turtlegirl

My husband was questioned for quite a long time- he even felt like he was interrogated at the Sydney interview. (This was for the fiancé visa.) The only 'red flag' we had was that he's younger than me. He was really nervous about the interview and apparently stumbled over one of the questions the woman asked because she didn't ask it very clearly- after that she was pretty brutal with him, even after he answered correctly when he asked her to clarify what she was asking. He was not pleased. It seemed so uncommon that I didn't even mention it on here- I thought maybe she was having a bad day or something. I can't even get him to write the review on here because he won't talk about it. We have our interview here for his AOS next week and he is so nervous it is going to be the same. Thankfully I'll get to go with him this time to reassure him. He's already received his EAC and AP card so I think it's really just a formality for the green card and I'm not too worried, but after Sydney he's a wreck. I was really shocked after everything I had heard about it being so laid back there also.

It took nearly a month for us to get packet 4 after sending in packet 3. You can see my timeline in my signature below. I had hoped for it much earlier as well. It felt like it took FOREVER. But we got our interview fairly quickly, so it made up for it somewhat.

Good luck!

My Fiancee also has the interview next Tuesday (3rd Sept.).

The list we received mentioned the following:

Form DS156 - My fiancee mentioned that she went back and checked all the documents and the one she sent didn't have the barcode, so may be that's why they asked for it again

Passport

Visa Fee

Envelope to return documents

So I am assuming everything we have sent until now may have been correct.

We are still little confused about the visa fees that needs to be paid. The document they sent mentions that you have to print a deposit slip to Take it to Australia Post and bring the receipt of payment to interview. So does this means that the fees must be paid in the name of Australia Post because the documents says it is not payable to Consulate?

Yes, you pay the visa fee to the Australia Post. You print out the deposit slip here: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/au/Fee240.pdf and take it to the post office to pay and bring the receipt from the post office to the consulate. Oh, and because you are a K1 applicant, you don't have to go to the website and do anything afterwards, even though the deposit slip says otherwise. That pertains to other visas- if you go to the website, you can't even find the K1 on there and it is totally confusing.

Good luck with the interview!

Depends on where I was sending it. To Tassie, 7-10 days. To Western Australia, it sometimes took up to 3 weeks or longer (I was sending it to a mining town, not sure if that made a difference. Not an itty bitty place or anything; it was a major place on the map, just not a huge city)

http://www.ustraveldocs.com/au/Fee240.pdf

Here you go

You just print this out and take it to the post office. You don't need to do anything through the website.

Thanks everyone! We got an e-mail today that his visa has been mailed, yay! It almost doesn't seem real. It's suddenly hit me how much I have put off for the wedding while waiting to get this done "just to be sure." Yikes! I think I'm still in a daze.

My Fiancé had his interview this morning- he just called me to let me know that after a serious round of questioning, we've been approved!!

He was super nervous, and he said they asked him questions that he hadn't seen anywhere in the Embassy reviews- specifically about our age difference (I'm 13 years older than he is) and about how he is going to support me when he gets over here (he has been unemployed for a while due to having moved to a very small town with his parents- he's planning on going back to school when he comes here.) They also asked him why he was so nervous. He said he felt like he was being grilled, which seemed to be pretty contrary to what I've heard about the Australian Consulate. I guess the age difference and the unemployment together threw up a red flag, but in the end we got the visa so it's all good!

There is a lot of confusion about police checks in the different states, and the information on the Embassy website is inaccurate, especially the prices and the forms. You can find the correct information by clicking through the links but it's sometimes hard to find, so I thought I would put it all into one place to make it easier for people to find what they needed. I also included the link to where I got the information from, just to be thorough.

Also, ALL police checks for immigration require a fingerprint background check. This is not currently stated on the Embassy website, but it is stated when you get the information from the Embassy (Packet 3 for the K1)

Here are the direct links to what each state wants:

NSW: uses the AFP check: http://www.police.ns...records_section which can be found here: http://www.afp.gov.au/

Queensland information is here: http://www.police.ql...ase/polcert.htm and it too is different from the info posted on the main page.

ACT uses the AFP check here: http://www.afp.gov.au/ per the main page http://canberra.usem...e_cert.html#act ignore the fee listed, it's wrong on there.

WA uses the AFP check: http://www.afp.gov.au/ per the main page http://canberra.usem...ce_cert.html#wa

Victoria uses the AFP check: http://www.police.vi...Document_ID=274 which can be found here: http://www.afp.gov.au/

Tasmania: http://www.police.ta...-record-checks/ says that the local police checks cannot be used for Australian immigration (they are for jobs, registration, etc) so you need to do them through the AFP here: http://www.afp.gov.au/

South Australia: http://www.sapolice.sa.gov.au/sapol/services/information_requests/police_checks.jsp for people residing in SA, and AFP check for those who are not http://www.afp.gov.au/

Updated to add South Australia! Sorry about that! I couldn't edit my original post. I should know better too!

South Australia misses out again?

Oops! I was doing it late at night. I will find that one out and add it! Sorry!

Fabulous, so the number that NVC assigns is the Consulate number they are talking about? That is a little bit of a relief that i haven't totally wasted my time or money!!! I will my fiance onto NVC in the next week or so (we got our NOA2 on 22nd July) Thanks so much for the help!

Yep, the number the NVC assigns is the number that starts with SYD that they are talking about So you should be good! I'm sure you'll be able to get your number either the end of this week or the start of next week

Did you make a copy of it before you sent it in? We sent our original in with everything else and we made a couple of copies to keep. We didn't get a notice saying we needed to bring in a copy of it to the interview. (We got the AFP so it came directly to us.) I don't know when your interview is, but if you didn't save a copy for yourself, then you may want to contact them to see if they made an error and it's in there. There may be a fee involved with getting another copy of the police check, although I know it would be worth it over having to wait because the paperwork disappeared. Maybe you can contact the agency that did your report and get another copy of the police report just in case? Even if you contact the Embassy, they only take calls on Friday mornings (at least that's what it says on the page, I could be wrong) and e-mails take several days I've found. I haven't seen anyone else with this issue, but that's a tough situation, I'm sorry!

I got my NOA2 on May 22nd, and I called NVC on June 6th and was able to get my number, and was told that it had been shipped to Sydney the day before Once it's been about 7-10 days since your NOA2 you can start calling NVC and pestering them for your number And you just need the number for the medical, you don't need the actual letter or anything, at least my fiancé didn't. He just gave them the number when he went in for his appointment (Melbourne.) You should be in the clear- I don't know when you got your NOA2, but the people at the NVC were very nice when I called. Have your fiancé call them (so it's not overseas) and then text or e-mail you the number.

There is a lot of confusion about police checks in the different states, and the information on the Embassy website is inaccurate, especially the prices and the forms. You can find the correct information by clicking through the links but it's sometimes hard to find, so I thought I would put it all into one place to make it easier for people to find what they needed. I also included the link to where I got the information from, just to be thorough.

Also, ALL police checks for immigration require a fingerprint background check. This is not currently stated on the Embassy website, but it is stated when you get the information from the Embassy (Packet 3 for the K1)

Here are the direct links to what each state wants:

NSW: uses the AFP check: http://www.police.ns...records_section which can be found here: http://www.afp.gov.au/

Queensland information is here: http://www.police.ql...ase/polcert.htm and it too is different from the info posted on the main page.

ACT uses the AFP check here: http://www.afp.gov.au/ per the main page http://canberra.usem...e_cert.html#act ignore the fee listed, it's wrong on there.

WA uses the AFP check: http://www.afp.gov.au/ per the main page http://canberra.usem...ce_cert.html#wa

Victoria uses the AFP check: http://www.police.vi...Document_ID=274 which can be found here: http://www.afp.gov.au/

Tasmania: http://www.police.ta...-record-checks/ says that the local police checks cannot be used for Australian immigration (they are for jobs, registration, etc) so you need to do them through the AFP here: http://www.afp.gov.au/

On the link they refer you to it says you need a form P799 and pay $52, which is the fee for a name check.

I'm not sure why it says that on the link, because it's incorrect. If you follow the link below that information (I'm assuming you were referring to the NSW area) and then click on "criminal records" on the right hand side, it says this:

Individuals requiring a criminal record check for Australian citizenship, residency, spouse visa, guardianship of a child from another country, working visa or whilst travelling or living abroad, must apply via the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Details on applying for a criminal record check via the AFP is available at www.afp.gov.au.

It seems that most states are using the AFP these days, but not all. Sometimes the information is hard to find. Most of the information on that main page seems to be wrong. If in doubt, the Embassy always will accept the AFP check.

Just in case anyone comes looking for links in the future, to avoid having to dig through the main page with it's incorrect info, here are the direct links to what each state wants:

NSW: uses the AFP check: http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/about_us/structure/specialist_operations/forensic_services/criminal_records_section which can be found here: http://www.afp.gov.au/

Queensland information is here: http://www.police.qld.gov.au/services/purchase/polcert.htm and it too is different from the info posted on the main page.

ACT uses the AFP check here: http://www.afp.gov.au/ per the main page http://canberra.usembassy.gov/obtain_police_cert.html#act ignore the fee listed, it's wrong on there.

WA uses the AFP check: http://www.afp.gov.au/ per the main page http://canberra.usembassy.gov/obtain_police_cert.html#wa

Victoria uses the AFP check: http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=274 which can be found here: http://www.afp.gov.au/

Tasmania: http://www.police.tas.gov.au/services-online/police-history-record-checks/ says that the local police checks cannot be used for Australian immigration (they are for jobs, registration, etc) so you need to do them through the AFP here: http://www.afp.gov.au/

I think I might start that in a new topic so everyone can find it if they search.

We never received a DS-2000 form (nor was it mentioned at all), and when I tried researching it online I couldn't find it as active anywhere. What I did find about it is that it appears to have been an information sheet, not something that needs to be filled out, and it also appears to now be defunct- the same information is listed on the instructions for the I-134 with regards to what information to provide for support. It could be that the Embassy information hasn't been updated since this form was removed from use. There are a few things in the VJ Embassy information for Sydney that need to be updated and/or are incorrect. For example, there are no longer any medical doctors in Tasmania (Hobart.) So I wouldn't worry about what this paper says and would just go with what the instructions for the I-134 requests for support. Packet 3 only says to provide the information required by the I-134.

Good luck!

Copied directly from Packet 3 that we received in June 2013:

Obtaining an Australian Police certificate must be based on a fingerprint check, please refer to the following website: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/obtain_police_cert.html

The link will take you to the website that specifies what to do based on where you live.

My fiancé booked his medical in Melbourne and they didn't ask him for his number until he went for his appointment. If that's any help He was able to get an appointment for about 2 weeks out at that time, not sure how far out they are booked at the moment. Is Sydney still backed up from the doctor having been on leave?

FWIW, my fiancé didn't have to have a titer for chickenpox (varicella.) He just had to tell the doctor when he had it (the actual chickenpox, not the shot.) He had his medical in Melbourne though, so I'm not sure why they do that differently.

Hi Everyone,

I had a few questions about Packet 3, I-134, and birth certificates in Oz:

1. Do I need to include 2 copies of DS-156K? I know to include 2 copies of DS-156, but I read conflicting information on VJ.

2. Do I need 1 or 2 copies of DS-157? I also read conflicting information

3. For I-134, I have 1 copy of the I-134 completed and signed with my full name. I also included

• 2 letters from my Employer on letterhead with original signatures stating my annual salary and this is a permanent position
• 2 Recent Pay Stubs
• First and Last Bank Statements (showing opening date of account and current balance) for 2 accounts with over $25,000 in those accounts combined
• Letter from myself explaining I was in school for the past 4 years and that's why I wasn't employed until June. Also attached a copy of my doctorate diploma (I know, overkill. I'm just the paranoid type)
• I'm also waiting on certified letter from Bank of America (thought he could take it with him to the interview since bank letters aren't necessary if your salary is enough. Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

4. I was also going to have my single brother with no dependents as a cosponsor who makes over $100,000, in case they have any concerns about me being only recently employed (also maybe overkill but again please let me know if you feel like this is necessary). His boss had to take extended leave, and he can't get me the employment letter on letterhead until August, so I figured it could be one of those things he could take to the interview with him. Just in case!

5. My fiancé put his city of birth as Perth, WA. On his birth certificate it states he was born in Subiaco (a suburb of Perth) but it doesn't actually say Perth. Furthermore, his parents' birth certificates list the suburbs of Perth (which we wrote on his G325A as their birth places) but on his birth certificate it just lists Perth for the city of birth for both parents. From my understanding, it seems to be very flexible with listing either the suburb or city on mail, applications, etc. However, has anyone heard of problems with this? On the remaining forms, I'm going to list both the suburb and Perth for him, but I'm worried about any potential confusion over the G325A.

Can you please weigh in VJ family? Thank you! Happy dance for being so close to the interview stage now!

3. I think you will be fine with this. I am assuming you didn't file tax returns the past 4 years since you didn't work, so you can't send anything there, and the letter explains that. I didn't send a certified letter from my bank at all, just a copy of my last bank statement, a couple of paycheck stubs, a letter from my employer, and 4 years of tax return reports. If they want the certified letter, they will likely indicate that on the checklist when they send you Packet 4- if it's not on that list, then he can bring it but they probably won't even ask to see it. Of course, it can't hurt to have it just in case!

4. This should be fine also. When they send packet 4, they give you a list of things that you need to bring if they want to see anything else. If it's not on the list, they probably won't even need it, but if they do end up requiring a co-sponsor then you can totally bring it to the interview. You'll more likely need it for the AOS if anything though, I would think. From what I've read, Australia isn't really very harsh on this requirement (for a co-sponsor) but I also don't think it would hurt to have one lined up and ready to go just in case, due to the short amount of employment history you have.

5. I haven't heard about anyone having any problems with this, but I would think that you'd be fine. Common sense would dictate that he's not lying about where he was born, and they can look up that the locations are suburbs. And a lot of suburbs use city names interchangeably- it sounds like they do that a lot for that area, especially since both his and his parents' birth certificates reflect different cities in the same location/suburb area. If he's really worried, he could fill out a new G325A with the updated information and bring that along as a back up just in case- this wouldn't be grounds to deny someone though.

Good luck!!!

Well, just to update: My fiancé went in to the birth/death/marriage offices and got a certified copy of his birth certificate within an hour. Easy peasy. So that's done, and aside from his mum freaking out about having to be in Sydney in under 2 weeks we are good to go! It's funny because just yesterday she was stressed out because we hadn't heard from them yet, haha. This means he might be able to come earlier than we planned! Yay!

I would try scheduling your medical now, because you can send in your packet 3 info without it and just bring it with you to your interview. If you are having your medical in Sydney, I know there was a bit of a backlog not long ago because one of the doctors was out of town for 3 weeks so that may take some time. You should be able to do that with just the number; you don't need to have received packet 3 to do that.

I would also go ahead and get the police clearance now as well, since it can take some time and will be valid for plenty of time. It took about 10 days for my fiancé's to come back to us. You don't need the packet 3 to do that either. Follow the link given above for information about how to do the clearance depending on where in Australia your fiancée is.

I emailed the embassy last week and it took them almost a week to get back to me (with a form response), but then I got my Packet 4 the next day.

Well he doesn't have the original is the problem. He only had an extract, which didn't have his parents names on it. So he has to actually go and get the original from the Births/deaths/marriages office or something like that.

But anyway, I'm really excited about the 2 week away interview because I had thought we were looking at about a month out or more. I don't want to lose this interview date, so I'm really trying to get him to get this birth certificate done. It doesn't seem that difficult, just another pain in the butt piece of paperwork to fill out, and naturally, more money to pay. He'll need it when he gets over here anyway though, so it's not a complete waste. I don't know how he got a passport before with his old one though.

We got our Packet 4 just now. Interview date August 6th- that's in less than 2 weeks! Eep! The only difficulty is that they rejected his birth certificate (they said it wasn't the original, but it's the only one he has) so he has to go and try to get a certified copy or however that is done over there. With less than 2 weeks, that means paying expedite fees and it's a general pain in the butt. At least the interview date is soon! He's talking about calling and pushing it out some but I am trying to talk him out of it. He's stressing a bit with the short notice, and he's not at home today which is stressing him more.

I can't wait to be done with these hurdles.

My fiancé had very few records of his immunizations, and he just took what he had with him and only ended up having to get 2 shots, one of which was the flu shot. He had also had chickenpox as a child. I had thought about him going and getting titers and such with the local doctor first, but he lives in a rural area and doctor appointments are hard to come by so he wasn't able to do that. I don't know how much he ended up paying for his vaccines at the medical, sorry, he didn't tell me that. A lot of the vaccinations on the list are age specific, so you don't need to have most of them re-done as an adult. I wouldn't be too worried. I think the major ones are the MMR and tetanus. And he had to get the flu shot because of it being flu season. He couldn't remember what other shot they gave him (he's horrible about that kind of thing- he just wanted to get it done and get out of there, lol) There's a list floating out there somewhere, and there are other threads that have more detail about the vaccinations if you search. That's not much help, sorry. But I really would just take what you have and have them figure out what you need rather than scramble to figure it out yourself. Otherwise you may end up getting and paying for shots you don't need at all.

Awesome! Congrats! I'm so excited that you are done with this hurdle and get to move on to the next stage- getting married!