ECCK

I have finally been approved Yayyyy . I have honestly lost track of how many rejections and submissions I had to do. I think it was around 10 but it is potentially even higher as i stopped recording the reference numbers once i realized they were useless.
For those that are still trying keep pushing them. I ended up submitting around 47 supporting documents and a statement just shy of a 1000 words. I think if you keep applying they will get that you are serious and will approve you.

Well we are almost 12 months into this journey.  Strange to think that it could be another 5 to 10 months before we hear anything.  
 
I hope everyone is doing well and you were all reunited with your loved ones

PUT THIS IN THE MEDIA! oh my God I didn't realize you've been through so much.  I just feel like it is SUCH an additional stress of an already immensely difficult situation.  we wouldn't go through this garbage if it wasn't for a real purpose.  Also, considering the rest of the world is opening up (and the Greek Islands are opening for tourism July 1) this is SUCH an overreach of power.  We need to be allowed out, we are not going to be a threat to Australia by leaving.  I'm so sorry and I fully support you taking this to the media.  It seems when people do they actually get it approved....and i'm not far behind you

Thank you everyone! your comments have all been very useful
 
I think just a handful of denial horror stories just scared me to the point i'm scrutinising and worrying over every little detail
 

If he is an Australian citizen in Australia I believe yes he would need to apply for one to leave.
 
If they aren't shipping applications to the consulate unless the consulate requests them then I would email the consulate and ask if they can move your application along and request an interview asap.
I don't know how far you would get if you don't have an emergency situation needing an interview asap. But even if you don't have a reason, you can still ask and say that because of the covid pandemic and unstable times you need to be there to help your partner.

It was my third submission. I rewrote it completely with the help of a friend and it was actually quite similar to what @KittyKat3072 had written. I included extra detail about the K1 visa, and how the visa has an expiry date plus all the associated requirements around getting married within 90 days and that it's a pathway to legal permanent residency in the US. I also included a link to the USCIS page on K1 visas in case they needed extra detail about it. I emphasised the detriment that would occur if I didn't get to approval to fly (i.e. financial hardship, visa and medical costs would be lost, etc.) and how I had no intention of returning in the foreseeable future. Hope you hear your approval soon! 

It was my third submission. I rewrote it completely with the help of a friend and it was actually quite similar to what @KittyKat3072 had written. I included extra detail about the K1 visa, and how the visa has an expiry date plus all the associated requirements around getting married within 90 days and that it's a pathway to legal permanent residency in the US. I also included a link to the USCIS page on K1 visas in case they needed extra detail about it. I emphasised the detriment that would occur if I didn't get to approval to fly (i.e. financial hardship, visa and medical costs would be lost, etc.) and how I had no intention of returning in the foreseeable future. Hope you hear your approval soon! 

3rd attempt at requesting the waiver and i finally got it just then! You just get an email saying the request has been approved and that the port has been notified to let you depart Australia. It doesn't even say you need to print the email and bring it along, but I think I'll do it just to be safe. Good luck to everyone else waiting for their waiver! 

@ECCK Glad to hear you got the approval, now the big question...how many submissions and what did you do differently in your last submission?   My girl is due to fly on the 30th, I know others are sooner but it is stressful.  I appreciate any advice!

Way too stressful. I am moving with a three year old and I am already emotional as I know my parents (who I have lived with since she was six weeks old) will be crying at the airport. I can't have no response until the day!

Phew. I over thought it. This whole situation is making me crazy lol. I will be! My interview is on the 2nd and once my visa comes in the post I will apply. I still want to collect some more documents for my permission to leave!

Hi all
I just wanted to let you know that I attended my interview in Sydney today and my visa has been issued.
 
It was an interesting experience at the embassy - I was the only applicant there so it was very quiet. The whole process from start to finish took around an hour and half but I was sitting in the waiting room for a lot of the time. 
 
I dealt with two people in the consulate - the first person checked all my documents were in order, then the second person conducted the interview. The interview was a lot less stressful than I thought it would be - it was really just a casual chat about how we met, how long we have been together, where we will live, my fiance's employment and asking if I was aware of the requirement to marry within 90 days.  I was then told my visa could be issued and I would receive it in the mail within 2-3 weeks.
 
There was a form that needed to be completed and handed to Police Officers at Brisbane airport - they just needed evidence that I was a QLD resident. I did see a lot of people being told they needed to go into quarantine for two weeks. 
 
Happy to answer any questions!
 
 

Cheers.  I'm still at the NOA2 -> NVC stage.... had a 'quick' approval at 85 days.  In an ideal world I think I'd be at the ready to interview stage by August...but for now I'm praying for home by Thanksgiving...  Definitely hoping that the Consulate starts getting back to normal because I don't really have any 'emergency' excuses that would probably warrant an emergency interview...  So I'm thinking that it'll still be a couple of months at least before the paperwork is on it's way to Sydney... by which time I would hope that things are semi normalised by then.... who knows.... all I know is this wait is harder than the wait for the NOA2...  I did read today that people who got their NOA2 about 2 weeks before us were able to get their case number this week (we're about 2.5 weeks since approval) so we're probably looking at another 4ish weeks before the case is in and processed and 'ready' for shipping... and whether or not they will, or I can have them ship it out while the consulate is 'closed' is a whole other drama....

Thank you so much!!! Can't wait to hear your case make some progress too. Sounds like with the restrictions coming down, interviews should be coming soon too. fingers crossed that it'll be a smooth process for you! 

3rd attempt at requesting the waiver and i finally got it just then! You just get an email saying the request has been approved and that the port has been notified to let you depart Australia. It doesn't even say you need to print the email and bring it along, but I think I'll do it just to be safe. Good luck to everyone else waiting for their waiver! 

I've been watching you guys with the struggles of the 'border' and the consulate.... and this has made me so happy to read!!!
 
So excited for you!!!  FINALLY!!

3rd attempt at requesting the waiver and i finally got it just then! You just get an email saying the request has been approved and that the port has been notified to let you depart Australia. It doesn't even say you need to print the email and bring it along, but I think I'll do it just to be safe. Good luck to everyone else waiting for their waiver! 

My flight to the US is tomorrow (well technically today cause it’s 12:45 am here but I can’t sleep lol). Our flight is at 1:35 pm! I feel pretty anxious not gonna lie

You're totally welcome! 🙃
 
Also we talked to air nz and apparently in order to ship a cat to the States you have to make a separate booking from Auckland. Which sounds super expensive when its possible. The pet shipper said they are working on options with the airlines but there's nothing at this stage.
*sighs* 
He's leaving on May 26 and we can't bring her with him (his cat). It's hard and we don't know where to give her yet and he has no friends who could foster her until the flights open for pets. 😭😭😭
We have a child together, otherwise he would probably wait longer.  But it would be a year since he saw him last by that point and he doesn't want to wait that long.

this is super helpful! thank you! if i get rejected again, I'll definitely borrow this. 

He was denied his travel exemption the first time, he wasn't as concise and decisive in his first request. 
The second time he was approved. 
He applied for the "People who are travelling on urgent and unavoidable personal business"  reason.
 
This is part of what we said:
"I am presently the holder of a K-1 fiancé visa, which is valid until October 6th, 2020. My intended departure date is to be determined after approval is granted for my exemption to leave Australia. I will be moving to the United States using the aforementioned visa, where I will be marrying my fiancé ______ _______ and subsequently applying for adjustment of status to obtain permanent residency. I will be living with my soon to be wife, and our children ________(biological) and _________(step-son). I do not have any plans to return to Australia from America to visit, I will be living full time in America at ___gives address_________."
 
Between this we gave more details about his home rental status and his employment status (since this was further away from his departure and we hadn't bought tickets yet we had to justify why he was still working). 
 
After that we listed items we included and we said:
 
"Included are several items of evidence; my K-1 visa and envelope of accompanying sealed documents, a bank statement held jointly with ______ at our home address, the birth certificate of our child, and several screenshots including, but not limited to, our engagement announcement, mutual friends in the USA, and text excerpts discussing my immigration."
 
We treated it like we were applying for another visa basically. Making sure we Included a variety of screenshots and evidence to substantiate his need to travel. They need to know you will not be coming back to Australia. We clearly stated he has no intention of coming back to Australia that he is moving permanently. 
Give them recent screenshots about you immigrating to the States, as well as older ones, any engagement evidence, and ties to the States. Look through your evidence that you guys included with the i-129f submission and see what you can add to your travel exemption request. They want to see that you are seeding yourself permanently in the USA and that you have the authorisation to do so.

Please lodge a new request and provide more information to support your request. Including, for example:
·         Proof of relationship such as birth and/or marriage certificates
·         Death certificate, (or letter from a medical professional)
·         Letter from a medical professional, hospital records
·         Statement on when the individual intends to return to Australia
 
Documents need to be in English or accompanied by an accredited translation.

I'm on my 4th submission at this point
I keep getting rejected for lack of evidence despite giving an absurd amount of proof. I have left my job and my accommodation, i'm staying with my parents.
I'm due to fly out on Tuesday and i still haven't heard anything yet.  I'm going crazy just siting here waiting for the confirmation. this is the final step to a two year wait. last thing i need is for my own government to trip me up.
 
I have read that most people are not finding out until the night before or morning of their travel date. and some aren't getting it until after their flight . someone posted on the website ill link below, that he never got a reply he called home affairs from the airport and they gave him a verbal approval. He then had to go to the border officers and they had to look it up on the computer system. overall is seems like a cluster F, and its entirely up to the officer reviewing your case and with little to no guidelines.
 
https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/australian-border-force-travel-ban-exemptions

She received the Visa from the Australian post today!  Still waiting on travel exemption status from the second submission....

Flights booked. I have to get there the day before and leave the day after. The site glitched and charged me twice. I finally got my refund approved but they said it could take up to six months to see my money. It's their fault so I am annoyed lol. Jetstar both ways. Otherwise it would have been crazy expensive.
 
Got my passport photos for the visa. My daughter looks fine but you can just see her hand in the bottom. Aus Post person said it was fine so I hope it will be. That's my progress for the day.