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| Sydney, Australia |  Review on October 25, 2005: |
purplesneakers
Rating:  | Review Topic: K1 Visa
Success in Sydney!
Visa Approved!
Woo!
so for those who like the details and some tips...
tip 1: don't be runnin' late.
Yes. I was 23 minutes late. Ran into some unexpected traffic drivin' into the city. It's weird though, wasn't really freaking out. Anyway, one should allow a good 30 minutes to get through security.
tip 2: don't pick up your medical exam papers the day of the interview.
Stupid. But the woman at the reception of Dr Englishs office (in Sydney) insisted that I pick them up the day of the interview. She said she didn't like to send them out by mail. Fair enough, but insist you have them before, it really helps you avoid running late.
tip 3: don't let the elevators intimidate you.
I had been to the consulate once before so I thought i'd be right, I guess it's changed. So for those about to visit: You need to get to level 59 of the mlc building. To do this you need to get in a lift that will take you level 10. That's where the consulate 'reception' is. In reality it's where the security guard will have a look at your interview letter and ID and make sure you don't have anything pointy on you. From there another guard will put you in a lift that'll take you to the 59th floor. I must admit I did panic a little when i got in the lift that apparently went to the 59th floor and it wouldn't let me hit the '59' button. Remember level 10 first!
tip 4: go to the loo before.
Maybe this is obvious, but in reflection I think it's pretty funny that all the advice I've read has said take plenty of water cause you'll be there for awhile and no one mentioned that there's no bathrooms in the consulate! You'll have to get a guard to show you where and most significantly you run the risk of having your number called when youre on the dunny.
tip 5: take the right number.
I did manage to get this right. I don't think they make it easy for you though. I guess everyone here at VJ is on a K visa of some sort so at Sydney you'll need to press the 'Immigrant Visa' button to get your number in the line. Why then has all the forms I've filled out said 'Non-Immigrant'? I'm sure there's an explanation but right now I don't get it.
tip 6: prepare yourself for the dragonlady.
I got called to a window not long after I took a ticket. And there she was. And you know what? She was lovely. I thought I might have something said to me about it being so much after my scheduled interview time, but she commented on how busy it was today and how it must have taken me sometime to get through security. A nod and a smile. Anyways, I was at the window for around 15 minutes, most of the time she wasn't there. But when she was, she went through my papers, ticked off that I had everything, had me sign the 2 DS-156's, before saying, "your papers look in good order, take a seat and you'll get called up again". Lovely lady, nothing to be afraid of.
tip 7: get comfy.
If you can! It was very crowded and you lost your seat if you stood up. My advice would be bring what you need. I had a backpack, my big ol' expanding folder and my bloody x-ray and it was too much and too heavy. I sat and waited for about 45 minutes before I got called up again (listen out for the number on your ticket, same number you took when walking in).
tip 8: tell the man you're in love!
called up again and it was the young american man I've read some about. Had fingerprints of both index fingers taken, was asked to hold up my right hand and swear to tell the truth (or something similar) and then asked to read and sign DS-156K. Then came the questions, How did we meet?; How many times have I seen my fiance since?; Have I been arrested?; Do I have a medical condition?; Has my fiance been married before?; Have I been married before? and the kicker... why do I want to get married now?
You know I was expecting a lot of questions and had prepared for 'em.. but this one (insane I know) I hadn't prepared for. Tell the man you're in love! This brilliant thought only occurred to me after I walked out of there. What came out of me was something like "well, it's all about the boy, isn't it?". heh... I guess it did the trick though. Of course it didn't hurt that as I was answering it I caught a glimpse of his photo on his bio.. hadn't seen the photo before and it's probably the most recent photo I've seen of him. Reckon I was smiling.
Visa approved!
tip 9: If you won't be around the next day to pick the baby (and the rown envelope) up... bring an envelope.
An express post PLASTIC 3kg envelope to be exact. Will set you back around nine bucks. Self address it and take the tracking number off it. As it turns out though, if you forget or didn't know like me, you're instructed to go downstairs to Australia post on level 6, self address it, etc etc. and return it to 'reception' or the security guard on level 10. It's no big deal if you don't do this, but hell you have eveything else organised, may as well do this too.
So that's it! They didn't ask for any evidence of relationship, which is a bit of a shame 'cause i had/carried lots. Other thing is it didn't take half as long as I thought it would. Was out of the consulate itself within a hour and a half. Would have been out of the building itself within two hours except for the envelope business and tom called/I got very excited over the phone.
Got home and my plane tickets had arrived via registered post! 34 days!
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Consulate / USCIS Member Review #213