Xanax

Normally I would be all "go for it, it really isn't a big risk" etc as I adjusted from the VWP... but you were interrogated by CBP and they didn't want to let you in and all the other evidence that would point to you staying like bringing your cats, obviously all your luggage, did you say you had police certificates/ clearances? the fact you were already married to your husband, I just personally would not risk that.
Similarly, If you are denied you will have to leave the US and find somewhere else to live and file for an IR-1 visa, you won't be eligible for the VWP (so no visiting while the visa process takes place) anymore and you will have to file a waiver for your overstay.
The most logical route in my mind is to return home to your family in Aus, spend some quality time with them, apply for the IR-1 visa (you can do that while you are here now), visit on the VWP if you like and wait out the process. Your spouse can also visit you in Australia during this time and once granted your visa and you enter the USA you will have a greencard, be legal and be able to work/ travel straight away without worrying.
Note: I say IR-1 because I assume you have been married for 2+ years (or I thought I read that).

If you take what is required/ requested of you , documents/ photos and all that jazz you should be fine. 150 photos aren';t required nor is 1000 assests held jointing. This application process really does seem to become quite convoluted, our IO said "KISS is the key" Keep, it , simple, stupid ( well, rather we did and she agreed stating people bring way too much "#######") Who wants to look through 100s of pages , photos or documents?
Again, OP , follow the letter with the "requirements" and you will be fine, photos are handy dandy but they are generally secondary evidence to other things anyway. Don't stress and don't let people tell you, you need piles of mountains of things when you don't if you just follow USCIS guidelines and rules

Haha. I think when we start this process they should send out some valium and a bottle of something as compliments from the US government

Haha. I think when we start this process they should send out some valium and a bottle of something as compliments from the US government

Do not feel bad. Do not. You early approvers are not the problem or the cause of unfairness. The laws and their unequal application by USCIS are the problem and the cause of unfairness.

Op, I sooo know where you are coming from! I generally use just standard airmail so I don't spend hours fretting over why my package hasn't left XYZ place and checking the tracking!
Once you have your NOA1 you have lots of time between NOA1 and NOA2 to work out which mail carrier you want to use in the future.
Hang in there!

I bought meds to the US. I had to have a doctors certificate.

I'm sorry but this just comes off as really rude... For a community that is for aiding people in this journey through the system this post seems to be a bad representation. We understand that the process is going to take it's time and it's going to involve waiting a lot. Jo's post wasn't to complain that the wait is unbearable at this moment. It was simply having a poke at the USPS and the fact that sometimes the system you think you are paying for to mail important documents to even get the process started seemed a little slow as it's been sitting in one of the sort facilities for a couple days. She wasn't looking to have a serious rant and rave about the system because the bureaucracy is going to be in your way every step of the way and slowing it down. It was to say "Hey, looks like the usps wants to hold things up before we get started It seems that tracking is sometimes not the way to go in this case. What do other people use? How's everyone doing." The "rant" about the price and time was merely for being irked about paying for a service that is expected to get things here faster and let you know it's on the way isn't functioning as advertised. It's a break from expectation of the services expected whereas once everything is filed the expectation is that it's a waiting game. We are fully prepared for that.
Seriously, I understand what your post was trying to say. Putting it in a nice and succinct way that would have been helpful you could have said something along the lines of "Trust me, it doesn't get any faster from here on out. Sorry it's got you frustrated. Next time, I'd pay that little bit extra if you want it to get there quicker. Be prepared though, as soon as you get things filed it's a long process as I'm sure you've seen because you've read through the other helpful things on VisaJourney. You have read through those haven't you? If not, I'd go and read up on them and prepare yourself for the full experience."
Instead, your post comes off condescending at best and doesn't actually offer anything helpful in it. Maybe you had a hard go with your own experiences but it doesn't mean you should be looking to come down hard on people who haven't even fully started.
TL;DR - I think your post came off very rude and offered a better way to handle things in the future. This is a community that is supposed to be helpful and your comment wasn't. Don't be this harsh with a first time poster about something that isn't all that serious.
-Bob

I sympathize with your situation, I really do, but you didn't answer any of my questions so I can't provide any advice.
I am going to assume you have no AU ties. With no ties you won't get a visa regardless of your situation. You shot yourself in the foot when you applied for your first B2 instead of just using the VWP.
If you cannot improve your AU ties I suggest you look at what options are available to you and your father; can he travel is he at the point where he cannot? Does he have any AU status and could he come and be with you for treatment and care?

This is so sad and even if my life isn't directly affected by something I can still feel sad and or care.

This is so sad and even if my life isn't directly affected by something I can still feel sad and or care.

It is all variable. Processing times for CSC and VSC vary greatly between each other and at different points in the year(they process the K-1 and CR-1 visas) as do the processing times for the local offices (where the AOS applications get sent). You will see some AOS petitions approved within months and you will see some K-1's approved within months. You will also see some take most of a year. There are things that add time to each process as well like RFE's (request further evidence) and AP (administrative processing) that are not forseen.
Note: If AOS from a VWP is denied then you have to leave the country and there is NO appeal so that adds to the time (I believe you can appeal from a tourist visa).
If you are NOT indeed planning to come to the US or have someone come to the US and apply for a greencard and trying to find the "fastest" route regardless of legality, may I ask why you are asking this question? Surely not just to waste VJ members time to answer an asinine question that has no meaning behind it?

Unfortunately, your reasons for going to the US are not as important as your reasons for returning.
Regardless of how much you want or need to go to the US you must show evidence of why you must return/ it's imperative for you to return.
What are your AU ties? Do you have a family in Australia? Are you renting or do you have a mortgage? Are you studying and or on a scholarship? Do you have a job that you have to get back to? **these are some examples.

It is all variable. Processing times for CSC and VSC vary greatly between each other and at different points in the year(they process the K-1 and CR-1 visas) as do the processing times for the local offices (where the AOS applications get sent). You will see some AOS petitions approved within months and you will see some K-1's approved within months. You will also see some take most of a year. There are things that add time to each process as well like RFE's (request further evidence) and AP (administrative processing) that are not forseen.
Note: If AOS from a VWP is denied then you have to leave the country and there is NO appeal so that adds to the time (I believe you can appeal from a tourist visa).
If you are NOT indeed planning to come to the US or have someone come to the US and apply for a greencard and trying to find the "fastest" route regardless of legality, may I ask why you are asking this question? Surely not just to waste VJ members time to answer an asinine question that has no meaning behind it?

It is all variable. Processing times for CSC and VSC vary greatly between each other and at different points in the year(they process the K-1 and CR-1 visas) as do the processing times for the local offices (where the AOS applications get sent). You will see some AOS petitions approved within months and you will see some K-1's approved within months. You will also see some take most of a year. There are things that add time to each process as well like RFE's (request further evidence) and AP (administrative processing) that are not forseen.
Note: If AOS from a VWP is denied then you have to leave the country and there is NO appeal so that adds to the time (I believe you can appeal from a tourist visa).
If you are NOT indeed planning to come to the US or have someone come to the US and apply for a greencard and trying to find the "fastest" route regardless of legality, may I ask why you are asking this question? Surely not just to waste VJ members time to answer an asinine question that has no meaning behind it?

When I joined this forum I was shocked at how many times I saw/ read this type of thing, it really put me off.
I try to ignore it now ... but sometimes I still find myself in disbelief at the chauvinistic views of certain people.

When I joined this forum I was shocked at how many times I saw/ read this type of thing, it really put me off.
I try to ignore it now ... but sometimes I still find myself in disbelief at the chauvinistic views of certain people.

Could just be coincidence. ICE could be following up on his no longer F-1 status (if he dropped out) and it just so happens that he filed AOS the day before.

Could just be coincidence. ICE could be following up on his no longer F-1 status (if he dropped out) and it just so happens that he filed AOS the day before.

Could just be coincidence. ICE could be following up on his no longer F-1 status (if he dropped out) and it just so happens that he filed AOS the day before.

When I joined this forum I was shocked at how many times I saw/ read this type of thing, it really put me off.
I try to ignore it now ... but sometimes I still find myself in disbelief at the chauvinistic views of certain people.

When I joined this forum I was shocked at how many times I saw/ read this type of thing, it really put me off.
I try to ignore it now ... but sometimes I still find myself in disbelief at the chauvinistic views of certain people.

Sorry to read your story.
'I'm wondering if I can get another one from the Philippines after I divorce'
Interesting wording...like a commodity? I should imagine looking for 'another one' should be the furthest thing from your mind right now.

I have to respectfully disagree!
I came to the US with my K-1 pending. I came to the US to prepare everything for my permanent move, arrange the house, get the necessities and fix the house up (husband was a major bachelor), investigate community college, meet my prospective family and make SURE I wanted to do this.
Anyway... I went to the doctor in the US to have my medical done as it was cheaper in the US and when I called USCIS they said it was fine to have it done while here and bring it back with me to Aus (the waiting time for my local one in Aus was long and it was more than double the price) etc.
After my Medical I was told I had a communicable disease (TMI) and would have to be treated before I could leave. After a myriad of tests the issue was resolved and I was told I did not in fact have said disease BUT I will probably always test positive for it at the initial testing stage and it could be a sign of something else, things I should be tested for ASAP. The testing took a few weeks and it was very stressful. My husband (the fiance) and I decided to marry in this time as we were not sure I was even allowed to leave the country if I had said disease or if I have another disease which could prove even worse.I did not want to leave during such a stressful time anyway, if I had, had either disease my husband (then fiance) would have had to be tested and treated too and I did not want to leave him if we were both going through something similarly as horrible.
Similarly, we adopted a puppy when I came to the US who subsequently developed something called "the parvo virus" which nearly killed her. She was in puppy hospital for nearly a month with 24/7 monitoring and was almost put on a breathing machine ($5000 a day). Our puppy who was out of the hospital in May (I went to do my medical in June) was on 4 types on medication daily , numerous times a day, had to have her poop bleached and anything she came in contact with routinely bleached so as not to pass on the infection, she also had a grade 3 heart murmur from the damage the virus did to her heart and had severe separation anxiety from her time at the vet. My husband (then fiance) worked 12 hour days , 4 days a week and could not provide the level of care she needed (we had planned for her to go to daycare or have puppy-sitting during his work days when I returned anticipating at most I would be gone 3 months going by the USCIS timeline and factoring in any "problems" like a RFE) and she was not eligible for any daycare or sitting service as no one wanted to take on such a risk or such a sick dog.
So, I stayed after much discussion , talking to USCIS and soul searching we thought it would be best.
In staying, I missed out on seeing my family (for a year) , I lost my job, I lost most of my friends, I missed Christmas at home and of course I missed out on a "real" wedding and "real" honeymoon. Edit: and I also have to deal with attitudes like this (yours).
Now, of course not everyone's situation is the same and I am sure mine is a far cry from the norm, but you OP do not know everyone's situation and to blanket the statement and to infer everyone who adjusts from the VWP or a B visa is intentionally committing fraud is unfair.
*** I am sure I missed things in my timeline of events but it is dinner time .

I have to respectfully disagree!
I came to the US with my K-1 pending. I came to the US to prepare everything for my permanent move, arrange the house, get the necessities and fix the house up (husband was a major bachelor), investigate community college, meet my prospective family and make SURE I wanted to do this.
Anyway... I went to the doctor in the US to have my medical done as it was cheaper in the US and when I called USCIS they said it was fine to have it done while here and bring it back with me to Aus (the waiting time for my local one in Aus was long and it was more than double the price) etc.
After my Medical I was told I had a communicable disease (TMI) and would have to be treated before I could leave. After a myriad of tests the issue was resolved and I was told I did not in fact have said disease BUT I will probably always test positive for it at the initial testing stage and it could be a sign of something else, things I should be tested for ASAP. The testing took a few weeks and it was very stressful. My husband (the fiance) and I decided to marry in this time as we were not sure I was even allowed to leave the country if I had said disease or if I have another disease which could prove even worse.I did not want to leave during such a stressful time anyway, if I had, had either disease my husband (then fiance) would have had to be tested and treated too and I did not want to leave him if we were both going through something similarly as horrible.
Similarly, we adopted a puppy when I came to the US who subsequently developed something called "the parvo virus" which nearly killed her. She was in puppy hospital for nearly a month with 24/7 monitoring and was almost put on a breathing machine ($5000 a day). Our puppy who was out of the hospital in May (I went to do my medical in June) was on 4 types on medication daily , numerous times a day, had to have her poop bleached and anything she came in contact with routinely bleached so as not to pass on the infection, she also had a grade 3 heart murmur from the damage the virus did to her heart and had severe separation anxiety from her time at the vet. My husband (then fiance) worked 12 hour days , 4 days a week and could not provide the level of care she needed (we had planned for her to go to daycare or have puppy-sitting during his work days when I returned anticipating at most I would be gone 3 months going by the USCIS timeline and factoring in any "problems" like a RFE) and she was not eligible for any daycare or sitting service as no one wanted to take on such a risk or such a sick dog.
So, I stayed after much discussion , talking to USCIS and soul searching we thought it would be best.
In staying, I missed out on seeing my family (for a year) , I lost my job, I lost most of my friends, I missed Christmas at home and of course I missed out on a "real" wedding and "real" honeymoon. Edit: and I also have to deal with attitudes like this (yours).
Now, of course not everyone's situation is the same and I am sure mine is a far cry from the norm, but you OP do not know everyone's situation and to blanket the statement and to infer everyone who adjusts from the VWP or a B visa is intentionally committing fraud is unfair.
*** I am sure I missed things in my timeline of events but it is dinner time .