ticket, it shouldn't be an issue.

The reason it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to marry while on a tourist visa and then adjust status is because you have to be able to prove that she entered the US with no intention of getting married and adjusting status. Because you two have been visiting back and forth, this would probably be extremely difficult to prove. If you got caught, it would be considered visa fraud and she would be sent back to her country. In your circumstance, I would definitely go for the K1.

Good luck again!

My fiance and I were in a similar situation. We were together for just under a year and he'd visited me 3 times in the US, never overstaying. We sent in our I-129F while he was still in the US (September 2011). We just made sure to submit copies of all his boarding passes/passport stamps and flight intineraries (to prove he'd never overstayed and had booked a flight back home to Australia). We were approved with no RFE's and are now waiting for our case to reach the embassy!

The reason they don't want you coming to the US on a tourist visa and then marrying and filing for AOS is because it is illeagel to visit the US with the intent to marry. When you have a tourist visa, you have to return home before that visa expires. It doesn't matter if you file for your K1 while your fiance is the US, she can even visit you while it's processing (or you can visit her). The lawyer probably just advised against it because the safest bet is to file while you're each in your own countries.

Good luck! Hope I could help!

Danielle

For the I-134 if the letters from your employers show sufficient income you should be fine. I sent a letter from my bank as well, just to be safe. The instructions say copies of any of the documents listed.

Your difficulty (if any) may come when you have to file for AOS and submit the I-864 which requires you to state your adjusted gross income for the most recent three tax years. For the I-864 they will accept evidence to support your "expected" income though.

If I were in your situation I would possibly look at options for a co-sponsor if needed. It would be nice to have one in your back pocket just in case you needed one. I'm only saying that this is what I would do not that you should.

Good luck to you! Hope your trip through NVC and the embassy are smooth.

Thank you so much for your advice. I'll still be including the last 3 years tax returns along with my employment letters. Do you think I'd need a co-sponsor for the NVC/Embassy stage or just for AOS? The only year in question is really 2010. I think my 2011 will be fine! How does it work with the "expected" income?

I'm getting a bit panicky

What you want are letters that state your annual salary not your current income. If your 2011 W-2's don't show that you earned more than 125% of the poverty level for your family size you might want to consider sending in your 2010 return also (if it shows you were above the level then).

Some Aussie member should come along and give you something more specific to what the consulate is looking for.

The letters I will get from both my employers will state my annual salary, which is above the required amount. On my 2010 tax return, I was not above the required amount. With my current salary I make more than enough. But none of my tax returns show it because I've only had these jobs for less than 6 months.

Thanks

hello VJers! hope everyone is having a good week.

fiance and i just got our case number from NVC yesterday. hoping it goes out to the embassy by the end of the week. the man on the phone said they'd be shipping out on friday!

this said, i've been working on gathering everything for packet 3. i currently work two full time jobs. one as a receptionist at a car dealership (since October 2011) and the other as waitress (since July 2011). i just received my W2's for both my jobs yesterday. i'm still waiting on my W2 from the job i had in florida before i moved to NJ this summer. my income taxes from 2011 do not show what i'm currently making because i've only been at my current jobs for a short time.

so here's my question:

i am getting employment letters from BOTH my current jobs. will the letter stating my current income (which is well above the required amount) and my W2's be sufficient? i'm almost positive that my income last year might not be sufficient enough (when i lived in florida i wasn't making much money, which is why i moved back to NJ) to grant me approval without a co-sponsor?

i'm sorry if this is confusing! basically i just want to know if the letters state what my yearly income is even though my W2's don't show the full amount because i've only been at my jobs a short time will be okay?

thanks for all your help everyone

danielle

Thank you so much everyone! I'm well on my way towards finishing the next steps! NVC is telling me it takes 15 days from the approval date for the case to be in their system. I am going to keep calling every day though! And my fiancé is going for his police check this Sunday!

hello all!

my fiance and i received approval via text/email on the 23rd of december while i was in australia visiting him for christmas. i returned home to the US yesterday and was expecting my NOA2 hard copy to be in my mailbox. i had my mail held while i was away and it was all supposed to be delivered when i returned. no sign of the hard copy.

i called USCIS to confirm they'd sent it and the woman on the phone told me it can take up to 30 days to receive. i'm just a little worried because i know post offices can lose things and i'm hoping mine isn't lost in the mail somewhere. she said if i haven't received it in 30 days from approval to call back.

has this happened to anyone before? and about how long does it normally take from approval to when you receive the hard copy in the mail? thanks all!

danielle

I haven't heard of the police requesting documentation as to who is requesting the fingerprinting to be done. Maybe they mean the application form??

You need the P800 - Full Disclosure PCC, based on fingerprints and name check. On this form it asks the reason for needing the fingerprint check - with 'visa' being one of the options, and asks for which country. Make sure that you use the P800, and NOT the P799, as is stated on the NSW Police website (its says that P799 is to be used for visas). I have read here on VJ of other people getting the wrong one done because the police told them to use the P799. From my experience - police officers in NSW don't seem to have any idea which form we need to use for our visas. My cousin and her husband are both NSW Police officers and had no idea lol! I got mine in NSW in April (using the P800) and I believe it was $175.

HERE is a link to a thread on this earlier in the year.

You are always so helpful! I really appreciate it. What is the difference between the P800 and the P799? The P800 is for the K1 as well, not just the CR1?

Whoever I spoke to on the phone also mentioned to bring an envelope for the fingerprints and an address where they are to be sent. I've been advised previously to have both the police check and fingerprints sent to my fiancé's AUS address. So would we just address the fingerprint envelope back to him? And what about the police check? How do we have that sent back to him as well? Are both of these required at the interview or are they sent with packet 3?

I think I'll just have my fiancé call back in a few days and ask about the check again. Maybe we'll speak to someone else on the phone who knows what they're talking about.

Thanks again

Hello all!

Just called to book my fiancé's police and fingerprint check since we received our NOA2 a few days ago. We were able to make an appointment but the person I spoke to at the local police station said we need to bring documentation stating who is requesting his fingerprints. Would this mean we can show him our NOA2, or do we have to wait for packet 3?

Help! Thanks.

By the way, this is in NSW, Australia.

thank you so much everyone

we are so happy!

I arrived in Australia to visit my fiancé for Christmas on the 23rd and just got around to connecting to wifi to check my email today and was approved for my i-129f on the 23rd! I couldn't be happier. Best Christmas ever I hope everyone is having a nice holiday season and wish everyone luck!

Any tips/pointers on the next steps? I'll be back in the states on the 4th.

You can check the validity of your ETA through the Department of Immigration and Citizenship site HERE.

As long as nothing has changed - ie you still have the same passport, then the ETA should still be valid.

In regards to bringing anything with you, I probably wouldn't be too concerned about that (but keep in mind I'm an Aussie here so obviously coming into Australia is different for me than it would be for you). If it would make you feel better you could maybe bring your NOA1 - if asked you could tell them that you have no intention of staying in Australia as you are currently petitioning your fiance to move to the US.

Hope you have a safe trip and enjoy the holidays in Australia.

P.S Get ready for a new experience - it will be summer, so enjoy having a Christmas Day that will probably be 100F lol!!!

Thank you for the helpful advice! I think I'll bring a copy of my NOA1 just to be safe!

Thank you very much! I'm so excited about having a summer Christmas. Going to be so strange!

I visited my fiancee in Canada a few times while K1 was in process, and wasn't any trouble. Usually the return ticket clears up everything. If you're worried about it, a letter from your employer stating you'll be back to work on a certain date always works. I used to work for a non-profit moving between countries constantly, and these always were given to us; letters from employers are gold.

But between two 1st world countries and with Australia being such a low-fraud country, I'll think you'll be fine. Happy Holidays!

I visited my fiancee in Canada a few times while K1 was in process, and wasn't any trouble. Usually the return ticket clears up everything. If you're worried about it, a letter from your employer stating you'll be back to work on a certain date always works. I used to work for a non-profit moving between countries constantly, and these always were given to us; letters from employers are gold.

But between two 1st world countries and with Australia being such a low-fraud country, I'll think you'll be fine. Happy Holidays!

Thanks so much. I have two jobs and neither of my employers are too happy with me for going away for two weeks so I'm not sure I'd be able to get a letter. I can definitely try though! Thank you for the advice!

Question for all you!

I have just booked a trip to go and visit my fiance in Australia for the holidays! I'm so excited.

I know that visiting him while our K1 is being processed isn't a problem but I have two questions:

1. The last time I visited Australia (April of 2011, before we filed for our K1), I got an Electronic Travel Visa for my visit. I know these last for a year. Is there anything I need to change or update, or will the same visa still be on my passport?

2. Do I need to bring anything proving I'm returning to the US other than my return ticket?

Thank you for all the help!

- Danielle

I included Skype logs when I submitted my i-129f. I took screen shots of actual chat messages as well as incoming and outgoing calls to my fiance and their duration!

Thanks for the info to everyone in this thread! I'm a month behind danielle in our timeline but I was also wondering these things Will give this thread to my other half so he will have it too! Also wishing a good luck to danielle, hope all goes well! <3

Good luck to you too!

My policecheck, which was done in QLD, was $169.05 (Yeah really, five cents...). You just go into a police station and say you need a police check with fingerprints, and if they ask why, say it's for visa purposes. Fill out a form, take some fingerprints, all is well!

I applied for mine on the 27th July, and they sent it out to me on the 2nd August. Which would've been GREAT except... I did have issues with my neighbours stealing my mail though , so I didn't end up getting it until September sometime because I emailed them and asked where the heck it was (Because I didn't write on the form to send it to the consulate, although I've read that they do. But I don't think they did in my case.) so they had to send me another one! Lol.

I wouldn't get it done just yet though, since you only applied in September.

Thank you! Everyone here is so helpful!

That sucks that your neighbor stole your mail! But thankfully you got it in the end!

He's not going to have it done quite yet. Probably in the start of the new year cause I'd like to think I'll have my NOA2 in mid-January to mid-February!

Hello Danielle,

I have recently had my police check done, I had no problem with the process and my certificate was sent to me in 14 days.

If your fiance lives in Victoria, he can go to the police web site www.police.vic.gov.au, all the information is there as to where he can go to have it all done and contact details to make his appointment.

The police check cost is $137 here in Victoria, to be paid by cheque or money order.

Firstly he needs to get the application form, from his local police station, or download and print from the above web site.

Fill this out and gather his proof of identity documents,Passport or Drivers licence ect. (There is a complete list of what is excepted on the form)

The proof of identity will need to be certified, I asked the police officer at my local police station to do this. (There is also a list of who is authorised to certify documents on the form)

The fingerprints are to be done by livescan, he must make an appointment for this.

He will need to call the phone number listed on the web site to make an appointment, inform them that you want a Federal-National Police check done and that it is for a US K1 Fiance Visa.

I was able to have my fingerprints done at my local police station. (The above web site

lists what police stations do the fingerprints)

The person who did the fingerprints took my forms and payment as well, it was all sent of from there and I received the certificate by regular post.

The police check is valid for 12 months from date of certificate issue.

Hope this helps you both.

Thank you very much! He's in NSW. But i'm sure the processes are very similar! Seems like it's one of the least complicated things about the K1! What stage are you at in your visa?

As you only filed in September you still have a ways to go yet for approval/. He can start to get things together now > The police and medical report are valid for 12 months so I would not start any of this till end Dec / Jan 2012, The police report he just has to call the local police station and make an appointment with them for fingerprinting tell them it is for a fiance visa and it was about $145 All this info is on the US consulate web site for the Aussies. I have also been told that after the police report is done it is sent directly to the consulate but I would ask for it to be sent to his home address as it normally takes about 4 weeks to be returned and you don't want it going to the consulate when you haven't been approved yet. They wont know who it is for. If he is in Sydney he can organise a medical with Dr Waks in George St this also is on the web site.

Thank's Barbara! Just trying to make sure I understand everything so I can get it all done as soon as possible after receiving my NOA2 (whenever that may be). And does he just bring the police check in to the interview or will he have to send it in with packet 3? Thanks for all your help!

Hi Danielle,

I'm at the NVC stage for a CR-1 and had mine done 2 days ago in Sydney, I followed the steps to the dot as per from the US Embassy guidelines at:

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/obtain_police_cert.html

- Complete Form P800 (Full Disclosure), there is a link to a read-write PDF copy on the website.

- Make sure you tick the 'name, date of birth and fingerprint check' box, and your address as the address to send the certificate to. The Police told me they will send it to me and not to the US Embassy as I did not have a letter from the US embassy specifically asking for it. You may have to ask to confirm.

- Go to your local police station for the fingerprints, pay $175. Credit cards are OK.

- Fingerprints will be taken and sign the official-looking paper with the fingerprint images from the machine.

- Your local police station will send the form and the fingerprints to a Police Office in Parramatta where the national police check will be done.

- Expect the certificate in the mail 10-15 working days.

Hope that helps.

Richard

Very helpful! Thanks so much for the link! So they sent the police check to your home address and not to the consulate?

Which state is he in? There is information in the Australia/NZ forum about police checks in different states. He can get a police check anytime but I wouldn't advise getting it until NOA2 just in case there is a delay - you wouldn't want it to expire and then have to get another one. There is information on the Canberra embassy website but some of it is out of date (at least for Victoria).

http://canberra.usembassy.gov/obtain_police_cert.html

He's in NSW. From what I've read the police checks seem to be good for a year. And take about 15-30 days to process! Correct?

Thanks for the help!

Hello all! Hope everyone is having a great day.

Tried to look for some information on this here but couldn't seem to find quite what I was looking for!

My fiance and I are still waiting on our NOA2 (September filers). Can he go ahead and get his police check done now?

Can any other Aussies fill me in on how to go about getting the police check done. How to set it up/what is involved/cost? Also, what documentation he needs to get from it.

Any answers would really help me a lot!

Thanks so much!

Danielle

I'm also saying hi to Dannielle too, welcome to the Austramerican club lol I'm also an Oct filer moonunit so lets hope! Just got my NOA1 in the mail right now after the packet got there on Oct 27th

Congratulations on your NOA1. Good luck! Nice to meet you as well!

And I am with you....hoping I get an approval in Dec. Jan. and here's to hoping because I have seen people who filed in July approved so... there is a chance you can be approved before people in June. Keep the hope alive!

Exactly! Let's all be optimistic!

Don't expect a lot of speed between now and the beginning of the year. With the holidays fast approaching I would bet on longer times between NOA-1 and NOA-2.

September filers will most likely begin to see approvals sometime in mid-January or there about.

Good luck to you on your journey.

Thank you very much! Hopefully the service center's won't slow down too much over Christmas.

Hi!! I actually filed mine in October but wanted to say hello because you're an Aussimerican couple as well. Hope all of us hear from them by December! Good Luck!

Hello! Nice to meet another Aussie-American couple. Good luck!