LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi

[TerriandEric 4]

CONGRATS Janet & Simon

[Warren and Cindy 6]

Congrats Rings!!!!

And thank you Natalie, we were approved today

Grats!!

And Grats to everone that has progressed in their journy's

[Rings 10]

CONGRATS Janet & Simon !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope your journey is smooth and flawless the rest of the way.

[TrishandMichael 0]

Affidavit of Support Question - Re: Letter from Bank Officer

Hi,

Situation

We are at packet 3 stage (woohoo) and have everything required apart from this letter from the bank, my fiance went into a branch (Bank of America) and they would not provide a letter and would only stamp the account print outs. Even refused to initial or sign. We have the tax reurns, letter from employer and payslips. Trish earns well above the 125% - she needs to I am an expensive pet to maintain.

My question is - will the stamped statements be enough ? I have trawled thru forums for a couple of hours and a general vibe I get is that although good the letter is not necessary - of course I wolud come to that conclusion it's the answer I want, LOL. Anyhow was just wanting to gauge anyones experience and/or thoughts.

On another note - had my medical today in Melb - got the full pants down treatment, very thorough inspection carried out !!!

Cheers,

Michael

[Simon and Janet 6]

Affidavit of Support Question - Re: Letter from Bank Officer

Hi,

Situation

We are at packet 3 stage (woohoo) and have everything required apart from this letter from the bank, my fiance went into a branch (Bank of America) and they would not provide a letter and would only stamp the account print outs. Even refused to initial or sign. We have the tax reurns, letter from employer and payslips. Trish earns well above the 125% - she needs to I am an expensive pet to maintain.

My question is - will the stamped statements be enough ? I have trawled thru forums for a couple of hours and a general vibe I get is that although good the letter is not necessary - of course I wolud come to that conclusion it's the answer I want, LOL. Anyhow was just wanting to gauge anyones experience and/or thoughts.

On another note - had my medical today in Melb - got the full pants down treatment, very thorough inspection carried out !!!

Cheers,

Michael

Hey Michael, make sure you have a letter from her employer stating her salary, how long she's been working there etc... it sounds like you probably have all that ready. The bank details, mortgage details, property value are all good if she earns UNDER the 125% . All you need are her tax receipts, W2's and employment letter when she's clear of the minimum requirements.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Well personally I would go back to your bank and show them the official instruction from the Department of Homeland Security, not something you're making up. This is their GOVERNMENT for crying out loud.

The instructions here: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-134instr.pdf tell you what you need exactly so if you show them that, tell them that's what you need. It doesn't exactly say "letter" but it does say "statement" and then that it needs to have certain information. If the person you speak to can't help, speak to the bank manager, if THEY can't help, ask to speak to their general manager or district manager or whatever. What you're asking ISN'T rocket science, it's easy to do.

Good luck!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hey Michael, make sure you have a letter from her employer stating her salary, how long she's been working there etc... it sounds like you probably have all that ready. The bank details, mortgage details, property value are all good if she earns UNDER the 125% . All you need are her tax receipts, W2's and employment letter when she's clear of the minimum requirements.

No no. The I-134 instructions CLEARLY state that the bank statement is REQUIRED. This link: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-134instr.pdf page 1, general instructions. Nothing open to interpretation, all there clearly in black and white. Only reason you wouldn't need it is if you don't have a bank account and even then I would have a letter stating you have no bank accounts.

[Simon and Janet 6]

I know we definitely didn't include bank statements or anything else except for her employment details and tax, w2's.

This link gives you some info on why all the other parts other than income is not necessary

[Jaime and Melvin 0]

Hi everyone

I would just like to introduce myself and have a few questions that I hope some of you can help me with or point me in the right direction

My name is Jaime, live in Melbourne and my parter is in Washington State. We have known each other a couple of years and actually have a baby boy together, who is one month old.

We are about to start the K1 process and I have a few questions. I am so very new to all this and after reading the first few pages, a lot of the terminology you guys have used has just about given me a seisure LOL. I'm sure I'll pick up on it all sooner or later.

Ok now for the questions.

My partner has looked online and gave me this site http://www.apvisa.com/ to look at, regarding applying for the Visa. They charge $999 but it looks fishy to me! Can't we just apply by printing out the K1 Petition form and sending it away? (I told you we don't know much about the whole process lol).

Is the K1 petition filled out online and emailed to where ever it needs to go or does it have to be printed and posted out?

Roughly how much does the whole process cost, Visa application, medicals, Police check etc etc and can someone give me a low down of the step by step process of the whole application process?

Do they only do the interviews in Sydney or do they do them in other capital cities too (Melbourne?). Does all the paperwork have to be sent to Sydney?

I think that's all for now, sorry for such a long post. I'm looking forward to sharing my hopefully GOOD and SMOOTH Visa experience with you all

Oh before I go, I have looked at the FAQ's for the K1, so sorry if I've asked something here that I may have missed in the faq section

Edited January 14, 2010 by jaimemcd

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hi everyone

I would just like to introduce myself and have a few questions that I hope some of you can help me with or point me in the right direction

My name is Jaime, live in Melbourne and my parter is in Washington State. We have known each other a couple of years and actually have a baby boy together, who is one month old.

We are about to start the K1 process and I have a few questions. I am so very new to all this and after reading the first few pages, a lot of the terminology you guys have used has just about given me a seisure LOL. I'm sure I'll pick up on it all sooner or later.

Ok now for the questions.

My partner has looked online and gave me this site http://www.apvisa.com/ to look at, regarding applying for the Visa. They charge $999 but it looks fishy to me! Can't we just apply by printing out the K1 Petition form and sending it away? (I told you we don't know much about the whole process lol). Yes you can! Don't pay those sorts of fees when a lot of it is REALLY easy and you can do it yourself. Start here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...amp;page=guides which are the guides. On the left it says "K1 guide" so click on that and have a read through. Also have a look at the flowchart

Is the K1 petition filled out online and emailed to where ever it needs to go or does it have to be printed and posted out? The documents MUST be mailed. The first part, the petition, is done by the USC (united states citizen). What happens is he is "petitioning" the US government for permission to have you apply for a fiancee visa. Once the petition is approved YOU will be mailed documents by the sydney US consulate with paperwork you need to fill in etc. I assume that you have the American passport for your son?

Roughly how much does the whole process cost, Visa application, medicals, Police check etc etc and can someone give me a low down of the step by step process of the whole application process? There is a link for fees but for some reason VJ won't let me post it, I'll look for it and repost in a sec. It'll cost a little under $2000. There is a thing going on at the moment where they're considering raising one of the fees so if you can get it started ASAP that would work best for you. The Aussie police check info is here: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/vis...ertificate.html The medical will depend on which state you are in, which doctor you choose, and what kind of immunisations you need. Here's the doctor list: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/visas/iv/doctors.html

Do they only do the interviews in Sydney or do they do them in other capital cities too (Melbourne?). Does all the paperwork have to be sent to Sydney? All paperwork and interviews are in Sydney only. Sydney is the only consulate that processes family visas. It's a pain for some of us, even people from perth have to fly to sydney.

I think that's all for now, sorry for such a long post. I'm looking forward to sharing my hopefully GOOD and SMOOTH Visa experience with you all

Oh before I go, I have looked at the FAQ's for the K1, so sorry if I've asked something here that I may have missed in the faq section

To give you a good idea of what to expect, have a read through this topic: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=206016 which I started AFTER I had applied but will help you with what to expect as time goes on.

Hope that helps

Edited January 14, 2010 by Vanessa&Tony

[myperfectflaw 11]

Hi everyone

I would just like to introduce myself and have a few questions that I hope some of you can help me with or point me in the right direction

My name is Jaime, live in Melbourne and my parter is in Washington State. We have known each other a couple of years and actually have a baby boy together, who is one month old.

We are about to start the K1 process and I have a few questions. I am so very new to all this and after reading the first few pages, a lot of the terminology you guys have used has just about given me a seisure LOL. I'm sure I'll pick up on it all sooner or later.

Ok now for the questions.

My partner has looked online and gave me this site http://www.apvisa.com/ to look at, regarding applying for the Visa. They charge $999 but it looks fishy to me! Can't we just apply by printing out the K1 Petition form and sending it away? (I told you we don't know much about the whole process lol).

Is the K1 petition filled out online and emailed to where ever it needs to go or does it have to be printed and posted out?

Roughly how much does the whole process cost, Visa application, medicals, Police check etc etc and can someone give me a low down of the step by step process of the whole application process?

Do they only do the interviews in Sydney or do they do them in other capital cities too (Melbourne?). Does all the paperwork have to be sent to Sydney?

I think that's all for now, sorry for such a long post. I'm looking forward to sharing my hopefully GOOD and SMOOTH Visa experience with you all

Oh before I go, I have looked at the FAQ's for the K1, so sorry if I've asked something here that I may have missed in the faq section

Hi Jaime, welcome to the boards! I'm also from WA state, where abouts will you be headed to?

As for your questions--

Yes, you can absolutely do this yourself and save that $1000 price tag--assuming you have a very typical and straight forward case. Most people do. It's time consuming and can be confusing at times, but it is very doable, as just about everyone here has done it!

One of your first steps is to click the blue tab up above that says "guides" and start there with the K-1 guide. That outlines the whole first portion of this process. It looks intimidating at first! Don't let it scare you away! I found it much simpler to make a very specific check list with each item that needed to be done. Check them off as you go, one item at a time, and the task is much less daunting! I believe I still have my old check list around somewhere if you want to check it out. Some of the stuff needs to be done right away, some of it at a later time, closer to the interview date (such as the medical and police records).

Prices will vary. Last I saw, the filing fee for K-1 was still $455 I believe...although there was word going around that that will be going up in the near future by as much as $200! If that's the case, get to work putting this together soon! Medical depends on what you have/need done, and varies by doctor. Click on Embassy info up above and go to the AU one--there should still be a list of doctor's that do the medical in your area and you can call around. My husband paid around $250 for his, but he only needed a few shots to catch him up really.

I forget now how much it was, but police check was around $150ish I think? That info is also found on the Embassy Info page.

Sydney is the only consulate that process's K-1 applications, so no choice there.

Some of the info will be sent in by your fiance to the California Service Center(since you're in WA, you'll be routed to CA) here in the US. Once that is approved, it will get sent to the consulate in Sydney and you will be required to furnish a few more items to them. That's all outlined in the guides though. They are your friend! Please take the time to read them and get familiar with the process, it will benefit you immensely, I promise!

And if you still have questions, feel free to ask again here--we have some awesome members in this thread with lots of personal experience to help you out, as well as the general K-1 threads! You can also drop me a line personally if you'd like, I check my e-mail far more frequently than I log on to this site, so I can respond quicker that way if I can help you-- charmarie.pitman@gmail.com

Good luck on your journey!

Char

[Jaime and Melvin 0]

Hey guys!!

Thankyou sooo much for the welcome and helping me out!! You have been a great help and I will check out the Guides and links later today when I can sit down and think straight.

I knew my boyfriend wasn't onto something good when he mentioned that site. He had emailed them and they call him about every 2 weeks asking if he's ready to start the process lol I think they just want his cash!!

Vanessa I don't have an American Passport for my baby yet, he's only 4 weeks old and I've only just mailed off his birth registration last weekend, as I had to wait for my partner to sign and send the documents back. Now there's another challenge ahead of me, I don't even know where to start with getting his USA passport! LOL. Do you know anything about the process at all? Is he entitled to dual citizenship?

Thanks heaps for all those links I have a lot of reading ahead of me, but I'm excited at the same time as being overwhelmed! LOL.

[Jaime and Melvin 0]

Oh and Char, I have saved your email in my address book, thanks so much for your offer of helping me xx

My partner lives in Everett

[Jaime and Melvin 0]

I was just having a little look at the Guides and I'm freaking out lol.

We only had one pic taken when I was over there and it was on my friends camera, I don't even know if she still has it ... also I don't think I kept my itinerary or boarding passes from last March. I think I will have a hard time finding proof that we have met, the only thing I have proof of is our baby lol.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hey guys!!

Thankyou sooo much for the welcome and helping me out!! You have been a great help and I will check out the Guides and links later today when I can sit down and think straight.

I knew my boyfriend wasn't onto something good when he mentioned that site. He had emailed them and they call him about every 2 weeks asking if he's ready to start the process lol I think they just want his cash!!

Vanessa I don't have an American Passport for my baby yet, he's only 4 weeks old and I've only just mailed off his birth registration last weekend, as I had to wait for my partner to sign and send the documents back. Now there's another challenge ahead of me, I don't even know where to start with getting his USA passport! LOL. Do you know anything about the process at all? Is he entitled to dual citizenship?

Thanks heaps for all those links I have a lot of reading ahead of me, but I'm excited at the same time as being overwhelmed! LOL.

He is indeed! This is a bit all over the place so please look at all links to find which ones you like best. Some of them repeat info but I feel bad removing them in case they're important.

A baby born abroad to U.S. citizen parent(s) should be reported as soon as possible to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, discussed here: http://foreignborn.com/visas_imm/start_her...irth_abroad.htm

... which takes you to this: http://travel.state.gov/law/info/info_609.html which details the requirements of a child born out of wedlock to a US citizen father.

this is about making sure he's properly documented as a US citizen: http://travel.state.gov/law/family_issues/.../birth_593.html

This is the link about the passport: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html and here is the Australian US embassy information about getting a passport for your baby while in Australia: http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/acs...ts/under16.html

Here's the info about Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) from the Aussie US embassy: http://melbourne.usconsulate.gov/consular/...nship/crba.html which also has ALL the documents you need, and will require you to go in person. It also encourages you to get the babies SSN (social security number) and passport at the same time, and gives you links for that. (this is my favourite link). Good thing about this link too, i think in the last post you mentioned Melbourne and this CAN be done in Melbourne which means you can try and get it done before your Sydney fiancee interview.

Hope that helps

Edited January 15, 2010 by Vanessa&Tony