Gj & Cathy

1 minute ago, geowrian said:

Sounds like normal processing. Hopefully you get it back soon. Normally it's a few business days if everything is fine, but I'll defer to specifics from others going through Sydney.

 

Option 2 is to request the passport back now, travel as needed, then submit it again when you return.

Thanks...hopefully I do hear from them by tomorrow otherwise I'll be in strife.

I will send email to request for my passport back asap as per your suggestion.☹️

1 minute ago, geowrian said:

AP takes as long as it takes. Usually it's days. Sometimes weeks. Rarely months. Very rarely years.

 

Is there a specific cause for AP (i.e. needing to send in documents)? Or was everything good and you're just waiting for the visa to be issued?

After my interview, the officer said everything was in order and that I will receive my passport in a week or two.  From Ready, it changed to AP yesterday... Problem is I am flying next week to Japan and I need my passport back ASAP.  Coming into Christmas there might be delays if it is sent next week... What to do?

Hi... what's the normal  time on AP for Sydney CR1 Applicants please?

Is there a particular time they actually ISSUE the Visa?

Hello Aussie Applicants!  (Cr1 if possible)

Those of you who had their interviews recently...How long after the interview did you get your passport and visa on hand?  Did you keep checking the CEAC page?

And did you get an email from the embassy?

22 minutes ago, Sukie said:

You will take a pre-addressed express envelope from AusPost.  Where you live in Australia makes a difference.  If you are in a major urban area (like a state capital) you will get it faster than if you are in the rural areas.

 

We are Queensland, the Gold Coast.  Interview on Tuesday.  In hand on Friday.  Because your interview is on Friday, I would assume it might not go to the post until Monday.  I'm willing to bet you will have it by the 21st barring any complications.

 

Susan in NY

Cross your fingers and toes Sukie-ya-yeah!!!!

Thank you xx

19 minutes ago, Sukie said:

You will take a pre-addressed express envelope from AusPost.  Where you live in Australia makes a difference.  If you are in a major urban area (like a state capital) you will get it faster than if you are in the rural areas.

 

We are Queensland, the Gold Coast.  Interview on Tuesday.  In hand on Friday.  Because your interview is on Friday, I would assume it might not go to the post until Monday.  I'm willing to bet you will have it by the 21st barring any complications.

 

Susan in NY

Oh Thanks Sukie!!!

It's me being paranoid now

12 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

Even with immediate verbal approval, *every* passport is retained ("AP") by the consulate for at least a matter of a day or two.  And yes, AUS and NZ DO tend to courier the passports back within one week at the most.  Ours took 7 days, and that was only because Auckland received the medical the day after the interview.  Prolonged APs for AUS and NZ are rare.  I don't think I have ever seen one here.

Yay!!! Thanks that's really helpful pal

5 minutes ago, Daniela M_______ said:

It's not different, no one will be able to say exactly for how long they'll keep your passport, if everything goes ok then you'll have it in a few days (whatever the time the currier takes to deliver it which is not exact). If you are not approved immediatly but instead you get AP (administrative processing)  due to some requirement missing etc, then times can vary and there's no way to know for sure.

I believe that it is different for EVERY COUNTRY...that is why this is a SYDNEY Specific question.  I appreciate your answers but I was hoping to hear from Aussies as they have a different experience altogether.  I have seen different countries having different timeframe.  I haven't seen any Aussie waiting for more than 6 days but just wanting to know RECENT experiences in the last 2 months. Only people who have received their passports back please. Thanks. Much appreciated.

1 minute ago, Moses Bee said:

Normally it takes two to three working days for you to get your passport , but because of the circumstances of the administrative processing , a week for you to get your passport or probably more !

I didn't understand you there... It's different here in Australia... So I was hoping for a response from Aussies if possible?

One person got hers here after 2 days... and 1 after 4 days.

Just curious to find out how long it took your passport to be returned after your Visa Interview in Sydney. 

Anyone here who took more than 6 Business Days please?

(I'm having my interview on Dec 14, and coming up to Christmas I don't want any delays as I'm off to Japan)

4 minutes ago, Sukie said:

Technically we ALL go to AP after the officer says "yes".  We are in AP land from the time the officer enters a "yes" into the system until the visa foil is printed and placed into the passport.  In some offices, that takes 30 minutes.  In some, a superior officer has to "approve" the approval.  In some places, the visa foils are not printed but once a week. 

 

About three years ago, the whole visa foil printing process went out world-wide, and it took nearly a month to get it back online.

Sydney is fast.  Congrats on getting rescheduled!

 

Sukie in NY

Yahoooooo!!!

Thanks Sukie-ya-yeah!!!!  Hopefully it's all uphill from here!  I'll think of you when I'm in Japan with hubby!

So to clarify... once we are approved it is pretty much it right?  Just a matter of getting our passport back?

Cheers!!!

17 minutes ago, Sukie said:

I ended up writing them twice.   I was asking for permission to attend my spouse's interview, and needed an email reply that I could print and bring to the consulate.  I wrote 4 weeks in advance, and heard nothing.  So I wrote ONE week in advance, and told them I was sweating bullets (not really) and they got back to me within 24 hours!

 

So it seems to be hit or miss. 

 

If you have waited 6 working days, I think you can write again (be gentle) and ask again.

 

I actually think you'd be OK time-wise, but you never know...

 

Sukie in NY

Got my date for Dec14 Friday !!!! YAY!!!!

Now hopefully I get approved and my passport back before Christmas :)

I'm really nervous... I know I don't need to but just worried about my passport being returned to me in time. LOL

13 minutes ago, Sukie said:

Hi!  I'm a USC.  I lived in Japan when I first started on this website - and my childhood nickname was Sukie (pronounced soo-kee - not soo-kee-ay).  But because I loved my time in Japan, I love the nickname and kept it.  I answer to soo-kee-ay when I'm in Japan.

 

Actually, I'm also an Australian permanent resident, and yes, I had to provide a police clearance from the US, from Japan, and from Hong Kong when I got my PR in Australia.  My spouse is Australian, and had only lived in Australia prior to applying for her CR-1 visa to the US - so she only had to provide her Australian Police Report.

 

But...she had lived in both Queensland and Victoria, and NVC demanded a police clearance from both states - not realizing that police clearances were national in Australia.  I was pretty angry when that RFE came in - as it was clear no one had updated the "book" for the officers.  It delayed us by six weeks, which I was NOT happy about.

 

But now my spouse is through the process!  She became a USC in August.  I will have to wait a long while to get Australian citizenship, as the residency requirements are quite stringent and we are currently spending more time in the US than in Australia.

 

Good luck to you!

 

Sukie in NY

Thanks Sukie!!!  Love your nickname BTW...reminds me of that vampire show .... LOL

Anyways, I was just wondering if having a Police Clearance apart from my Australian one would delay my visa/passport returned after the interview.  This is also my second marriage.  Once the officer approves your visa, do they send it off straightaway?  There's another girl here and she said it goes into AP first... I hope mine doesn't take that long as I'm off to Japan on Dec 29.

Congrats to your better half :)

1 minute ago, Roel said:

There is no actual time. Usually it takes few days, but it can be weeks or months if the petition gets stuck in AP.

Thanks... are you Aussie as well?

I hear that for CR1 it takes 7 days for passport to be returned after a successful interview. And K1 takes about 2 weeks.

How true is this???

And anyone here submitting another Police Clearance from another country apart from Australia?

On 11/27/2018 at 5:39 AM, Sukie said:

Our interview was on a Tuesday, and we got her passport back on Friday.  We are on the Gold Coast in Queensland.  It can take up to a week for the consulate to answer your email - especially if it is not an immediate emergency.  You will be dependent upon Australia Post - so you might want to consider that.

 

Good luck!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

Hi Sukie... are you Japanese? Sorry just asking because of your name. If you are... did you have to submit a Police Clearance other than the one from Australia?

Yay!!!! So, I’m scheduled for Dec 14 for my IV Interview. Any tips? Things to bring not included in the Document cover list?

 I’m scheduled at 8am. Nervous now.

Hopefully I get my passport and visa before Christmas too!

9 minutes ago, AlicerCooper said:

I emailed! And kept putting my case number and everything in it. I think sometimes they reply the same day, other times 2 days...

I wonder what's happening to my emails...yes some people get a same day response.... mine is over 6 business days now.  I'm in panic mode. 

5 minutes ago, AlicerCooper said:

Also I remember when I didn't get a response in the 1-2 business days they promise I emailed them on the 3rd day calling them out on it and they replied lol. Strange that they're taking so long to reply to you, are you getting the email receipt that your email was received by them too? 

Yup it's been 6 business days now and no reply...I am going to send a fax shortly.  So depressing.

Did you say you emailed them or called them on the third day?... The help desk is pretty useless.

I only got an email receipt once...I emailed again no receipt.

13 minutes ago, AlicerCooper said:

The CR1 requires you to bring an express post envelope too doesn't it? Is that for the passport to be sent back? If it is then Aus Post really should have it back to you in maximum 3 business days (express post is technically 1-2 business days but say 3 to be safe). 

That's right... well it still depends,,,I'm not quite sure if the Embassy sends out the passport straightaway after the interview.  Worse case scenario would be I'll receive my passport either Dec 27 or 28 because of Christmas and Boxing Day and if all goes well...  So I'm still really in two minds....

36 minutes ago, Sukie said:

Our interview was on a Tuesday, and we got her passport back on Friday.  We are on the Gold Coast in Queensland.  It can take up to a week for the consulate to answer your email - especially if it is not an immediate emergency.  You will be dependent upon Australia Post - so you might want to consider that.

 

Good luck!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

That’s really comforting to know. I’m in Ballarat. Maybe I should just take the chance and go ahead with my interview on the 18th of December. A lot of people are getting it back between 2-3 days. I’m in 2 minds... maybe I should.... flip coin?

It will be 5 days today since I sent the email on the 20th of November. 

Would you know if the embassy sends of the passport straightaway?

Hi guys, I’ve been trying to reschedule my visa interview. I’m set for Dec 18 (CR1) but I need my passport back before Dec 28 as I’m bound for Japan. I have called and emailed the embassy but still waiting for a response for over 5 working days now. How else can I reach them?

 I’m almost tempted to just take the risk of doing my interview on the 18th and hope to God my passport gets back to me before the 28th of Dec. They say it takes 7 days to get your passport back but with Christmas and Boxing Day in between I’m cutting it close.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Im in panic mode as the embassy hasn’t replied to my 4 emails☹️

1 hour ago, jess18 said:

Our interview is Friday, December 14

Are 

1 hour ago, jess18 said:

Our interview is Friday, December 14

Are you K1 or CR1?

19 minutes ago, jess18 said:

Is the 7 day time frame the same for K1? My fiance interviews on December 14 and we are trying to get him here for Christmas...

No idea... I’m trying to figure it out too

Please let us know how his passport or visa went

2 minutes ago, redvines said:

When mine is posted it should still be next day (I'm in Perth metro area so express post has it within the range of next day guaranteed).  You can also track parcels that are express posted online with their tracking number.

 

I'm sure it will be fine but I'm really hoping it's soon so I can be back with my wife before our anniversary in early December, just waiting on the passport so I can book a flight out as soon as I have it.

Is it on its way?  have you received an email just like Natalie?