flowershoes

Hi, you will most likely receive an RFE. (I got one after my biometrics). Yes, you have to wait another 90 days theoretically, however I had myEAD turn up in the mail about 2 weeks after submitting my RFE tax return docs

Look at the family plan options with your US partners phone carrier. They can add a line and contract to your partners account. While it won't be in your name, it usually is cheaper than having two individual plans and you won't have to buy a phone outright.

Also, talk to your partners bank about the best way to build your credit score. Depending on the types of accounts they have, this could be used to help you get a credit card in your name. Another option is to start with a secured credit card.

This is great information! Thanks

No, you attain your own credit score when you buy a car, apply for a credit card. You can get your own cellphone without having a contract, like metro pcs, cricket, tmobile prepared phone plan. You can't apply for credit score, it can only be earn.

Well, yes. I'm aware that you cannot simply apply for a credit score. I just wasn't sure if, once married, anything changed. I'm also aware of prepaid sim cards, perhaps they'll be an option I should look in to. Here in Aus prepaid sims are kind of a pain, and generally means you have to purchase a phone outright, which is something I definitely cannot afford to be doing right now!

Thanks for your input!

Your timeline is bit confusing,it starts on aug'13 and ends on jan'13

Yes ,i used my partners credit score for everything in starting few months

Blame my American Fiancee for upadating the signature at times!!! All of their dates are back-to-front Thanks for the headsup!

Did this mean that everything was solely in your partner's name, or did you cosign?

This is probably a relatively simple question that I just can't seem to figure out, but when you first moved to the states, and had no credit score to speak of, how did you go about obtaining a cell phone contract? Or does marriage mean that you take on your partner's credit score? SO CONFUSED!

Hi there,

I'm missing two fingers and have had extensive surgery on my right hand. I was SO STRESSED that it would be an issue, or that I'd need some kind of backing docs but went in empty handed, since it was done many years ago. I alerted the doctor to this, he took a brief look at my hand, marvelled at the cleverness of surgeons these days and moved right on.

You won't need anything, the medical is a breeze

I submitted one on my first packet, even though it wasn't specifically asked. Just tacked a copy to the back of my biometrics form. Didn't get an RFE. In my third packet I was asked to send in the original.

Yup, then you're good for the interview. You might want to go ahead and get the second shot when it's due, but it's up to you.

Back again! Since you seem so wise -- what were to happen if I don't get the second shot? Would I run into problems in the US come time for my AOS?

Just an addition to anyone else wondering anything about this. TOLL are fantastic. I had my visa picked up one afternoon and had it by 9:30 the next day, before I even got automated emails about it being picked up

DITTO THIS. I can't stress enough how much more trustworthy using TOLL is than bringing your own Aus Post bag. I wasn't at home when they initally went to deliver, and they called me to make a time for redelivery. MUCH better service that Aus Post.

I was just wondering what courier the US consulate use to send out the Visa's after being approved in Australia.

I am asking because I am having my mail held right now and if it is Aus Post then it will be held along with the rest of it but if it is with another company then I might need to get ahold of them directly.

Australia Post. You provide them with a self-addressed express post envelope.

Actually they use TOLL. They asked me if I had an envelope or if I wanted to use their courier. I decided to go with the consulate's. In my opinion, it's much safer than Aus Post's mailing system. And yes, you can still track it.

5 suitcases! Haha good luck with that

Yes luckily my parents are coming over for our fall wedding, so they can bring all my coats, boots etc in time for winter!

That sounds great, I love meeting Aussies in NY I used to live in Brooklyn and it was always nice meeting other aussies sharing the same experiences there! Though I can't figure out how to private message on this thing...

I've added you as a friend In our respective profile pages there's an option to "send message"!

That sounds good! I might buy one just incase the person who interviews me doesn't offer that to me, then I can aways refund the Aus Post bag.

Yeah we're keeping out celebrations 'intimate' at about 50 people in a nice restaurant and thats still reaching our budget haha. My USC fiance is living here with me at the moment but we're leaving in June but spending about a month in Michigan first before heading back to NY, prob in August.

I saw your post regarding shipping stuff...I'm not taking any furniture or anything, but have a hell of a lot of clothes and personal items! From memory, each person travelling into the US gets 2x 22kg suitcases checked in for free, and then when my parents come for the wedding later in the year (October) I'm gonna pre-pack suitcases for them to bring for me~

Good luck, not long for you now!

Good idea!

Wow, 50 people is huge! It's great your parents will be able to be there When you head back to NY you'll have to get in touch with me and we can have a couple of celebratory drinks somewhere! Always nice to keep in touch with fellow Aussie expats!

Yeah, my fiancee bought back a suitcase full of my stuff, and I'll bring five with me when I travel. Anything else I'll get the folks to post to me as I need it. I had no idea how much stuff I owned!

Wow really? So if I don't bring an Aus Post envelope they won't even ask me for one and by default they would just send my passport/visa to me via Toll Couriers anyway? I guess the pro about sending via Aus Post and buying the bag is that I would have the tracking number for it.

I see you're going to NY! Me too Ps have you started planning the wedding yet? We're in the middle of planning now, a Brooklyn wedding, and my goodness its a lotta $$$$$$ even for a small restaurant venue!

She asked if I had one and I said that I did, but then opted to send it with them instead. Toll actually emails you a tracking number, and I also got a phonecall from them when I wasn't home to pick it up. I would HIGHLY reccommend sending it with them

I am! We're having a simple City Hall wedding and then a dinner party down in a restaurant near the river. Even THAT is expensive, it's insane. When's your big move?

I just got the Packet 4 email this morning! Scheduled for Feb4th

Thanks! I just got the Packet 4 email from US Consulate this morning! Just to clarify as it does not say in the email...I need to pay USD$240 at Post Office and buy a 3kg express post bag with tracking?

Yay! Congrats!~ It's all down hill from here You DEFINITELY need to pay the Visa fee -- either at the post office or online if you're lazy like me. http://www.ustraveldocs.com/au/ head over here, create a profile and follow the directions to pay. (It's pretty confusing as they'll ask you to schedule an interview but all you need to do at that website is pay.) Make sure you bring the receipt to the interview, it was the second thing I was asked to present.

As for the 3kg Envelope, this is totally optional. I would actually suggest foregoing this one, because the consulate uses TOLL Couriers to mail the packages, which is a lot more safe than Aus Post. Why spend an extra $10 when they'll mail it safely for free, amirite?

Hi everyone,

How long does it usually take for the US Consulate Sydney to email Packet 4 after receiving my Packet 3 in the mail? I'd sent mine off about two weeks ago, just wondering if it usually takes longer? And do they usually give you an appointment date close (like next week, a couple weeks etc) or the next month/s?

Thanks!

I waited about eleven days. Then I emailed them requesting an interview date because I got impatiant (and was in Sydney over Christmas), and heard back from them the next day.

Hey thanks for the reply I had it sent directly to the embassy but forgot to put my case number on the form but addressed it to:

Consulate general of the United States

Attn: IV Unit - Pkt 3 Dox

Level 10 MLC Centre

19 - 29 Martin Place

Sydney, NSW 2000

Hope this will find its way there with just my name and other details on it...

How long did it take for them to send the police check back to you... would it be worth trying to have them send it to me and take it in... or do you reckon it will find its way in their office to my case?

It took about three weeks for me. You can call them and hound them like I did if you want -- you may be able to ask them to add your case number to it as well.

Hope this helps.

Often it's less expensive to pay for additional baggage on your flight.

Yes, the fiancee and I are fast discovering this! Looks like this will be the way to go!

2 or 3 boxes isn't much. Can you get a large suitcase and pay for the extra bag? I'm doing that with Qantas, they charge an extra $84 per bag so I'm jamming as much stuff as I possibly can right up to the 23kg limit! They let you take up to 5 bags so maybe you could take 2 extra bags for a couple of hundred bucks.

I'm using www.wridgways.com.au to send my stuff but I'm sending golf clubs, ski's, bike, dive gear, ski gear and about 4 boxes. What you'll find with those big shipping companies is they have a default fare which is about $800-1000 and then charge you on top of that for individual items.

I did see a post that someone on here wrote where they used Pack&Send for a few boxes because it's basically the same price as the surface shippers but you get it straight away whereas I have to wait 3 months.

Are you sure it's $84? I just had a look over here: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/prepaid-additional-baggage/global/en#airport-excess-baggage-and-heavy-charges and they quote $175. (I'd hate for you to turn up and be charged extra!)

What kind of price am I looking at if I send two or three boxes of my stuff over to the states? I've done a couple of quotations online but the prices seem astronomical...

Hey guys just went down to the police station and got my finger print based national police check... should Have got it sent to my home address or straight to the consulate in Sydney?

Hi there! You can chose either option in QLD! I went with having it sent to my home address, just because I wanted to have all the documents together for when I went to my interview

Can someone link me to where they request an express post envelope? My interview is on Monday...and I must have missed this detail!!

I would email the US Consulate and check with them. One would think that so long as you have receipts for the total amount that it should be ok but that is just a guess.

Don't worry, it isn't a monumental mistake - I am sure there is a workaround.

Have a great day!

This is what I did! After all that panic I got an extremely nanchalant email back from them telling me to just bring both receipts in!! PHEW!

i dont get it whats the problem exactly ? a huge expensive payment ? i thought we were talking about thousands of US Dollars lol

Well, this website specifically says if you make an error in payment, you must pay again in full. I don't know about you, but $528 is a lot of money!!

So. I'm at the final stages of filling out all my information on that dreaded ustraveldocs website. I get to the page where it gives me a few options how to pay for my visa. I chose electrontic funds transfer (EFT). The next page gives me the unique account number I'm to deposit the funds in, and then the amount of $240AUD. I hesitated, briefly concered that I'd read on the other page that I was supposed to pay $264 with the current exchange rate, but this page, WITH THE BANKING DETAILS, CLEARLY SAYS $240.

So I pay it.

Of course, I'm wrong, and I realise my mistake minutes later, so, in a panic, I pay a further $24 to amend my payment error.

I have my own banking reciepts to as proof of payment. My question to you guys: IS THIS ENOUGH? The small print seems fairly unforgiving and I'm afraid I'm in a state of panic, what with my interview being six days away. I'm very nearly tempted to pay it again through the post office and count that $264 as a loss. Maybe sell a kidney or something.

Thats wonderful. Good Luck!!! I didn't know they did interviews on Fridays. Maybe there are trying to get rid of backlog before Christmas.

In a way, I'm hoping we get interviewed by the end of this year, but the prie to fly to Sydney Christmas eve are thru the roof. I'll be happy to go early Jan. With 4 of us flying from Victoria the cheaper the better.

I got mine for the 24th! Luckily I'm visiting family in Caberra over the xmas holidays (I'm a Queenslander) so I'll be enduring a lovely 4hour bus ride on the 23rd....here's hoping I can find cheap accomodation!

Glad to help.. Maybe You, chestnutt and myself will meet up at the interview

If we all have the same interview date, we'll definitely have to grab a few drinks after to celebrate