Jen27062019

Hi all,

My NOA2 is valid only until the 10th of June 2020. Is there anything I need to do to extend it? I am in Australia and embassies are still closed and I have no interview date yet. Thank you.

Hi @Greenbaum

I need to ask for your advice as my temporary visa will expire in 4 months. With the turn of events and uncertainty of as to when will I get my interview date, what steps should I do if I don't get my interview date before my visa expires?

I have submitted my Packet 3 response to Sydney Consul last March 18 but due to the cancelling of interview appointments, I haven't received my interview date yet.

I am not sure if you have encountered any applications with the same case as mine, I just want to know what steps or preparation should I do as early as now.

Thank you very much! Keep safe and healthy!  

21 hours ago, Greenbaum said:

As it has been said, visits are country specific. The Philippines one visit is sufficient but Morocco or Nigeria can be a different story. The number on rule in interviewing is you need to project to the CO that your relationship is bonafied.

 

Things to remember:

 

(1) Always tell the truth even if the truth is "I don't know".

(2) Look the CO in the eyes when answering.

(3) Be confident with your answer. Remember, you deserve this visa!

(4) Don't volunteer any information if not asked for. Give short and to the point answers. Don't get into story telling.

(5) Remember to smile as this is the first day of the rest of your life. If you don't get beyond this point with an approval your life will seem incomplete. You are in charge!

 

If they keep you passport there is a 99% chance you're APPROVED but a visa is not technically approved until issued. Good luck.

@Greenbaum thanks so much! you are so helpful as always. No interview date yet due to the virus. The hard thing is it's uncertain. But I'll do what I can do now. Waited for years to be with my man so I weeks or mos. should not matter. 

Thanks you very much!  

7 hours ago, Wcalmt1 said:

one thing that happened when we tried the K1 was supposedly, "lack of proof of valid relationship."  if you communicate with E-mail print them out, if like us we rarely used E-mail except to send files etc.  we should have printed out our chat history from Whatsapp and or Viber.  and the above is also very good stuff.  I wish I would have been able to be there then.  I believe if I was that would have been all we needed. but that din't stop us, Love prevails!

 

Thanks so much for sharing your story. But I would just like to know, did you print out the chat logs for the interview or for the I29F application? Did you get denied during the interview or application? Thank you so much  

9 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

In general, "face time" is crucial in establishing the bona fide nature of relationships.  However, Australia isn't a high-fraud country, so most interviewees who have a bona fide relationship have no problem with few visits.  You can read the embassy reviews and the stories of those who've been through interviews.  Look for the same in the Australia regional forum.

Thanks so much for the help! Really appreciate it.  

2 minutes ago, payxibka said:

My wife suffers from extreme interview anxiety and this caused a few synaptic misfires and severe twisted tongue during the initial interview.   English is not her first language and the interviewer used some colloquial English and she didn't understand what was being asked.   She much more confident and overcame it during the second interview. 

Oh I see. But I just wanted to know how was she able to get another interview in about a month after the first one being denied? I thought if you get denied during your interview, you have to apply for another I29 application and go through the whole process again.

Thank you!  

10 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Many who only met once and it wasn't an issue.  On the other hand there have been those that had many visits and it didn't go well.   It's all about how you present the validity of your ongoing relationship 

Hello Payxibka,

Thank you for replying to my query. 

I had a look at your timeline and it say you were denied on your first interview but after a month, you had your second interview and got approved, may I ask what happened?

For me not to get depressed, I am just trying to prepare for my visa interview. Hoping it will be soon.

Thank you!

Hi @Greenbaum

I hope you are well.

With what is happening now and not knowing when will visa interviews resume again, I am still preparing for my visa interview.

I just wanted to ask if you know any K1 visa applicants who have only met in person for 2 times and if it became an issue during the visa interview.

Thank you very much. 

17 minutes ago, ECCK said:

No worries. There's another thread with a couple of other Aussies, so you might want to check there too because one of them might hear something as well from the Consulate: 

You can see all my details in my timeline, but I received my P3 on 29 Dec 19 and they notified me of my interview date on 3 Jan 20. It took ages for them to schedule me. 

 

Let's stay strong together! Hope we all get to see our loved ones soon. 

 

Thanks so much. So your interview date is like 2 months after you received your P3? Wow! That's a long time. 

Let's really hope this crisis ends soon. Let's pray for each other.

On 3/19/2020 at 9:41 PM, ECCK said:

Hey, yeah mine was scheduled for the 31st March and I got an email yesterday saying it was cancelled. All appointments have been cancelled in Sydney and they haven’t told us when they will resume doing interviews. So yeah, unfortunately you’ll have to wait longer for a date. Fingers crossed they’ll resume soon. 

If you don't mind, please update me when you receive a notice about your interview.

I also wanted to ask when did you submit your packet 3 reply and when did they send you your interview date.

Thank you very much. let's hope and pray for the best. It's painful as we all want to be with our fiance/fiancees but this happened. 

3 hours ago, ECCK said:

Im so sorry for you and I definitely understand how you feel. Just 2 weeks ago I was organizing my wedding with my fiancé but now all the consulates have closed and I’m not able to go to my K1 interview that was scheduled for 31 March. It feels so surreal. 
 

Take one day at a time and treat yourself to something nice. I hope things will get better for you. 

Hi! were you supposed to have your interview in Sydney? Did they e-mail you about the postponement of the interview?

I am waiting for the date of my interview and it looks like I have to wait longer. It's heartbreaking but right now, we just have to wait, pray and be patient.

21 hours ago, Greenbaum said:

 @Jen27062019

 

Did you ever get this resolved and if you did can you list your steps or findings to share with others with a similar situation. Thanks.

Hi @Greenbaum

So I went to https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/ and went to retrieve an application then applied the DS160. My previous details were there so I only had to update some.

Then I went to http://cdn.ustraveldocs.com/au/index.html?firstTime=No to pay the fee. So on that website, tick IMMIGRANT APPLICATION >  K1 > ADDRESS > PAYMENT.

unfortunately my account is frozen due to an error so I really hope I get to pay and be able to get my appointment date. 

I hope interviews won't be affected due to Corona virus.

If there is anything else I can help just let me know and I am willing to share my experience.

1 hour ago, Greenbaum said:

The key word is FILED. Not approved or completed. So has anyone ever FILED for you besides your current petitioner (in this case,  you = beneficiary). If so YES, if not NO. Most answer it NO as they have never had a case FILED for them prior to their current petitioner.

Thank you so much. @Greenbaum no one has ever petitioned me besides my current petitioner so it should be a NO then. Thanks!

For completing the names, just wanted to confirm if I should include my middle name as a Filipino we have a middle name which is our mother's maiden name, should I include this as part of my first name? thank you!

Hi @Greenbaum

I just wanted to ask how did you answer this question : 

Has anyone ever filed an immigrant petition on your behalf with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services? 

Is this only about past application or the current application as well?

Thank you!  

Hello my co-September filers, when you have time, I need your help:

DS160 questions:

1. NO RECORDS/LOST RECORDS OF VACCINATION

What should I put as explanation on the application?

2. PETITIONER’S NAME

Should I include your middle name – or only First and last names

3.OTHER PHONE NUMBERS IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS

My other phone number would be my contact number in the Philippines 4 years ago, is it still necessary and what if I can’t remember?

4. VISA APPLICATION PAYMENT

I currently have an existing account with USTraveldocs since I have a tourist visa, so when I try to pay, which one should I click NONIMMIGRANT OR IMMIGRANT > when i choose nonimmigrant, since i have an existing tourist visa, it is checking for my eligibility to mail in application.

5. OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

SHOULD I INCLUDE VISAJOURNEY?

Thank you very much!  

1 hour ago, Greenbaum said:

Call ustravel at 703.544.7842 to clear up your issues. Others like yourself have started a "new" account not to be confused with the old. You'll have a conflict when finished and that is when you call ustravel who then will merge both accounts together.

thank you.

another query. for the social media presence, is it important? what if i don't use them that much anymore or deactivated them?

4 minutes ago, Greenbaum said:

1. Non-immigrant https://ustraveldocs.com/au/au-niv-typeall.asp

2. Yes

3. There isn't such a guide. Use the P3 letter that comes from the embassy once your file is at the embassy.

Should I click New application/schedule an appointment through my account then non-immigrant then B1/B2?

or should I apply outside this account? Sorry, a bit confused now. I haven't received a P3, my fiance received this email:

Dear K Visa Petitioner,

 

The U.S. Consulate General in Sydney has received your approved petition. 

 

Your fiancée will need to create a profile via USTravelDocs, please ensure that they complete the delivery address details in the profile to ensure that documents will be returned to the correct address. After your fiancée’s profile has been created, please then email our office providing the following information:

 

1. Name:
2. Case number (begins with SYD):
3. Email address:
4. Online Nonimmigrant Visa application (DS-160😞

o   DS-160 confirmation number

o   You MUST select SYDNEY as your place of interview

5. MRV Fee receipt for K Visa applicants (USD265.00):

An interview will not be scheduled until we see that this fee has been paid. You may pay the fee;

• Online payment with a credit card

Via your USTravelDocs profile 

• Australia Payment in Person at Australia Post

You will be required to scan and email a copy of the receipt with the above documents.

Note: you will also need to bring the original receipt to your interview. There is no other way to verify this payment other than the original receipt.

 

Once we have received this information, we will proceed to schedule your visa interview.

Hi all,

I just wanted to ask help. I am already asked to create a profile through USTravelDocs, but in my case, I have an account as I already have a tourist visa.

So what I did was (please se steps below):

1. Clicked  -   New application/schedule appointment 

2. Ticked -      Visa > Immigrant

3. Ticked -      Visa class > K1

4. Validated    -  Passport details

5. Updated -       Mailing address

6. Next was Payment details ( I haven't paid yet as I am not sure if what I am doing is correct)

I am just confused as they are requiring me to fill out a DS-160 which is a NON-IMMIGRANT application but I don't know how to apply a DS-160 when I already have an account.

Help please!

Thank you!  

On 3/8/2020 at 11:59 PM, Greenbaum said:

Q1 - If you have a new address use it in the completion of the DS-160. Also, register with USCIS.

Q2. Here is what your P3 letter says about the validity of PC

 

Australian police certificate:
You must apply for an Australian Federal Police Certificate (AFP). Australian police certificates are valid for 12 months from date of issuance. Your certificate can be based on a name check or fingerprint check.
If it's based on a name check, it must contain all aliases previously and presently used. Failure to provide a name check certificate with all aliases may result in the consular officer refusing your application for a police certificate based on a fingerprint check.

Hi, thanks again.

My fiance received an email from the Sydney Consulate. I have an existing US tourist visa so I already have an account with the USTRAVELDOCS. I am a bit confused on some of the queries. 

1. is this an immigrant application?

2. Should I update my profile first?

3. Do you have a guide for the visa application for those with existing US tourist visa?

Thank you so much!  

On 12/7/2019 at 6:45 AM, mandajoy98 said:

Does anyone know how long in between Packet 3 is sent and Packet 4 will be received? My fiance just sent in packet 3 and is waiting on Packet 4 to receive and be given an interview date. Do we chose a date? Do they make one for us? 

Hi Mandajoy,

First of all, congratulations on your visa approval!

I hope you don't mind me messaging you but I just wanted to ask about the visa interview process of your fiance as I am now just awaiting letter from Sydney Consulate.

 I just wanted to ask what were the documents asked for the interview, what were the questions, how long did the interview last... and all....  

Thank you and wishing you and your fiance all the best!  

22 hours ago, Greenbaum said:

The questions are not about you being in Australia, they will be on your relationship. This is where you need to put your emphasis on. Here is a list of questions that I put up in an earlier post. If you have questions about interviewing in Australia I would recommend that you join the sub-forum for that regions. Link is below.

 

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/671339-may-2018-k1-filers/page/25/

 

https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/146-australia-and-new-zealand/

Thank you very much! All the information that you provide are really helpful

Sorry but I have more questions    

1.  I'm trying to fill out my DS160 and my address is not different from the address that I have provided in the I29F application, what address should I use and if I use the new address, will it not cause any inconsistencies?

2. I have already applied my police clearances and have included them in the I29F application, they are valid until July of this year, should they be fine to use for the interview or should I get new ones?

Thank you very much!  

On 3/4/2020 at 10:34 PM, Greenbaum said:

Here are the instructions for when and what is needed for the interview. Good luck.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DKRc5bBmpL5fesrMAP1RRLwucTnjOB6Y/view

Thank you so much for all your help.  

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to ask if you know a similar case with: a Filipino citizen, studying or working in Australia and was interviewed in Sydney. 

I studied my Masters here in Australia and currently working, and my visa will expire this year.

I met my  fiance through his cousin who was my colleague when I was still in the Philippines, but we only message and Facetime then to communicate. We met in person on the 4th year of our relationship when I went to the U.S. and then he went to the Philippines with me to meet my family and during that visit, the proposal happened. 

I just want to know what what may be the possible questions for me for my visa interview since I am currently residing in a foreign country.

Thank you very much for all  your help.  Really appreciate it.  

7 hours ago, callieallie87 said:

Just to give you peace of mind... My financé just had his interview in Sydney on Tuesday and I'm AD Air Force as well... I provided my statement of service from vMPF, my "personal statement of military compensation" from mypay and a few leave and earning statements.  They kept those things and gave him back all the bank statements.
I also wouldn't alter the statement of service letter as it's on Air Force Personnel Center letterhead.
If ya'll need any help or have any questions, just shoot me a message!

thank you for your message. I really appreciate it. I sent you a direct message but I clicked something and it was already sent without finishing my message. I just want to thank you in advance and I hope my questions are not too much for you to answer. 

Congratulations on your approval and thank you for offering help.  

21 hours ago, Greenbaum said:

He can print off a copy of his pay statement to verify his status as a military member. Whether he is renting an apartment, purchasing a car or other reasons, his Leave and Earning Statement (available via myPay) provides details on his pay grade, pay and entitlements, and deductions. I hope this helps.

 

https://www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/statusverification.html

Thanks a lot! 

Another query, I received my letter from NVC stating that my petition will now be forwarded to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Sydney, Australia. Can my fiance now prepare his bank statements, bank certificate, etc.? Or should I wait for the letter with further instructions?

Thanks so much for being really helpful.