Snag

Not a big deal. I wasn't even on our first lease together because I didn't have a SSN. I got approved on the day of interview with other evidence.

Why not enter now, get married in a courthouse, file for AOS and stay until you get AP or even your green card so you are able to return to Canada to take care of your business? Then in September you can have the fancy wedding ceremony.

Agreed. I wouldn't want to wait until September to be with the love of my life (that's just me, though). Otherwise, I'd shift the wedding until afterwards when I've taken care of business. 4 months compared to 4 weeks is quite small in duration.

Going by your post are you more interested in staying in your marriage or staying in the US?

You talk of how much you love her despite her many faults that you point out, then immediately ask if you can still adjust status on your own.

If you're only in the US for love then why would you want to stay without that love?

Indeed. Fishy. OP, your first question was vague and for general opinions; prior to that making it evident that you think poorly of your wife; and then your second and third questions were all specifically about the status of your GC. I wouldn't want to stay in the US if my marriage had disolved.

It is possible to do the name change by mail and then get a new passport by mail. I need to finish the post I started writing over a year ago.

Crickey, it makes me uneasy to send originals of anything via mail (birth certificate). Thanks, Lainie B.

There are some major red flags here. OP, he sounds, quite frankly, immature and not really ready to meet the demands of marriage and fatherhood. The immigration process alone takes enormous emotional and mental strain on a couple. I agree with the rest of the answers and their mothers, it sounds like his parents don't want you in his life. If your timeline is correct, call/write to the USCIS with your case number and cancel the K1 petition. The last thing you want is him to come on over, K1 in hand, and stay illegally. You do have a right to be hurt and annoyed at the situation with the other female. Dude's got a lot of nerve. Best wishes.

Wages are higher in Australia compared to the US for low to medium level positions. But that tends to reverse once you move up higher on the income/skill level scale. Of course, as you say, it can vary from field to field.

That's very true, actually. (Light bulb moment). The lower class tends to be a lot lower class here than in Australia.

Ahem. Resurrecting this ol' thread because it was exactly what I needed after countless fruitless Google searches.

I went home (Australia) for almost three weeks in December, and what I realised is that this takes a whole lot of time to do and effort (and when you're visiting loved ones, that's rather hard to put in!). Anyway, I'm over a year married, so I assumed I wouldn't be getting the "newly wed special" anymore (Passport fees waived)... Until I read this on the Passport page of Australia:

If you cannot access a state or territory RBDM in Australia to change your name, you may use a name from a foreign marriage or a foreign name change certificate provided it has been legalised (apostilled or authenticated) by the issuing government in a form that meets our requirements and it was issued after you obtained Australian citizenship.

Well, given that I'm thousands of miles from Australia at the moment, it seems through the wording that I can change it with just my marriage certificate. Is that true?

Just read up a lot. That's what we did. Read, read, read. Read the guides back to front and inside-out. Read what was on the forums. Took one question at a time. Made sure we had answered it thoroughly before moving onto the next. It took a bit of time, some stress, a few tears shed, but we got there. No lawyer or wasted money. It's doable. Good luck.

Cheers, guys. I thought I read right, and just wanted to make sure.

Truthfully, I'm not sure I really understand the wage difference. My husband is in the medical field and we're living in the US. His job is non existent in Australia on a full-tim basis. We have found a very rough equivelent, and he'd be earning $8,000ish less in Australia. My mother, who works in child services in Australia, earns almost $10,000 less than that. It all depends on the field and what's being demanded at the time.

I agree with the rent. In Michigan, we got an average one bedroom apartment for $500 a month. I was gobsmacked. You'd pay that a week in the outerskirts of Sydney.

I just wanted to confirm what I've been researching already. My grandfather was born in England in 1907. He immigrated to Australia when he was 3 years of age with his family. He kept his British citizenship despite living out the remainder of his life in Australia. My mum is one step away from submitting the package to get citizenship by descent (I think they need a divorce certificate from his first marriage - I'm not sure about all the details). She was doing it originally because my oldest brother badly wanted British citizenship (long story there). But, it seems as if her children would not be eligible to receive citizenship after her. Does that stand correct?

Thanks.

I had a greencard for most of my life... and the one thing I couldn't do was move out of the country.... otherwise you will lose your legal permanent residence (LPR). You can travel and such and in my case even attend college outside the USA but I could not spend more than 6 months out of the year outside the USA or risk losing my legal permanent residency.... I don't know if things have changed now but I would definitely check. I finally became a citizen in 2011... now I can live wherever I want. Can someone else offer some advice?

Forgive me for lack of clarification - I was meaning once I have citizenship in the US. Then we'd consider moving back to Australia. I know, it might seem counterproductive, but we figure citizenship opens a ton of doors, and it'll also be that if we ever choose to then move back to the US... y'know? All this work, I know. Even if we were to live a year and one month out of the US, it's better to do that on citizenship than a possible revoked GC.

The difference in cost of living definitely becomes much more noticeable after you spend time in the US. The rent my partner pays in Iowa is a quarter of something similar where I am, and eating out and groceries are also a lot cheaper in the US. But the average incomes for Australians (particularly lower and middle level wages) are higher so that should be taken into account when comparing the two.

And while some costs are the same no matter where you are in Australia (600ml coke is always going to be ridiculously expensive), other costs can vary just like within the US. Rent, transport, fuel/gas, even utilities, can vary depending on the area you choose to live.

If you are moving back to spend time with your father and family, then I would probably start looking at the cost of renting/buying in that area, what the employment situation would be like for your US partner, including likely earnings, and then working out if it is manageable to remain a one-income family.

The rest of it just comes down to household budgeting, and it's possible to avoid using credit cards etc, but it takes discipline. I take leftovers to work for lunch, and bring a can of soda from home which works out to 55 cents (if you buy a 24 pack from the supermarket) rather than 2.50 or more at the cafe. When I can't bring myself to buy things such as clothes and electronics at Australian prices, I order items online or buy them in the US when I visit my partner.

As Juan Bravo pointed out, I would also look into making sure all that work to get your residency is not wasted. Do research into what is needed to maintain your LPR.

Great, sound advice. Thank you. I think budgeting will play a huge factor into it.

snag

from the first time my aussie hubby visited the usa he was amazed at the prices of everything

with economy of scale, think of the 335 million population vs 25 million and how people in each country spends......

moved to oz in 1999 from usa, and overall the three biggest costs I believe now are

housing affordability, be it buying or renting... HUGE

petrol/cars

utilities/food

we have lived in two states in OZ, and it is not getting any easier.

private health insurance has gone up every year since its intro in 2000

the job situation in oz is not great either with many companies letting people go, in the hundreds and thousands......

no easy answers, I suppose you have to accept that Australia is very expensive to live in

wait till you see the price of a dozen eggs if soft drink got to you!! LOL (or as my sister said "wow a carton of beer here is crazy")

best of luck

cheers from down under

Haha! Yes, I still gawp at the prices we have here. It's crazy. My husband gawps if the shopping bill is over $150. I still think that's very cheap.

Surely it depends on where you want to move back to in Australia? Unfortunately Sydney and Melbourne have both just made it into a 'Top Ten Most Expensive Cities to Live in' (I was surprised Melbourne is included in that) but the strength of the Australian dollar is what is causing all the grief. In the US its really only New York City thats comparatively as expensive. I've moved from London and wouldn't be able to afford to live in NYC and probably San Francisco without a mortgage but everywhere else is incredibly affordable in comparison. I lived in Sydney for 3 year from 1999-2001 and real estate was the biggest issue, rent was ok but buying required a move out to at least the Inner West or North Shore. If you were willing to live in Perth or Newcastle or Adelaide or away from a big city I'm pretty sure cost of living is affordable just like any other country.

At the moment, it appears Broken Hill, or Outback towns are the equivelent in pricing. Houses are $80,000 - on par with over here. I agree. Housing is probably the biggest asset difference. Place my parents' $550,000 home in America (well, depending on the location), and it'd be worth maybe $100,000.

When I first moved to the US I was shocked at how expensive things seemed. That was back when the Australian dollar was half the US. Now they are about equal, when we visit Australia my husband is the one who is shocked at prices. But you can't compare prices directly. Some things are relatively cheaper in the US, some in Australia. Also wages are generally higher in Australia (though so are taxes). I would be earning twice as much in Australia for the same job I have in the US, plus i would be getting superannuation. Eating out is more expensive in Australia, but partly because wait staff in the US an be earning as little as $2.13 an hour plus tips, which is insanely low.

Buying a house is ridiculously expensive in Australia. Cars are more expensive (but they hold their value better). Rent is variable in both countries, depending on where you live.

Anyway, if you do end up returning, I think you'll find that once you get over the initial shock that you'll do OK. People tend to focus on things that are relatively more expensive and overlook what is cheaper.

Yeah, I think so, too (getting over the initial shock). I know others have done it before, and we won't be the first. Thanks for the great input.

I am currently living with my fiance in Australia and can tell you (coming from the US) everything is so damn expensive here lol... I think the easy ballpark figure is about 2x what I normally pay for items in the US, sometimes as much as 3-4x.

We share a house in Melb CBD with housemates simply because it was convenient to get to. I was lucky to get a job even before I landed ( I didn't think I was lucky at the time) but it seems like jobs are harder to get here.

You gotta take into consideration the population in the US is about 14x the population of AU and could lead to less demand and increased prices. We would buy things shipped from China to the US for less cost and faster timing than from China to AU even though AU is a lot closer to China.

If it makes things easier look at things in percentages and compare things within the local economy vs cross comparison. I've lived here for almost 2 years now and still find prices appalling when comparing between the two countries. That said, we've managed to save money here based on my full time work and her part time work. Quality of life does feel a little better in the sense that there are a lot of holidays over here ( like a whole month off for xmas lol).

If you need assistance to get off your feet there is always Centrelink. We just manage and budget within range and still enjoy going out. There are ways to get things from deals (like paying $10 for movies thru Optus vs $20 at the door)... I think if you go on expat forums it would be more helpful.

I'm still looking into this but I think as Americans working in AU there is a $97k exemption on taxes, of course conditions apply.

Hope this gives you another perspective

More great advice. Thank you. Mum worked for Centrelink, and said we'd probably qualify, just until we got on our feet.

Thanks all. Given me a lot to think about. I apologise for the neglect on this thread. I forget about this nook in the Internet, occasionally.

Yeah, save yourself from the reality that you don't have any advice to give, so you rather shift the whole topic to something not useful.

I didn't give my real name. So your threat doesn't even pinch me.

I'm sure Harpa can defend herself. She's intelligent. But, oh man. One scope of these forums to see her posts is enough to know Harpa most definitely had advice to give. Addressing your habitual lying habit is "useful" because maybe, just maybe, it'll help others see through you in the future.

You're not rather bright. You're choosing the wrong people to lie to on these forums. (In other words, the intelligent, helpful, knowledgable ones).

Who is moving where? You never told us that. Will you be moving to the USA and then you and she marry and live there? If that is the plan you file for a K-1, hands down.

I think that's where my confusion came in. (And I misread, I'll own up to that). Who's moving where? You to the US? Her to your country? I think a lot of people have given you advice for your immigration to the US, but further clarification couldn't hurt, either.

The SHE is the USC. OP is the would-be beneficiary if she agrees.

Wow, how'd I miss that? No caffiene this morning.

Apologies, OP. I still stand by my statement, however (just with you being ready instead).

I think the first step is to actually meet the lady in person. Not only is this a K1 requirement, but it's also wise to firm things up (I'm sure there's exceptions to this). If she's going to the US to do this, then she'll need a visitor's visa.

I second sweet cakes, also. Make sure she's ready to make the move, not only physically, but emotionally, too.

interesting! Have you travelled many times in one year then?

And thank you very much, It's just a pair of shoes, so I will just tell them about it being in my luggage, shouldn't cause any problems then.

Yeah, twice to the US. No questions were asked. Safe travels!

I however, fundamentally disagree with the loophole even existing at all and i think it hurts so many other couples... Adjusting from student, work or other visas, I'm fine with that, just not tourist and especially from the VWP program because they are rarely even asked to demonstrate that they will return because the essence of the Visa Waiver is that they are permitted to enter without a visa in exchange for supposedly not able to adjust status.

Bit to choose to do,things using a loophole is a choice...

You know, despite being an AOS from a tourist visa, myself, I do think the loophole is very unfair and probably should be taken care of (somehow). I watched a friend do her K1, and her process took over a year and a month. Ours took barely 3 months. I swallowed my guilt. But, AOS filers [edit: legal, honest filers] generally aren't wagging our middle fingers to all of the other filers.

But I suppose the question is, would you do it? (rhetorical, and "you" as in the general kind) If the cards aligned, and you could AOS legally (no intent), would you do it? We often do the things we proclaim we're adamently against when faced with the candy bar in reach.

I didn't even know AOS existed for about a month after my arrival the the states. We had looked into the spousal visa, the K1. In fact, our K1 was ready to go. Due to personal circumstances, we tied the knot early. It happens.

Anyway, back on topic. I enjoy reading these topics. I learn a lot.

I didn't get a SSN until after my greencard was issued. It really was no big deal. I got placed on my husband's credit union account using my international tax number. The bank had procedures for foreigners, and asked for my passport and some sort of tax ID number. We filed a copy of that, ring receipts, photographs, two letters from our parents saying that our relationship was legit, airline tickets - anything to prove we had a relationship. Probably overkill, but it's better to overprepare, not stress, and just collect what you can.

We filed with photographs (2 from wedding, 2 from engagement). On the day of our interview, the officer seemed puzzled as to what they were. When I told her and said they were labeled on the back, she looked a little shocked. She simply said, "That's a gorgeous dress." And that was that. Completely secondary. Could've been fancy dress for all we know. (It wasn't). Don't get too sweaty over photos.

No, you fill them both out, submit both (separate packets) together, submit separate checks for each filing fee.

Also, just a tip: read. Read and read and read and read. Read up so much that you feel like you'll be overwhelmed into the abyss of hopelessness. When I was filing for AOS, I felt completely over my head. But, these forums helped immensely, I kept on going, and I survived with no [little] trauma.

I've never been asked for proof of my return at any airport/POE. My return ticket seemed to be enough. Better safe than sorry, though, I suppose, so if you want to take copies of your evidence (rent + proof of graduation), it couldn't hurt.

As for things that need declaring, I've declared at the POE. Honesty is best and required. I know that on my trip home/back to the US, they give you a form to fill out on the plane to declare, and you hand it at the right point in the airport. No worries.

So, this might be a bit miscellaneous question. My husband and I have talked about moving to Australia in the next few years (I know, I know, why would we, after ll that darn US immigration paperwork and process? We've gotta be crazy...). It's due to family reasons, such as my father's failing health.

But, I suppose the question is, how do we Aussies do it with the cost of living Down Under? My husband and I hate debt (who doesn't?) and have strived for the past year to get out of it. But, it really seems impossible in Australia to maintain that. Here in the US, we can almost buy a house outright (because houses are $40,000+), groceries add up to around $200 a month for two people, and we live comfortably on one income (I'm a homemaker). However, it just seems unrealistic to do that in Australia.

Funny story - when my husband and I were dating, he came out to Australia. He gawped at the fact that I bought a 600ml bottle of Coke for $3.50. I shrugged and said that was normal for Sydney cafes. When I came to the US two months later, I gawped at the fact that it was $2.50 for a 450ml glass of Coke, unlimited refills.

Yes, I lived in Australia for 21+ years of my life. My parents worked outside the home. Dad worked over 60 hours a week, and we were middle class (and my parents were in some form of debt still). Mum says it's impossible to do in this economy.

This isn't to attack my country. I love it, I miss it, and would dearly like to go back one day. But, I'm unsure how to afford it all. Suggestions? Hints?

Change the ticket to passport name. Bring the passport and GC. The passport lets you travel generally and lets you go to Aus. The passport + GC lets you back in the US. You can bring a copy of your marriage cert just in case, but it shouldn't be needed.

Harpa Timsah, saving the day for the umpteenth time this year. Thank you! I'm on the phone as I type this to change my maiden name.