Matt-and-Annie

It's still pretty cold C'mon summmerrr!!!!

I can imagine! Just a few weeks ago it was cold here... and this is FL!!! so I feel for you!

Keep warm

Sounds lovely. We had a small wedding too and it was perfect. What kind of food are you having? I like food

Don't worry about the rip.. the edges on my envelope were a bit frayed too but that wasn't a problem with the officer at POE.

Arrgh I hope its ok ... Ill have to find something to put it in to stop it from getting any bigger ....

Ummm since its an early morning wedding were having a brunch .... and were having crossants, meat platter, fruit platter, other types of brunch style nibbles and champaigne fruit cocktails .... Our cake is going to be a 2 layer marble mudcake with chocolate and white chocolate curls *drool* ... the gardens have a gazebo and a picnic area but were going to need to hire some chairs for the people who are there to witness the wedding ... although I have been to a wedding in a park and they didnt have chairs ... What do you guys think? Chairs or no chairs?

ohh your making me hungry!! mudcakeeee yuuummm!! you have got to post pictures!!

Congrats on the Baby Mz!!! A boy! Have you thought of a name for him yet???

I am actually feeling a LOT more calm now... was reading the consulate reviews... that helped LOL...

Hi Guys, Im back! Got back yesterday morning ... I popped in for a bit but didnt post ... still feeling crook, the cough has eased of some but Im still feeling drained when I exhaust myself ...

Annie, Matts Interview is tomorrow, right? Tell him I said I wish him all the best... although I think you guys will be absolutely fine {{HUGZ}} .... Do you have a date when your planning for Matt to fly out yet? a wedding date? Those two questions they do ask .... they asked me and they asked the others that they interviewed ... Like, it doesnt have to be set in concrete, they wont hold you to it or anything .... but its a good idea to have a general idea ... Good Luck to both of you!

Cham {{HUGZ}} How you going? Is Kai ready for his interview? only a few days to go now! His flying out the day before me....

MzMo is next after she has the bubs .... its all rather exciting and before you know it will be in here discussing our AOS ...

Im anxiously waiting for the Mail Man ... I got a mail hold over the week I was away so I dont know if my visa has arrived yet and is sitting in a mail room waiting or if it hasnt arrived yet at all .... Actually I feel very strange, my lease is over at this place ran out about two weeks back .... Just before I left for the interview I did a BIG clean up and packed 80% of my belongings and am now down to what I need to survive ... I feel really disassociated from this place even though Ive lived here like 3.5 years ... Early hours of the morning I woke up and and felt really confused and worked my way to the living room and had a ciggy before heading back to bed ...

Hi Anne! Gosh I sure hope you feel better soon

Well yes, Matty's interview is tomorrow, he is getting ready as we speak to head to the airport... Less than 24 hours to go! Matt is flying out here the 26 of April and our wedding date is May 31 and that is CONCRETE! Remember I told you I had the date set ever since last june? But we had to reschedule it because we had no clue about the K-1? Matt went to the consulate and he applied for a B1/B2 visa to get married back in september, the consulate denied him that visa and told him he needed to apply for the correct visa, that is the K-1... where we are now... He was honest about his intentions and everything, so i really hope this is fine, I am a bit worried about this too to be honest... However, Matt passed the medical, he passed the police records clereance, we have evidence of ongoing relationship, he is taking the receipts of our paid vendors for the wedding, our affidavit of support is well above the poverty line, all these important things are set .... So I am praying everything will go smoothly! I'll make sure to post tommorow.. His interview is at 9 am...

Update: It's three days since Matt will be going in for his interview! and I am exicited and yet so nervous.. I am getting worried over petty things, like the affidavit of support, I am currently only studying (don't work) my parents are the sole providers for the affidavit (I hope this is OKAY) they make well above the amount required so that is good so I don't think I should be worried... I am getting so antsy!!

You'll be fine My husband had no income when we did ours either (he had already quit his job and was waiting to begin grad school) so we used his parents as our joint sponsors and the Consulate had no problems with it (though we did put our assets down there too but I don't think it had any affect on the approval)

Thats good to know!

Thanks for this... only two days to go.. Matt asked me to make a checklist of everything he needs to print off now so he won't forget anything... so that is what I am doing at the moment... a copy of everythign he already sent plus what the consulate asked for PLUS evidence of relationship...

Update: It's three days since Matt will be going in for his interview! and I am exicited and yet so nervous.. I am getting worried over petty things, like the affidavit of support, I am currently only studying (don't work) my parents are the sole providers for the affidavit (I hope this is OKAY) they make well above the amount required so that is good so I don't think I should be worried... I am getting so antsy!!

Matt went today to pay the visa fee and the 3kg envelope so all is set to go...

To Mingus, I'd suggest you wait atleast until your case is approved and sent to NVC... your police records go automatically to the consulate, and if they have no record of your case I am not quite sure they are going to keep them.. You can do your medical as soon as you get approved if you wish to. That is what my fiance did. We got approved, it took only about four dayst from NVC to Sydney and it was so quick we had the medical and police records the same weeek.... hope that helps.. You might want to start getting everything ready such as filling out the forms you need to send to the consulate, preparing the affidavit of support, and getting the passport pictures you need to attach to certain forms

Keep us updated!

I've just received an email back from the consulate:

Dear Madam:

The envelope is sealed and it’s for us to open it up. When you attend your interview in future, you may ask for a copy (if you wish). You may be charged for the photocopies.

Thank you

Immigrant Visa Unit

U.S. Consulate General, Sydney.

Well, at least I now know what/what not to do..

There you go!

Are you almost ready to send your packet 3 in?

Oh I was going to ask you, did you take copies of the medical and forms you sent in just in case? Or no?

Were you able to look at the medical forms?? I did my medical today and they've sealed it in an envelope to bring to the interview and was advised not to open it.

Hi!

Where did you go for your medical? I know Anne and my fiance had theirs done in Brisbane and they advise to make copies of the medical and then send it to the embassy, therefore no problems with us openinng it...

Also, we sent ours in with packet three since that is what the embassy asked for... but if they advised you not to open you can e-mail the consulate and ask what they advise, do you have their e-mail?

Hi Guys! Thank You for the kind words and the congratulations ... Shay and I spoke last night and we booked the airline tickets for the 14th of April .... I couldn't believe the prices of tickets had doubled in a span of a week to week and a half!

Seriously thou, the interview is nowhere as scary as we work ourselves up to believe ... The people are really nice and they just get to it, no fluffing around... The first lady I saw went thru all the paperwork that I submitted for the pack 3 and put it in the correct order, asked me when I was planning to fly out etc ... Really basic, general stuff...

The same with the actual interviewer ... the questions are really simple that you should know about your partner already ... I had a mountain of evidence with me and they didn't even ask to see one thing, not one letter or phone bill, nothing! ... the only things they asked for were the envelope, visa application fee and passport ..

All in all I was there for 1hour and 15min ... There was 7 immigration visa before me, 3 of which were fiance visa's and they all got approved the only one not approved was the guy with the pending court date but thats not surprising .. so they gave him a piece of paper and told him to send in the court papers etc after the court hearing in May...

Thats great to know!!! We got a bit to go here and I am just biting my fingernails waiting! Oh I was going to ask you, did you take copies of the medical and forms you sent in just in case? Or no?

Hi Guys! .... Just got back from the interview ... Im staying with friends soo they took me down to the harbour and got some pics of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge etc....

I arrived early at the embassy and went up to the 10th floor and went thru security ... they gave me a number and kept my handbage and let me keep my paperwork... I was then called and told I could go up to the the 59th floor for my interview ...

When I got there (15min early) I had to take a number and was soon called up and spoke to a young lady who took my finger prints and went thru my paperwork and asked for my passport, visa receipt and envelope ... when she was done she told me to go sit down and that I would soon get called up for my interview .... by 9.15 I was called up and spoke to a really nice young man...

He asked me when I was getting married and I said the 2nd of May and were and I said in {Town} Oregon he asked me if Id ever been to the states and I said no and that Shay had been to Oz for 5 weeks... he asked me if I thought I would enjoy country life and I replied that I didnt know because Id never lived in a country town before but I was sure looking forward to seeing the wildlife, except the bears, Id be more then happy to pass on the bears ... he then asked me what Shay did for a living I said he was a Chef and he asked me what I intended to do in the states and I said have babies and explained that Im 38 and his 39 and we both really want to start a family asap ... thru the whole encounter he seemed to be smiling in all the right places and seemed to be satisfied with my answers and said that he was going to approve my visa and that I would receive it in the mail in a few days ... I asked him when he thought it may arrive and he said more then likely end of the week or the beginning of next ... I said thank you very much and was there anything else and he said no that, that was it and that I had 6months from date of issue but it sounded that we had more current plans and he wished us all the best ...

Overall a very good experience, I wasnt made to feel at all anxious and thats saying something because I a few minutes earlier I had watched a guy have his denied because he had a pending court date...

Soooo Yay! we got our visa approved!!!

Anne!!! Congrats!!!! :dance: :dance: :dance:

So glad it went great for you!!!!

Okay UPDATE

Cant get an earlier appt I Just am so fustrated I see a few folks who got it sooner then we did and we sent ours in sooner then them..gotta LOVE that..ANYWAY it is calling it super close and panic has officially set in my gut.

What if they say a new law says we cant except your ssi as extra income..or you dont have enough Tax forms for the last three years

I only had ONE and have not filed yet...I am waiting to file till the very end because I want to use THAT money for the AOS...SOOOO AHHH I did write an explanation on why i only had one and its a CRAPPY one as I just started to go back to work since my accident. PLUS my ex filed the one before that..so anyway I am in panic mode.

I think we will be okay I sent the email they wrote me saying we could use it and we are above the 125% plus a letter from my boss saying she will help me meet the guidelines and so on..

I JUST NEED TO BREATHE AND RELAX!!!

ANYWAY his interview is april 7th and there are two lovely holidays so WONT Get his visa till weds or thurs..so having him fly in on a sunday night

Hiya Guys

How are you all keeping?

Cham, I understand the frustation, some people were getting approved before me for the k-1 but hey think of the positive! you got your interview date SET! so that is the main important thing! Hope it works out for you!!

Today is/was Anne's interview!! she is in my prayers! I am sure she did fine! so we will just have to wait till she comes back with how she was 'treated'

Hi All!

I've been lost in this part of the forum, been super bussy collecting all the info to send to the consulate! Congratulations to all of you that have gotten your NOA 2!!! and are well on their way to the interview date!!! Ours is March 31, just a little over a week!

Hope it goes smoothly for all of you!

@ deedertot - I went to a kodak photo shop and requested to get a passport photo done and before I even mentioned anything else he asked, "Is it for a visa or an australian passport?" I told him that it was for a visa for the US and he mentioned that alot of people have come in and asked for a passport photo and have come back due to the incorrect size for the visa photo. Im glad he double checked it with me! I've heard of people away with their passport photo sizes but there are some who have been sent an RFE due to the incorrect measurements. I suggest you have him re-take his picture to be on the safe side and to save time. Goodluck on that!

Thanks, MzMo1102 for that piece of advice. I appreciate it.....he went to Kodak and they got it done for him no probs. :-)

Is this to take to the consulate interview or for the visa application??

they're for the visa application

LOL thanks! I always have to make sure...

But like Anne, we got packet 4 via e-mail and they just checked off what we needed which was the passport, the 3kg envelope, and the fee.. that is it...So we are just thinking of creating a folder with all the evidence of relationship including everything we have paid for our May wedding... I don't know if we should take the copies of everything like the medical, and the forms just in case they ask for them again... so we are about a week to go and we just booked the tickets...

@ deedertot - I went to a kodak photo shop and requested to get a passport photo done and before I even mentioned anything else he asked, "Is it for a visa or an australian passport?" I told him that it was for a visa for the US and he mentioned that alot of people have come in and asked for a passport photo and have come back due to the incorrect size for the visa photo. Im glad he double checked it with me! I've heard of people away with their passport photo sizes but there are some who have been sent an RFE due to the incorrect measurements. I suggest you have him re-take his picture to be on the safe side and to save time. Goodluck on that!

Thanks, MzMo1102 for that piece of advice. I appreciate it.....he went to Kodak and they got it done for him no probs. :-)

Is this to take to the consulate interview or for the visa application??

Hi All,

Great news!! we got the email ....our visa interview is scheduled for march 31!!!

Yay!

Thank you all for your help! especially Anne

WOW!!!

Congratulations you twoo!!!!! I am so happy for the both of you, now the rest is really a breeze!!!!

I contacted the consulate, they finally got our documents!!! Told us they will review the files in a couple of days and then issue an interview date, I really do hope it IS a 'couple of days'...

:dance: Anyways Congrats you two!!!!

well well HERE YOU GO

Thank you for your inquiry.

We have not been able to review Kai’s documents as yet, however, please be assured that as soon we’ve completed the review, an interview will be scheduled and the notice sent. We hope to conclude the review before end of next week.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Visa Assistant

U.S. Consulate General

Immigrant Visa Unit

Level 59 MLC Centre

19-29 Martin Place

Sydney NSW 2000

I was told WITHIN 10 days..THIS is OVER 10 days if they do next week..I am so sick of it all. I love sydney office but it is ALMOST 2 years since i last seen him...I am sooooooo peaved and crying

You were told by the consulate that you were going to receive an interview date within ten days??

Email is the best & quickest way to contact them.

Did they provide you with one to contact them on?

No, I didnt get anything that had an email address.. the only one I have found is the one online and it says something about it taking them a couple weeks to respond ... so Im not sure how to contact them apart from phone calls and at $3 a minute I really cant afford that, not for an inquiry were they cant give me a definate answer....

The package my fiance sent already got there according to auspost but they say they haven't received it. They told me it could take an additional three business days for them to receive it... is this what you are experiencing?

I dont think its a case of they havent received it ... I tracked mine and I even got a name of the person who signed for it (from Aussie Post) Peter something or other .... it would then have to be taken to wherever then they would need to pull it apart .. then sent off to wherever to get processed then sent off to whoever makes appointments ...

I just hope they schedule from date they received and not from the day they finally get around to opening it ... If we get an interview at the end of the month or first week of April everything will be sweet but if it goes past that date then were really pushing things ....

LOL! yep thats what I meant... the papers got there because the post told us they delivered it BUT whe I sent the e-mail to the consulate they said it could take an additional three days to clear secuirty checks for them to get the actual package... UGH! sometimes exhausting! So far, it's been 4 days today, so I'll contact them AGAIN tomorrow and I hope they have received it by tomorrow, friday!

i sent an email so should hear about interview today I HOPE!!! its been 10 working days today SO lets see what they say

WE NEED AN INTERVIEW NOW I do not want to have to reschedule our wedding date I really dont

I hope you do let us know!!

The package my fiance sent already got there according to auspost but they say they haven't received it. They told me it could take an additional three business days for them to receive it... is this what you are experiencing?

Hi All,

I haven't posted here YET... until now that is! My fiance sent in packet 3 already to the consulate in Sydney... Any idea how long it takes now?

ours was received on the 26th of feb and sent off on the 18th they said UP to 10 days on our email letter SO hoping SOON DANG IT!

Wait, I am lost with this... your timeline confused me... you said you receive packet 3 the 26 of feb??? and then send it on the 18??? I am lost.. LOL! sorry...

ROFL I meant we sent it off on the 18th and they received it on the 26th.

Sorry about that:)

LOL got it!! So it took them about 10 days to get there... how did you send it? My fiance send it overnight express post...

I am just trying to figure out approx how long it takes them to schedule an interview...

Hi All,

I haven't posted here YET... until now that is! My fiance sent in packet 3 already to the consulate in Sydney... Any idea how long it takes now?

ours was received on the 26th of feb and sent off on the 18th they said UP to 10 days on our email letter SO hoping SOON DANG IT!

Wait, I am lost with this... your timeline confused me... you said you receive packet 3 the 26 of feb??? and then send it on the 18??? I am lost.. LOL! sorry...

Hi All,

I haven't posted here YET... until now that is! My fiance sent in packet 3 already to the consulate in Sydney... Any idea how long it takes now?

CONGRATS TO ALL WHO HAVE BEEN GETTING APPROVED!! THAT IS GREAT TO SEE!!

I thought I'd let you guys know that I called NVC today, and only after four days of having received my approval they have forwarded the case to the sydney consulate!! I am so excited!!

Hope you guys see more approvals soon!!

Hey people!!

I got touch again today...hope that means it's on it's way to NVC... could it be that!?

and CONGRATS TO THOSE WHO GOT APPROVED TODAY!!

:dance:

I will for sure keep everyone posted!! I pray that all of you soon see approvals! Like I said I was a bit shocked it was approved on a SUNDAY!! this might mean that they work on Sundays?? at least some of them!

I was going to ask if anybody can direct me to what is next? or if there is a thread for that since I usually stick around in this one. I know it has to go to NVC, when should I call them?

NVC Phone# 603-334-0700

Thread: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showforum=83

And I would call them today or tomorrow, since it was at VSC and NVC is in New Hampshire (I think that's what I read) then it should arrive in no time!

Thanks for this! I just tried calling them but the line rings busy...so I'll keep on trying...

I read on here that someone had been calling for about an hour this morning and the line was continuously busy - just try again later, not sure exactly what to tell you. Keep trying!!!

LOL I will! thanks for all your help!!!

i dont kno but i always thought that VSC works on weekdays but from posts that i read today it seems they have been working on on sunday...does that mean there trying to catch up or work faster!!! i hope they are

i got approved yesterday, a sunday, so I reckon that is gotta be a good thing!