AusUsa

Hi, 

Ive been in the US now since end of April 2017 and got my green card in November. First thing i did was go home to visit my family back in my home country of Australia. I am now just recently back and really struggling with homesickness. My question is, I have been on a low dose SSRI for many years for my anxiety... silly me, forgot to stock up on my medication whilst i was back home. I will need a new prescription for my SSRI in the next month. My question is, will i need to see a psychiatrist here? I have heard that in order to get psychiatric medications here you see a regular doctor and then they refer you to a psychiatrist so that they can prescribe you with the medication. Will this be the case for me? Considering i have been on this medication for 10 plus years? I am thinking that seeing a psychiatrist here would be very expensive as I know seeing a regular doctor even is! 

Any help is appreciated! thanks heaps!

On 6/13/2017 at 11:16 AM, sarahandyunus said:

You don't need a SSN to get married, HOWEVER (at least where we live, in North Carolina) if you are elligible for one (aka you are here on a K-1 visa) you MUST HAVE ONE to get a marriage license. The only cases in which you don't need one for a marriage license are if you are inelligible (tourist, student, etc).

 

Make sure you wait 10 days after POE to apply for one, so that you are in the system as having entered the US.

I'm on a k1, got my marriage license and I don't have a social security number. I live in North Carolina in Charlotte. Must be different everywhere!! So confusing!

Hi everyone,

Was hoping someone could help me with this question...

I entered the US on a k1 visa and I just recently got married. We are working on my AOS paperwork right now. My question is, should I get a social security number before submitted my AOS??? Also, when exactly do i 'change' to my married name? I have listed my new married surname on the AOS forms , however, im unsure as to how or when i can officially change my name??? Very confused!!! Sorry if these seem like silly questions, just trying to wrap my head around it all!

Thanks so much!!!

Yuna628 I cannot thank you enough for your response to my post. You explained everything so well and really put my mind at ease. My k1 visa was approved end of January and our wedding is beginning of June and unfortunately we are unable to postpone the wedding. A lot of people are travelling from Australia for it too so it's just out of the question.  Thankfully, my surgery needs are not immediate.. my ENT said that I could potentially go for another 5-10 years without doing anything. My fiancee is calling his insurance company and seeing if I can be added before we are married (doubtful but worth a shot) and if not we are hoping to pay for insurance in the mean time and then switch once married. 

I thank you both very much for your responses! This forum is so helpful <3 

Hi Everyone, 

Wondering if someone may know the answer to this...

I am due to move to the US end of this month on my K1 visa and we are getting married early june. Sadly, I have just been diagnosed last week with Otosclerosis (a disease which causes abnormal bone growth in the middle ear) which has caused quite a significant hearing loss in both my ears.... I am only in my late 20's  .

My options are to get hearing aids (which i was told could take up to 2 months in Australia to organise) or to have surgery OR to do nothing for a while. I don't have enough time before my wedding to get a hearing aid or to have surgery before I have to leave Australia  . 

Which brings me to my question.... has anyone had experience with health insurance over in the US for pre-existing conditions? If there are waiting periods for coverage etc? I find the health care system a bit confusing! The cost/insurance etc would be a non-issue if i was able to have it all done here in Australia!  My fiancee has health insurance which I will be added to once we are married , but I am just worried because my condition is technically pre-existing and i'm worried about waiting periods especially if my hearing continues to diminish. I did not know I had this disease when I did my medical as couple of months ago so there is no record of it so im not sure if it will apply to me ?  Ideally I would like to immediately look into hearing aids and/or surgery once we are married and i am covered. 

Any help would be so appreciated!

Hi Everyone, 

Wondering if someone may know the answer to this...

I am due to move to the US end of this month on my K1 visa and we are getting married early june. Sadly, I have just been diagnosed last week with Otosclerosis (a disease which causes abnormal bone growth in the middle ear) which has caused quite a significant hearing loss in both my ears.... I am only in my late 20's  .

My options are to get hearing aids (which i was told could take up to 2 months in Australia to organise) or to have surgery OR to do nothing for a while. I don't have enough time before my wedding to get a hearing aid or to have surgery before I have to leave Australia  . 

Which brings me to my question.... has anyone had experience with health insurance over in the US for pre-existing conditions? If there are waiting periods for coverage etc? I find the health care system a bit confusing! The cost/insurance etc would be a non-issue if i was able to have it all done here in Australia!  My fiancee has health insurance which I will be added to once we are married , but I am just worried because my condition is technically pre-existing and i'm worried about waiting periods especially if my hearing continues to diminish. I did not know I had this disease when I did my medical as couple of months ago so there is no record of it so im not sure if it will apply to me ?  Ideally I would like to immediately look into hearing aids and/or surgery once we are married and i am covered. 

Any help would be so appreciated!

Hi All, 

Read my review if you like from my experience at Sydney Consulate. I typed it very quickly but hope it all makes sense! Any questions, feel free to ask as others on here have helped me so much! Also note that I did a finger print federal police check with all aliases (my name was changed multiple times as a baby) and all was fine! 

http://www.visajourney.com/reviews/view-dos-cis-reviews.php?entry=21171

Hi Everyone,

I have my visa interview on wednesday which is both exciting and nerve-racking! I am wondering if someone could please help me.

With the affidavit of support, i have an original signature on the I-I34 form, and also on his statement of employment from his employer stating his income etc. However, for other supporting documents I do not have original signatures from his bank stating his savings or for his assets e.g. stocks etc. I have just printed them out. It is too late for my fiancee to send me these via mail. I am worried that this will be an issue??? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I am stressing. My fiancee's income is well over the poverty line and this is stated in the letter from his employer (not sure if this makes a difference?).

Also, do you make copies of ALL original documentation?

And did people just put their documents in plastic sleeves in a folder? or how did you organise your documents? 

Thanks so much!!! This website is truly a life saver

Hi Everyone,

I'm hoping someone will be able to help with our k1 visa!

We received an email on October 24th that...

"the US consulate General in Sydney has received your approved petition. Please have your fiancee create a profile via UStraveldocs and email our office at.... (blahblah).. with the following information.... "

Problem is, I do not have a case number yet??? We still haven't received one? I am bit confused as to where and when I should be receiving this information? :\ . Help please!

Thanks so much!

Hi Everyone,

I apologise if this has been answered time and time again , however, I feel quite confused and overwhelmed!

My fiancee (US citizen) received a notice in the mail (I-797, Notice of Action) stating that our fiancee petition has been approved and that NVC will be completing all further action and will then be forwarded onto beneficiary's local embassy/consulate.

I, the beneficiary, have not yet received anything in my home country (Australia). I am bit confused, is the I-797 notice of action our NOA2??? What should we do now? When does my fiancee need to send in our 'affidavit of support' form etc? Is this what everyone refers to as "packet 3"??

As you can see i am quite confused! Is there something that we should be doing at this point? :\

Any help would be so very appreciated!! thanks so much!!

thanks guys!! we sent it in on Monday - woo!!

Hi Everyone ,

quick question...

We are about to submit our K1 visa and I just want to check something. In the guidelines it says to send in a copy front and back of petitioners birth certificate or ALL pages of passport. My fiancee cannot find his birth certificate so he is photocopying all pages of his passport (front and back). Does this need to be notorized? as in a certified copy? Or are copies of his passport sufficient?

Thanks so much for your help in advance!!

Hi Cindymaeve,

I entered the US at LAX on saturday. I was very confident and honest about what I was there for. Said that I was visiting my fiancee in charlotte that I am here for two weeks and Im a teacher so this is my school break.... he then asked how we met, he made a few jokes about how California is better and he wants to be invited to the wedding. Stamped my passport and told me to stay out of trouble haha.

I have never really had any trouble at POE... if anything I am always too open and honest. I know a lot of ppl say to not divulge unnecessary information and I agree to an extent, however, because I know I am not lying and willing to give any information I feel a lot more confident. I hope that makes sense...

From my experience they want to know, where you are going, who you are seeing (fiancee/boyfriend) and how long you will be there... I always throw in that I am a teacher and on school holidays. I basically offer this information up after they say 'hi' and ask where I am going. I am also always upbeat and bubbly (because I am naturally).

These are just my experiences... I travel to the US a lot. My fiancee and I have been together almost 5 years. I used to travel there in my university breaks for three months at a time... now I go every 10 weeks for 2 weeks. Never any issues

Hi Everyone,

hopefully someone can offer some advice!

My fiancee and I have been engaged since January of this year. I have already visited him once on the VWP , i did not tell the officer he was my fiancee purely because it did not come up.

I am teacher (have proof of this etc, so i have to return) and I am visiting these school holidays for two weeks. We are about to submit our k-1 package to start out visa process. We will probably only be submitting our visa application about a week or so before I arrive. Will they even be aware of my k-1? Should I take my copy of the entire package anyway? And be open about telling them we have just started the process?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone

Hi Everyone,

hopefully someone can offer some advice!

My fiancee and I have been engaged since January of this year. I have already visited him once on the VWP , i did not tell the officer he was my fiancee purely because it did not come up.

I am teacher (have proof of this etc, so i have to return) and I am visiting these school holidays for two weeks. We are about to submit our k-1 package to start out visa process. We will probably only be submitting our visa application about a week or so before I arrive. Will they even be aware of my k-1? Should I take my copy of the entire package anyway? And be open about telling them we have just started the process?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone

Hi Everyone,

Just a question...

My name was changed four times as a baby due to issues with my biological father. I am no longer in contact and my mother did not want me to have his name etc. etc.

Do you think that this looks suspicious? Strange? Should I provide an explanation?

I have all the documentation showing my name changes and will include it in our k-1 package just in case. Please note, my passport, current birth certificate etc all have my current name.

Thanks so much for your help in advance!

Hi everyone,

I am extremely new to this so forgive me if this is a silly question! My fiancee and I (he is the US citizen) have just got engaged and we are trying to wrap our head around the visa process. I am an Australian planning to move to be with my fiancee next year (hopefully, if all goes well with the visa!) to live in Charlotte, NC.

So far, I have one question...

Do I have to include evidence of my name change... my name was changed shortly after birth and this is all shown on my birth certificate. My passport has my current name and my birth certificate shows my current name and lists the changes made in the past. Is this sufficient?

Any help would be so greatly appreciated!!

Thank you so much!!