Beeptweet

I'd say whoever you talk to, check AILA Lawyer Search website https://www.ailalawyer.com/ to ensure they're a legitimate lawyer. Many lawyers are part of it.

Happy to pay what ever is the market cost. It`s point less debate. Just wanted to have some recommendation so that I directly to a good doctor.

Unfortunately, the time to hold it is when it's still at NVC, before a case is DQ'ed, as then it can be held indefinitely. Once it's DQ'ed and an interview is being scheduled it's too late to pause for long really. 
 
You certainly can try the re-entry permit, and it will buy you some time. But if you think your future lies in Australia you may not want to. In terms of taxes, it will depend on your personal situation and also which state you'd be 'resident' in. I'd get really good tax advice because the moment you land and activate that visa, you are a LPR and subject to all US taxation, so you might want to consult a pro first just to double check what your obligations will be. There may be income tax, capital gains tax, potentially exit tax if you decide to give your green card up at a later date. Probably other stuff too that I don't know about - CGT is top of my list at the mo as we're about to sell our UK property! You'll have to file taxes each year, including FBAR (massive penalties if you don't). But you may have nothing to pay (other than a couple of thousand annually for an accountant to file for you), as I said it will depend on your situation so best to get professional advice. 
 
You'll certainly need healthcare when you are resident, but again cost will depend on your personal situation. Ours was approx $2500 a month for a family of four when we were self funding if that helps, now we pay about $400 a month as it's subsidised by an employer. 
 
Good luck. 

I truly appreciate this community. Everyone here is incredibly knowledgeable and offers valuable insights. I have decided to change my plan and not rush to file the re-entry permit immediately. I may travel first to complete my initial entry, spend some relaxing time with my family there, and take the opportunity to discuss, compare, and reflect. I will likely return to this post later to share my experience and learn from you all. I plan to lodge the re-entry permit around mid-2026.

I thought citizenship in Oz would be part of it. 
 
Three years is probably too long, but you can cross that bridge when you come to it. Just make sure that you file a tax return in 2026 (and then every year after that), you get as much sorted as possible in December, and then in June strengthen those ties further with more proof of you making the US your permanent home (even if it won't actually be for a while). 
 

This is very optimistic. Receipt letter alone can take 4-8 weeks. Biometrics are typically scheduled within the first 1-3 months after submitting application, but for my I-751 it took about 5 months for biometrics to get reused.

@appleblossom
 
Thanks for your response. The reason behind my current plan is that I am already an LPR in another country, and things are progressing well there in terms of both my studies and career. I don’t want to disrupt that momentum or jeopardize the foundation I’m building professionally and academically.
My spouse, on the other hand, can stay in the U.S. for about 3–4 months at her sister’s place to manage a few key tasks — specifically, to collect both her SSN and Green Card, as well as mine. Once she receives her SSN, she’ll file for her re-entry permit, complete the biometrics process, and then return with both our physical SSN and Green Card documents.
As for me, I only have a 21-day window to complete my first entry. My plan during that short stay is to accomplish as much as possible:
Apply for the re-entry permit immediately after arrival.
Open a U.S. bank account.
Obtain a driver’s licence.
Secure the re-entry permit receipt before returning.
I understand that biometrics appointments are typically scheduled within a few weeks, but I’ve also read that certain applicants are exempted if their fingerprints are already on record. My justification for the re-entry permit is aligned with my ongoing educational commitments abroad.
I just want to ensure that this approach is compliant and that I’m not inadvertently putting my LPR status at risk.
 

@appleblossom
 
Thanks for your response. The reason behind my current plan is that I am already an LPR in another country, and things are progressing well there in terms of both my studies and career. I don’t want to disrupt that momentum or jeopardize the foundation I’m building professionally and academically.
My spouse, on the other hand, can stay in the U.S. for about 3–4 months at her sister’s place to manage a few key tasks — specifically, to collect both her SSN and Green Card, as well as mine. Once she receives her SSN, she’ll file for her re-entry permit, complete the biometrics process, and then return with both our physical SSN and Green Card documents.
As for me, I only have a 21-day window to complete my first entry. My plan during that short stay is to accomplish as much as possible:
Apply for the re-entry permit immediately after arrival.
Open a U.S. bank account.
Obtain a driver’s licence.
Secure the re-entry permit receipt before returning.
I understand that biometrics appointments are typically scheduled within a few weeks, but I’ve also read that certain applicants are exempted if their fingerprints are already on record. My justification for the re-entry permit is aligned with my ongoing educational commitments abroad.
I just want to ensure that this approach is compliant and that I’m not inadvertently putting my LPR status at risk.
 

It is not the best way but it can be done.If you can get it done the day before then that would be better.
 The consulate will hold the process after the interview until they have received the medical results. We found the Sydney Consulate responsive to emails .. so you should email them once you have your interview set and confirm this with them 
 
 

You can look at their timeline to see when the visa was issued.

They said I could only delay for a year before the case interview would be terminated. They never said if it would go back to NVC or USCIS. I asked for clarification again and they haven't responded since (about six weeks now). 
 
The clarification was in regards to this information - https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM050413.html

(CT:VISA-544;   03-28-2018)
a. Failure to Appear:  The Department (CA/VO) considers the end of the one-year period to apply for the visa to be a mandated date triggering termination of the petition for inactive applications.  The one-year period stops, however, if during that time the applicant takes substantive steps to apply for the visa, such as rescheduling the immigrant visa appointment date.  If the applicant reschedules the appointment date within one year of an initial failure to appear  the one-year period to take action on the visa would begin anew on the new appointment date.
 
 

Did you receive a reply? My wife and I will be in a similar situation soon. They haven't scheduled our interview yet, but we had some unforeseen issues with work/housing come up after becoming documentarily qualified. What timing! I hope you're able to delay as needed. Did they get back to you?

I emailed the Consulate back and received this response:
 

 
I emailed back to clarify if my file would simply be sent back to NVC or USCIS and awaiting a response which takes about a week.
 
I'm not sure if there are new rules or each Consulate is different, but hopefully this isn't the case.

Yes.  You have to keep in contact with them before a year.  Don't wait to the last month. 
 
Once an I-130 is approved it never expires.  Worst case is it gets sent back to the US and you have to do an I-824 to get it send back.  

I received this response from the Consulate:

"Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) section 203(g) provides that the “Secretary of State shall terminate the registration (petition) of any alien who fails to apply for an immigrant visa within one year” of notice of visa availability. The petition may be reinstated if, within two years of notice of visa availability, the alien establishes that the “failure to apply was for reasons beyond the alien’s control.” Therefore, if you do not respond to notices from NVC within one year you risk termination of your petition under this section of law and would lose the benefits of that petition, such as your priority date."
 
The email made it seem like if you don't have your interview within one year of the date you are first offered one, that your petition would be terminated. But then this line "Therefore, if you do not respond to notices from NVC within one year you risk termination of your petition" is kind of confusing. Have you seen others postpone interviews for longer than a year?

Just that you aren't ready to interview.

What do I tell them in this case? Just reference my case number and say "I would like to keep my case file open but have not yet rescheduled my visa interview"?

You need to contact the consulate one a year in order for them to keep it at the consulate.

I have a scheduled interview next month but due to unforeseen circumstances, I want to delay my interview for the foreseeable future. Not just a few months or a year but possibly 5+ years potentially.
 
Am I able to delay an interview this long with the Consulate? If so, what are the steps to keep my file "active"? 

Do I simply email the Consulate once a year to let them know I wish to keep my file active but not reschedule my interview?

That’s a lot of assumptions and hypotheticals and perhaps you couldn’t find anything because nobody had this experience before. It sounds like you just have bite the bullet and go ahead and try to reschedule and see what happens.
 
If you have to reschedule the second time, I imagine the Consulate will not be happy and will conclude you’re not that interested in the visa. Sounds like you’ll have to make some difficult choices and choose either the US route or the other job. Sometimes we can’t have it all 
 
 

From what I can tell on google it does look like USTravelDocs is no longer in use and it has switched to USVisaScheduling.  Can anyone else confirm?

@appleblossom
Yes I will fill that soon.
 
Can you check the PDs for the ones who are waiting here in AU.

If NVC gave you an interview date, your case in enroute to the consulate.  Only the consulate can change the date after NVC assigns it.

As long as NVC has the case, you contact them.  Once an interview date is scheduled, you contact the consulate.

That's what the notice says , yes