Nikki D

Good luck, fellow Pittsburgher-to-be! The whole process is easier than you think. :-)

For what it's worth for anyone else that reads that this thread in the future, I had my medical on Monday (7/4/14) and the physician asked about past hospitalisations and surgeries, made a note of them based on my verbal explanations of them, and didn't need to see any records. During his examination he was interested mainly on whether it had resulted in any lasting physical impacts or impairments.

And further to this point, for people's piece of mind, I'd also like to add that during my medical (March 24), when the physician asked about past surgeries and I answered, "Yes... I've had implants," her response was, "Well done you for calling them implants!" and swiftly moved on. So no need to worry, silicone sisters!

Im in Melbourne! Oh thats good that they will do them at the med appointment! Thanks!

Im in Melbourne! Oh thats good that they will do them at the med appointment! Thanks!

NO! DO NOT WAIT TO GET THEM DONE AT THE VISA MEDICAL! If you do, you'll pay a lot more than at your GP. I'm in Sydney and here's what I did: a few weeks before my visa medical appointment, I went to my doctor and he did a blood test for immunity to see if I was vaccinated against measles, chicken pox, rubella, mumps, the heps and also a blood test for syphilis, as I knew that I'd be tested for that for the visa so wanted piece of mind. My results came back about a week later.I was immune to everything except the heps and I was negative to the syph (yay!). Also, I'd had tetanus shots five years prior relating a previous injury, so the GP printed out that evidence.The GP will then give you the vaccinations, if needed, and print out the records of immunisation evidence, which you will then present to your visa medical doctor. It's so much easier to do it that way. And cheaper!

yeesh I had no idea of this rule!!! But they're not doing a pap test or anything, do you know why it's an issue? (sorry for Qns, I'm very close to having to book my medical so am curious)

Hey, for your piece of mind, that rule about checking the ####### for STDs doesn't apply in Australia. They don't do that at all. There's no reason, if you're a woman, why you can't do the exam while you have your period, except that traces of blood may show in your urine sample. However, even if blood traces do crop up, it doesn't affect your visa application. The doctor is only checking your urine to see if you're pregnant or a junkie. The STD testing they do is a blood sample for syphilis.

Hi Sweetswinks,

For what it's worth, I'll be having my medical in two weeks and while I've read and reread countless times all the info and FAQs regarding the medical, I never saw anything in that information in which it said there would be an issue with the fact that a) my breasts are new, and b) I've got scars from my recent augmentation. The examining doctor will not be concerned with your past cosmetic surgery, but rather, by your imunity and the health of your lungs, blood and mind.

We're planning to bring Wendell with us to the USA! We wouldn't have it any other way. Wendell is a bunny who thinks he's a dog. I'm way more scared about the government/airline changing the rules on international bunny immigration/travel than I am about my interview.

Are you serious with that question? This is not the puritanical 1700s. It's only an issue if the tattooist used a dirty needle and infected you with Hep C. I'm covered in tattoos and never even gave it a second thought regarding my medical. All they care about is if your health, or lack there of, will be a drain on the US system and that you don't spread communicable diseases. My US fiance is also tatted up and I can assure you the US government won't be revoking his passport due to the fact he's got a flower on his leg or skull on his back. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.

Hi,

My USC fiance and I (Aussie) filed in December and on January 23 we got our NOA2, 42 days after our NOA1. I was so happy and appreciative. We filed from here in Sydney, as he is a resident here, although the postal times take a lot longer, as you can imagine, due to the distance. We sent 3.5kg of evidence in our petition and had no RFE. Now I wait for word from NVC (I suspect we'll be stalled here) or from the US embassy in Sydney. The whole process has given me nothing but anxiety. Good luck, I'm sure you'll receive your NOA2 very soon.

That's a really helpful review of the Sydney interview process, thank you. My USC fiance and I have been living together here in Sydney for nearly FIVE FRIGGIN' YEARS, and I would've thought that having him at the interview would be of benefit, but maybe not if it means we both get an unnecessary grilling. Having said that, it sounds like the guy interviewing you could've just been toying with you, making you sweat just because he could, the saddist. People in a position of authority have a tendency to do that. In any case, well done you for getting your visa! That's awesome!

Hello! I apologise in advance if my post is a little longwinded.

I just had my fingerprints taken two nights ago at my local police station in Inner Sydney. I agree, the instructions for police background checks in Australia for a US visa are quite vague, but as Tassie said in the above post, it's definitely better to go too far than not enough.

For this reason, I opted to get the Federal Police check with fingerprint. I downloaded the application and also the instructions. Note that in the instructions it says: "Please note that fingerprints taken using a Livescan system cannot be accepted." This means that the AFP require ink fingerprints.

Now here's where it gets tricky. Many police stations (at least, the ones in Sydney) only offer digital fingerprints, not ink. The fingerprinting facility tends to be located where the holding cell is. If the station has an offender in the holding cell, then they won't take your prints. It's best to find a station that doesn't have a holding cell so you don't have to keep phoning them over and over to check if they're free to take your prints.

Another problem I encountered is that the individual officers don't actually know much at all about police background checks, and will always tell you something different, I suspect as a deterrent and so they don't have to go out of their way to help you. I call it being a handbrake.

I rocked up to my local police station on Thursday night (fortunately, one of the few in the Inner City that doesn't have a holding cell and only offers ink prints) with all my forms filled out and required ID. I was faced with an argumentative officer who spent a lot of effort giving me the runaround and not being helpful. Had he spent as much effort just helping me and not trying to argue against me, I would not have had to be at said police station for more than an hour!

Anyhoo this officer insisted that because they were NSW police and not Federal, they couldn't do my prints and I would have to go to the Federal police, either in the CBD or at the airport, to get my digital prints.

Fortunately, I'd brought with me the printout of my instructions, which clearly states: "Where a fingerprint check is required, it is your responsibility to obtain a full set of fingerprints from your local police jurisdiction."

Also, the instructions include the list of fees, including fees for when fingerprints are processed by the AFP, and fees for when the fingerprints are supplied to the AFP on application.

Also, the first part of the application has space for the police officer who took your prints to write their details - it says nothing about them having to be a federal officer.

It was by arguing these points, and also because one of the officers on duty phoned another police station for clarification, that they figured out they could in fact take my prints, for a $42 fee that I was more than happy to pay. It was only then that they begrudgingly helped me, grumbling that they had more important things to do.

Because you must leave your envelope containing the application for police check and copies of ID at the police station for them to post on your behalf along with your fingerprints, I suggest getting a receipt for the $42. I have a sneaking suspicion that the cops I dealt with are in no hurry to post the envelope off Canberra.

I hope my post helps you with some clarity. Again, I apologise if it was a little long.

Hi kdude1,

I'm in a similar situation to you, in that my US fiance lives here in Oz with me and has been living Down Under for so long (11 years) that he no longer has a US bank account, although he has plenty in Aussie savings accounts, a well-paying job here as well as regular freelance work. Between us, we have more than enough to meet the 125% poverty line stipulation in cash, but it's not set up in a US bank. I wish they would allow us to use our Aussie funds and bank details, but I find that it's unclear to the point that if that's what we did, we'd get denied our visa. So for that reason, we'll probably have his mum co-sponsor, which is awkward and a hassle.

Please keep me posted about how you choose to proceed, and good luck.

Yes, Boiler - "we" are a "we" as we've been together for a long time. Plus, seeing as "we" are not in a long-distance relationship and in fact live together in Australia, "we" have been very fortunate in that "we" were able to build our I-129 petition and submit the forms together. Which, I feel, makes us rather lucky.

Again, thanks for your help Jay-Kay. While we've not ruled out the idea of my partner going ahead to the US if he does get the offer of a job, we would prefer to not be separated for a period of time. I understand that most people on this forum and who apply for the fiancee visa are living in separate countries, my partner and I are very fortunate that we are together in the same country. Long distance, even for a short period of time, would be a new experience to us that we would not welcome (I know, I know - probably a little codependent, right?). My one concern in opening the US bank account and putting some of the assets in there is that the DOHS may see this as fraud, seeing as it's a new bank account. But again, from what you're saying, if we provide a paper trail showing where the money comes from and that it is indeed our money that has existed in our Australian bank accounts for more than six months, then this, I assume, will be fine.

However, I also feel that I'd rather not stress about wondering if this way of doing things will be accepted or not, and just get his mum to co-sponsor in the first instance, just for piece of mind.

Thanks for answering my next question, and with a smile no less!

"I would place them in a joint US bank account, yes. Use the assets to meet the requirement. I would also show proof you owned the assets before moving them to the US. That way they do not think you just borrowed some cash from someone to qualify."

Thanks so much for your helpful advice and responses, Jay-Kay. While we are able to have his mother sign as my co-sponsor if it comes to that, we'd prefer not to, especially because we have cash assets that meet the poverty-line requirements.

So from what you're saying, if we have much of our money in one US bank account in his name (as we've discovered at this point, he's able to open a US bank account as a US citizen while living overseas, but I am not) then it will be fine. We just have to leave a paper trail in the form of bank statements to show that the money is legitimately our savings, which won't be a problem.

He will be unemployed when he enters the US. What he made in the past in Australia will not cut it for the affidavit of support. Does he have assets that are worth 3-5 times the income requirement? Are those assets cash or easily converted to cash? He could use assets instead then. The foreign fiance(e)'s income/assets won't be taken into account for the I-134 for the K-1. He will need to get a job in the US before time for the I-134, use assets only (around $60k at minimum), or find a co-sponsor.

At this point (still waiting on the NOA2, which we estimage will arrive in a week or two) we're unsure if he'll be unemployed or not if/when we arrive in US in several months' time. Like I said, he has savings in cash. We have cash assets several times more than $60k. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds to me like if we place all our savings in a new US bank account, then we will be fine.

Hello,

Long-time lurker, first-time asker.

My fiance (US sponsor) has been living in Australia for nearly 11 years, having left the US at age 18 to study Down Under. We've been together for more than five years (I'm Aussie). The thing is, having left the US as a teen and having spent his entire adult career here in Australia, he currently does not have a US bank account and it's clear that the Fiance Visa is set up on the assumption that the couple in question is in a long-distance relationship, which we are not.

When studying form I-134, it's asking for details regarding his US bank account, US employer and US funds. He has none of these things, but earns a good salary in Australia (the Aussie dollar is very much comparable in value to the US, and wages are generally higher in Australia to factor in our high cost of living), he has savings in his Australian bank accounts and also earns money in a freelance capacity on top of his full-time job. Also, I have a lot of savings and inheritance spread across several savings accounts.

What I'm wondering is, will the fact that all my fiance's money, earnings and assets being in Australian dollars and an Australian bank account not count on the Affidavit Of Support, and also all my savings? We're thinking we should attach all this information to the I-134, because it will certainly show that we'll be able to look after ourselves and not be a burden on the US system when/if they let us in the country, despite my fiance possibly not being employed when we arrive in the US and still being in the process of looking for work.

Any clarification will be greatly appreciated!