PriscillaQOTD

7 hours ago, zochu said:

Yes and their exemption to leave Australia! 
 

visa, passport and exemption is what someone needs to leave Australia! Unless you’re American than just your passport and exemption! 

Thank you very much! 

12 minutes ago, zochu said:

US passport holders don’t need a visa to enter the US. When they arrive in the US they show their US passport to customs. 

 

If the person also holds an Australian passport, the exemption to leave the country needs to be put on their Australian passport NOT their US passport. 

Thank you! I’ll make sure to add that to my Aus passport then. So my partner will also be fine just travelling with just the immigration visa in his passport?

This might be a silly question but once you get the Visa you don't need any other Visas to enter the US and therefore won't need ESTA right? This also applies for those travelling on a US passport? @zochu

18 hours ago, Jen27062019 said:

Haha! Okay, I'll do the same. Thanks! I'll keep you posted  

I just checked this morning and it’s under Admin processing! The date is still yesterday when they responded to my email so they are probably still in the file right now. 

5 minutes ago, Jen27062019 said:

I know. If I don't get any updates, I'll e-mail them on Thursday. Which e-mail address did you send your query? Thank you!  

I responded to their interview email so they would recognise the heading and respond quicker lol

5 hours ago, Jen27062019 said:

Hello everyone! I had my Medical at O'Connel Street on the 8th of October and had my interview on the 14th of October. During my interview, the Consulate still hasn't received my medical report. The guy who interviewed me reassured me that I have nothing to worry as they will approve my case once they receive my medical report.

 

How long does it usually take? it's been like 12 days since my medical. The clinic said they sent my report on the 9th of October but still my visa case status is Refused. Should I make a follow up or just wait?

 

Thank you!  

It’s really weird that the clinic sent your medical but 4 days later it still hadn’t been received by the officer? Does it go through an admin person first? I’d be emailing them as well but that’s because my case is time sensitive so it’s up to you. I think your plan to wait until Thursday and then email is good  

1 minute ago, Jen27062019 said:

Awww! Thanks for sharing your situation. When did you have your interview? I will really appreciate if you keep me posted so I know if I need to email them as well. I really hope we get our visa soon, especially for you as you have booked your flight already.   

I just received an email back from Sydney. They said they have all the necessary docs and it’s with the officer but it takes usually around 15 days to process once received. So I guess worst case it will be done by the 27th. Our interview was the 6th. I’ll keep you posted!

4 hours ago, Jen27062019 said:

Hello everyone! I had my Medical at O'Connel Street on the 8th of October and had my interview on the 14th of October. During my interview, the Consulate still hasn't received my medical report. The guy who interviewed me reassured me that I have nothing to worry as they will approve my case once they receive my medical report.

 

How long does it usually take? it's been like 12 days since my medical. The clinic said they sent my report on the 9th of October but still my visa case status is Refused. Should I make a follow up or just wait?

 

Thank you!  

Hi Jen! I’m in a similar boat. Did my medical on the 7th, received the email from O’Connell on the 13th with the documents. My case status on the Ceac visa check site updated to 13/10/20 but still refused. Haven’t heard from them yet. Meanwhile another member here had their medical sent on the same day as mine (13/10) and already has their visa in the mail. I did end up sending them an email today because I’ve already booked flights and starting to feel a little stressed. I’ll let you know if they respond or anything changes! Keep me posted as well  

3 minutes ago, sydnekins said:

I just got an email from the consulate saying they received the medical certificate and it's under review, just checked the case status and it's finally rolled over from refused to Administrative processing! I'm sure if you havent received it yet that you'll be receiving it soon!! 

Thank you for letting me know! That’s so exciting for you! I didn’t realise they sent an email so I guess I’ll stop refreshing the visa check page 😂😂

2 hours ago, sydnekins said:

I also had my medical exam with Dr Rappaport! Her office works pretty fast, I had my exam on Friday the 9th and I received an email saying it was sent to the consulate on Tuesday the 13th so I'm expecting the consulate to pick it up any day now

Oh wow that is really fast! My husband had his medical at O'Connell St with Dr Aldous on the 7th of Oct and didn't get his email until the 13th. I noticed my case status date changed in the visa check on the same day so I'm assuming the consulate received it. As both of our medicals were sent on the same day let me know if your case status changes from refused to admin processing and I'll let you know as well!

3 minutes ago, Duke & Marie said:

If the US didn’t spend so much on its military, australia would have been Chinese occupied years ago, so you can thank the us for that.. 

 

health care should be accessible to all in hard times agreed, which it is under Medicaid. But when people turn it into a lifestyle the cost burden becomes too much when 120m working people are subsidising 40m who pay little or nothing for better healthcare than those who are paying for it. 
 

unlike Aus the medical costs of operational procedures are not price regulated which makes costs higher hence the us having so many good doctors.. 

 

7% of the combined income of a professional couple Vs the 500 x 12 months is far greater than 6k a year to receive the same public health care as someone who’s getting it for free. Making the working class poorer overall and further widening the financial gaps between the rich and poor 

Haha the military have not been keeping China from attacking Australia, as there has been no threat of that. They have been in Afghanistan and other countries. I’m a US citizen born in Florida and it makes me cringe whenever I hear Americans say things like that and talk like we are the saviours of the world. 
 

I’m kind of confused how you agree that we should have Medicare for all yet complain that the working class shouldn’t pay the premium for it. That’s exactly how that works. There will always be people that need help and can’t contribute to healthcare as much as others. Sure there may be a small group doing the wrong thing but being poor is certainly not a ‘lifestyle choice’. I come from a middle class family and have faced no adversity or health condition an even I wouldn’t make those remarks. It’s hard to break out of a cycle of poverty and a lot of people face adversity on top of that which makes it even harder.

The extra $500 I mentioned is on top of the insurance you already pay which I’m assuming is a lot based on your $500 a month increase. So this alleged 7% tax would still be cheaper than paying your total insurance bill. As it’s based on income the poor would still get the same benefits but would pay very little in taxes for it so the divide would not increase. This lie they tell you that the US has better doctors is totally outrageous and needs to stop. There is world class healthcare and the best doctors in every country. There are people that actually fly to other countries from the US to get cheaper and better surgery. 
 

For the sake of the other members on here not having to read these off-topic posts I will end my responses here. I hope for the sake of America that things progress and the healthcare system improves to match the rest of the civilised world. 

9 minutes ago, Duke & Marie said:

 

I understand that you may not have health issues and don’t want to carry the burden of other citizens but the issue with that is that you never know when you will need it yourself. If something terrible happened and you became poor and had a pre-existing condition, before the Act you would not receive healthcare and that’s crazy. Since the Act 20 million more people now have coverage. Coming from a country like Australia where you have seen the benefits of healthcare for all it’s surprising that you would have an issue with it. The US spends enormous amounts of money on its military but instead of focusing on that they make you believe that a universal healthcare system would make taxes totally unreasonable even though all other western countries successfully do it. If your taxes did rise 7% it would be based on your income and would still be cheaper than paying an extra $500 per month for your insurance? I don’t want this to be a political discussion but I feel like people need to care about the well-being of their fellow citizens because you never know when the tables will turn and you will need help yourself. 

47 minutes ago, ChelseaLAllen said:

Hi There!

 

I have a question I did my medical with Dr Rappaport last Friday on the 16th how long did it take for your results to be at the consulate?? like 5 business days??

Just so I can have a rough idea

 

Thankyou

Hi Chelsea! Botoole had his status change from refused to admin processing about 9 days after the medical. We had ours done on the 7th and 6 days later we received the email from the medical centre which means they have sent it to the consulate but our case hasn’t been updated yet. Hoping this will happen Monday? I’ll keep you updated. 

6 hours ago, Duke & Marie said:

He’s not getting rid of it as a whole, just section that permits people to go and obtain insurance of their choice.. currently everyone has to pay for it, resulting in our family insurance costs jumping over 500 a month for something we don’t want or use..  permitting choice means we’re no longer mandated to pay the extra money for healthcare we don’t want or use since we have private health...hence his saying it’s more affordable, cause we’ll go back to saving that 500 a month.. it’s just a wording thing... the EO has Just as much standing as all of the other EO’s that affect immigration etc.. 

The EO does not have defined statements that can be legally acted upon. He doesn’t explicitly say that pre-existing conditions will not be affected. He just says it’s their goal to ensure that this will happen. This is not legally enforceable and he knows that. Unlike the immigration EO that clearly states the legislation put in place to prevent certain visas from being obtained in no uncertain terms. There are numerous articles explaining why it is not legally enforceable. Regardless of which party people may back it’s important to be critical of what politicians are doing to ensure the safety and well-being of all Americans. By making the mandate within the affordable health care act unconstitutional, it dismantles the entire Act and if there’s even the slightest possibility that he could remove it and not protect pre-existing conditions then Americans are back to square one with unaffordable health care. I hope this doesn’t happen but at the same time you have to be critical. 

5 hours ago, Duke & Marie said:

He’s not getting rid of it as a whole, just section that permits people to go and obtain insurance of their choice.. currently everyone has to pay for it, resulting in our family insurance costs jumping over 500 a month for something we don’t want or use..  permitting choice means we’re no longer mandated to pay the extra money for healthcare we don’t want or use since we have private health...hence his saying it’s more affordable, cause we’ll go back to saving that 500 a month.. it’s just a wording thing... the EO has Just as much standing as all of the other EO’s that affect immigration etc.. 

I understand what you’re saying but creating the mandate is what makes the healthcare affordable to begin with. By having more people purchase health insurance it brings the premiums for everyone down. At the same time most states do no even charge the financial penalty for not having health insurance anyway so you can choose to not have health insurance without penalty in those states. The penalty is similar to the Medicare penalty that we have in Australia. For a household income for 2 people of $70000 the penalty in some states would only be $1300 and then there are exemptions you can apply to reduce it. So from my understanding you technically don’t need to purchase the $500 a month that you’re describing?

On 10/3/2020 at 3:52 PM, Duke & Marie said:

Pre-existing shouldn’t be an issue, Trump signed an executive order to ensure prior conditions remain covered under his plan, it should become cheaper if anything..  it’s likely earnings, age and type of cover.. our combined income is pretty good, and being in our late 40’s we’ve have to have top coverage with full dental.. Unfortunately the closer to 50 you get, the more you tend to fall apart 😂
 

I still find it expensive, guess I always will when comparing it to health care prices back home though.. 

I decided to go look for the executive order that he signed because the pre-existing condition thing is huge and I know he's trying to get the Affordable Health Care Act removed with the 'promise' of a better plan yet there has been no plan in the 4 years he's been in office and there still is no plan he has outlined, just a vision...which doesn't bode well. The executive order just reads: “It has been and will continue to be the policy of the United States to give Americans seeking healthcare more choice, lower costs, and better care and to ensure that Americans with pre-existing conditions can obtain the insurance of their choice at affordable rates.” This has no legal backing and is just speaking in general terms and is not an order. All we can do is wait and hope I guess. 

On 10/15/2020 at 11:42 AM, Jem.G said:

Just check and my Visa was Issued today 🥳🙏

Can't wait to have it in hand and move on!

Awesome, congrats! How long did it take from medical appointment to visa issued?

13 hours ago, Botoole said:

Thanks, congrat to you guys too! Visa issued today 🙂. Took ~8 days from doing medical to Consulate receiving it -updated timelines below. 

 

1st October - Medical Done
6th October -Interview Date
6th October - Medical sent to Consulate
9th October - Consulate Received eMedical, case turned from 'Refused' to 'Administrative Processing'
13th October - Visa Issued!
14th October - ETA for Passport +  Visa according to tracking.

That's awesome! Thanks for sharing. We received the email from the Medical place yesterday saying it was complete so I guess we will receive another email from the consulate when they receive it in a few days? I noticed that they updated our case yesterday but currently still says refused. I'll check the case status daily until then. Exciting times!

On 9/18/2020 at 12:22 PM, Jade.gard said:

Hey patient people!!

I had my interview 8th September, Medical also the 8th September, Consulate received medical on the 14th September, Moved to Administrative Processing on the 15th and nothing since. How long should I expect to be in AP for?

 

 

Hey! Did your visa end up being issued? If so, when did you receive it in the mail and did you have to call them? I booked my flights for 28 days after my interview so hoping the visa is received by then!

On 10/6/2020 at 9:47 PM, Botoole said:

Thanks! It's quite the journey -hang in there everyone who is still working through it! Looking at flying 3rd November but that will depend on whether we're able to arrange for our cat to be relocated around the same time

Congrats botoole! Glad to hear they didn’t end up needing a joint sponsor! I’ve booked my flight for the 4th so hopefully we end up on the same flight. I was a little apprehensive about booking my flight before the visa is issued but the officer did say 24 days so I’m assuming that’s worst case scenario. Has your visa issued yet and how long did it take them to receive your medical results? 

Just now, Sharni said:

It's hard to know, but I think you're right.  It's unlikely.   We didn't book before the visa was issued, but now kicking myself for not getting in earlier.  

I know! And they had no change fees as well so could have just moved the dates if the visa didn't come in time what day are you planning to fly out? 

Looks like prices of flights have gone back up  just missed out on the half price flights! Probably unlikely they will go back down again hey? They said my Visa will be issued in 22 days so I'm wondering if I should just book it now. 

1 minute ago, Duke & Marie said:

Pre-existing shouldn’t be an issue, Trump signed an executive order to ensure prior conditions remain covered under his plan, it should become cheaper if anything..  it’s likely earnings, age and type of cover.. our combined income is pretty good, and being in our late 40’s we’ve have to have top coverage with full dental.. Unfortunately the closer to 50 you get, the more you tend to fall apart 😂
 

I still find it expensive, guess I always will when comparing it to health care prices back home though.. 

yep totally agree with you there! Hopefully once my partner graduates he will have a good medical plan through his job that covers me and is reasonably priced or free. 

10 hours ago, Duke & Marie said:

I have Blueshield it’s ok I guess, haven’t used it...I think it’s expensive, hubby pays $500+USD a month for just the two of us and that’s with his employer paying the majority chunk on top.. my mother in-law insists her cover is better for cheaper..make sure you shop around
 

you do need to make sure you go to the right doctors/dentists etc if you don’t go to one of their designated doctors they charge you massive out of pockets.. not like home where you can go to any old GP... that’s also why I think there’s some cheap policies out there... cheap insurance but drive an hour to find the doctor.. so check they have doctors in your area too

Oh interesting. I wonder if our income factors in because my partner is still studying so we are both living on my income of about 50k USD. Our coverage came to about $285 per month. We both are under 35. Luckily the pre-existing condition thing isn’t a factor right now thanks to Obama or it would be very different. I’ll have to be careful with which doctors I see then. It’s going to be interesting getting used to all this...

9 hours ago, Mayflower girl said:

Could posters please indicate what state they are from when they say they have an interview scheduled? My hubby is in Melbourne and has been waiting 6 months, even with an expedite. Thank you!

I'm from NSW.