LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi

[Bacon 0]

Did you read the previous post i wrote and the guide I showed you? I hope he found someone who knows what they're doing. K1's are "work authorised" so he's permitted to get a SSN (work authorised means that he's able to get a work permit to work while on a K1). It will say "DHS authorisation required" on it which is the EAD. Do NOT leave until he has been promised the SSN is on it's way. Speak to supervisors. It's all there in their rules and in fact the guide I showed previously listed the EXACT place in their rule book where K1's are permitted SSN's (as long as theres more than 14 days left on the I-94). **FINGERS CROSSED** to the max. Will make life a LOT simpler

He just wants to wait. So far all the major accounts (apartment, bank and medical insurance) are fine with using his I-94 as a reference rather than an SSN so he'd rather wait on the SSN than wait on the AOS.

[bextavaz 4]

6 days 18hrs

[CareBear 18]

Pfffft get a life boy Very cool - I'll be thinking of you next week I am however waiting waiting waiting for packet 3 ...... and completely over working!!! lol

[bextavaz 4]

Pfffft get a life boy Very cool - I'll be thinking of you next week I am however waiting waiting waiting for packet 3 ...... and completely over working!!! lol

Work is so dead its not funny.. I've resorted to doing work for October... problem is that it'll just be one big cycle... :bonk: As soon as I get that approval and those US Flight details... in goes the resignation... Really sucks that the industry has just dropped so much... this time last year it was going great guns...

Do you want to send thru the details for the International Freight? I'm starting to pack my couple of boxes to send over... might also consider sending my roadcase if the price is right too...

I managed to sell a few large items this week... very sad to see them go, but its just the right thing to do - especially when its also cash in the pocket..

Wish the interview would hurry up though because I want to book flights so that I've got a definite deadline to get everything done by...

[bextavaz 4]

Oh - and I got proposed to tonight in the middle of Starbucks by one of the baristas...

It's amazing what entry into the United States can offer sometimes...

Sadly, I had to break her heart and say no, and told her that she'd have to deal with the US Government for a couple of years first... No hard feelings

[CareBear 18]

LMAO Bex - that proposal would have brilliant - you're ripe for Green Card fraud now - u watch the girlies line up Bwahahahahhahaa - freight details are on the work pc so I'll put them here in the morning for you. Have got the medical on Thursday - so looking forward to that (especially the day off work bit!!!). Will ring the embassey on Friday if no sign of packet 3 before then - cant be far away!

And dont get me started on the dead work bit - I used to do 4-5 sets of docs a week at work this time last year, I havent done ONE this month am so freaking bored!!

Edited July 27, 2010 by CareBear

[CareBear 18]

Okies - NOA2 was dated 13 July, NVC said file sent to Sydney 19 July, according to DHL track it was received Friday afternoon (if that is my file). No sign of packet 3 yet (yes I am an impatient #######) so do I sit and wait (if so how long for?), email them? ring them? suggestions would be lovely ta

[bextavaz 4]

Okies - NOA2 was dated 13 July, NVC said file sent to Sydney 19 July, according to DHL track it was received Friday afternoon (if that is my file). No sign of packet 3 yet (yes I am an impatient #######) so do I sit and wait (if so how long for?), email them? ring them? suggestions would be lovely ta

My suggestion... Be patient

I think I'm upto some like 1952 days from my NOA1 date... Now that is patience

I hate to say, but the AVR says my package was sent to SYD on 20 July so what are the odds that the package you're following from the 19th is actually mine?

[CareBear 18]

LOL Bex - I HATE PATIENT!!!!!

And there was another package delivered to the consulate on Monday morning (26th) so I vote that one is yours

[EandR 0]

So I had my interview yesterday, will post about it later, but in short, I was in and out (including clearing security and waiting for the lift up) in about 45 minutes, and APPROVED!

[CareBear 18]

So I had my interview yesterday, will post about it later, but in short, I was in and out (including clearing security and waiting for the lift up) in about 45 minutes, and APPROVED!

CONGRATS TO YOU :dance: another all sorted When do you plan to leave?

[EandR 0]

CONGRATS TO YOU :dance: another all sorted When do you plan to leave?

Looking at the end of September. I have to give 4 weeks notice at work, and my house still hasn't sold (despite being on the market now for 10 weeks). I'm a little bit intimidated by everything there is to do in order to leave - I wish someone would make a checklist, you know, update the tax office, electoral roll, what to do with super, etc etc etc.

[CareBear 18]

I can tell you now on the super front its a big fat nothing. You're not allowed to take it with you as you have the "right" to retire in Australia whether you take it up or not. You can of course draw on it at retirement age but that's about it right now. I'm going to park mine into a fund which pays lower fees since there will be no further contributions after I leave work and hope they change the rules in the future

Good luck with the sell up

[EandR 0]

So about my interview:

I arrived from Melbourne the night before, since I had an 8am appointment, and I didn't want to be rushed, or risk getting fogged in at Melbourne (which is not uncommon at this time of year). I decided to stay at the Westin - not the cheapest, but I wanted to make sure I got a really good night's sleep, which I did. The other feature was that the Westin is on Martin Place, less than a block from the consulate, so was only about a minute's walk, and easy enough to ensure my navigationally challenged self wouldn't get lost. The hotel itself was lovely too - fabulous bath, which I luxuriated in that evening, and I can highly recommend it, but I digress.

I woke up early on Tuesday morning, which was slightly annoying, but gave me time to have a long shower, and try to relax a bit. E called me at 6:30, which was when I intended to wake up, to wish me luck. I went down for breakfast, and probably ate too much for my nervous stomach to handle (i.e. anything at all). I checked out of the hotel (in hindsight, a mistake, given how quick my interview was), and wandered up to the consulate at about 7:45am.

I caught the lift up to level 10, the lifts were kind of around the back of the building, but not too hard to find. Once you get out of the lift, there are all sorts of medical offices and stuff that you have to walk past, around what is a surprisingly long corridor. There was no queue at security, so I went up, they made me take my phone out of my bad for screening, and checked my name off on the list. Once I was duly screened, they put my bag in a cubby hole thing, and gave me a card for reclaiming it, and told me to keep my paperwork and my wallet (which I didn't need, but anyway). Then they told me to take a seat in the front row - there were 4 rows of 6 chairs, and I was person number 6, so the last in the front row. There was a DVD playing which I didn't really pay attention to. After a while, at about 8:05 a security guard came and took the 6 of us in the front row to the lift up to the 51st floor. I let the others go in front of me, so I was last person in the lift, and first person out.

On the 51st floor, you take a right out of the lift, and right again. Another security guard asked to see my passport, before letting me into the consulate itself. Once inside, you take a number from the little machine - I was ticket #1, and take a seat. I was too nervous to go and look at the view, which in hindsight, I regret. I was called up to the window after only a minute or so, and the lady had my file in a big pink folder. She took my appointment letter, passport and receipt from Australia Post, and noted that my appointment letter had not said I should bring an express post envelope. I said I had noticed that too and thought it strange, and had brought one just in case: so she took that too. I could see on my file, it said "Approved", but on closer inspection, the date on the stamp was 24 May, which was the date of NOA2. I was told to take a seat again while she checked everything, and after a couple of minutes, the same lady called me up again, to take my finger prints. She then told me to go and take a seat in the next waiting area. I watched her drop my hot pink folder into an in-tray in front of window #6, and after a bit, another guy came and started reading it. He spent maybe 10-15 minutes going through it and taking notes before he called me up.

So then he starts the interview, questions as best as I can remember:

* How did you meet E?

* When did you meet E?

* When did you start talking to E outside of the game?

* Where did E live when you first met him in person? (We met in NY, but he lived in Washington)

* When did you first visit E as part or pursuing your relationship?

* What did E do for work when you visited on that trip?

* Where does E work? What does he do there?

* Have you been married before?

* Has E been married before? When? When did it end? Wait, that's the same year (I explained why that was). Where was E's wife when she died? (He then flicked through the file until he found the death certificate and spent some time reading it).

And with that he said that everything appeared to be in order, and that I was approved. He gave me my birth certificate and police certificate back and handed me two sheets of paper - one which was a "congratulations you're approved" one, which explained what happened from here in terms of them sending me my passport back, and a yellow envelope that I was not to open, and another that explained the K visa was single entry only and I had 90 days to get married after entering the country.

I glanced at the clock as I left - 8:35am. I went down and collected my bag from security on level 10, and they remarked how quick I was, and then I gave E a call and told him how it all went. I wished I hadn't checked out of the hotel, since my flight wasn't until the afternoon, and I could have gone back up and slept another couple of hours. Oh well. I walked around Sydney for a bit, before heading to the airport and back home to Melbourne.

[bextavaz 4]

So I had my interview yesterday, will post about it later, but in short, I was in and out (including clearing security and waiting for the lift up) in about 45 minutes, and APPROVED!

CONGRATULATIONS :thumbs:

Another Aussie down... soon to be me