New 2011 LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Does anyone have experience using their Medicare card when visiting Australia, after receiving their green card? My Medicare card is still valid but has my old name. Should I update it to my new name? Can I even use it any more, now that I'm not a resident?

There are rules about it. I've personally changed mine to my married name, and I used it when I was home last.

Here the medicare link about it. Basically as long as you've lived overseas for less than 5 years your eligible. After that.. well you need to prove that you've come back to live. I'm not "at" 5 years yet so I'm still good.

[travelfairy 22]

Hello all, just another Aussie coming to join your thread. I live in Minnesota, I've been here 6 years on an L1-B and I married by bf of 3 years this year and am going through the I485/I130 etc process.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hello all, just another Aussie coming to join your thread. I live in Minnesota, I've been here 6 years on an L1-B and I married by bf of 3 years this year and am going through the I485/I130 etc process.

Congrats on starting the process and welcome to the forum! There's another fellow Aussie VJ member up in MN.. I say up because I'm in IA

Word of advice, my friend going through St. Paul said its a LONG wait there for an interview. She too is doing I-130/I-485

[travelfairy 22]

Hi Vanessa&Tony from IA - are you referring to Xanax? She JUST got her interview letter, and her biometrics were in September. Mine were a month later, so I'm assuming I won't get my interview letter until around Australia Day. Boooooo.

It is, however, a mild winter (so far) and my DH has done all the shoveling today, so I am not going to get too upset. I have my EAD so I'm happy to keep working whilst waiting.

I don't know what you're doing for Australia Day, but if yo uwant to celebrate with other Aussies, we're doing a dinner function here in the Twin Cities and you're welcome to join us. It's a group called ANZAA (Australian New Zealand American Association of MN). Ok, plug over. :-)

Can I just say my employer is clueless? I work for a BIG Fortune 500 company. When my L1-B had my 5 year maximum stay come up, they kept me on. Then when my expiry date came around, they said I just needed to provide my I-94 to keep working for them. Now I have my EAD, I've asked when they want me to bring it down to have it viewed and copied, and they said they only needed it if I changed from GC to Citizen. So technically - if I wasn't going for GC or if I lied about it - they would have kept me employed until April 2015 (when my I-94 expired) even though my L1-B expired in 2012.

I don't think much of their lawyers either! Then again, big company, big lawyers, I guess they get to make their own rules. I kept my job so I'm not complaining!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hi Vanessa&Tony from IA - are you referring to Xanax? She JUST got her interview letter, and her biometrics were in September. Mine were a month later, so I'm assuming I won't get my interview letter until around Australia Day. Boooooo.

It is, however, a mild winter (so far) and my DH has done all the shoveling today, so I am not going to get too upset. I have my EAD so I'm happy to keep working whilst waiting.

I don't know what you're doing for Australia Day, but if yo uwant to celebrate with other Aussies, we're doing a dinner function here in the Twin Cities and you're welcome to join us. It's a group called ANZAA (Australian New Zealand American Association of MN). Ok, plug over. :-)

Can I just say my employer is clueless? I work for a BIG Fortune 500 company. When my L1-B had my 5 year maximum stay come up, they kept me on. Then when my expiry date came around, they said I just needed to provide my I-94 to keep working for them. Now I have my EAD, I've asked when they want me to bring it down to have it viewed and copied, and they said they only needed it if I changed from GC to Citizen. So technically - if I wasn't going for GC or if I lied about it - they would have kept me employed until April 2015 (when my I-94 expired) even though my L1-B expired in 2012.

I don't think much of their lawyers either! Then again, big company, big lawyers, I guess they get to make their own rules. I kept my job so I'm not complaining!

Yep I'm talking about Xanax I think she only got a quicker interview date because of her special circumstances (I believe anyway).

Twin cities hey? A quick google (without the address) shows it's 5 1/2 - 6 hour drive from me... ouchies. i'll bookmark your site and wait for it to be updated. Wish there were groups closer though :S

You know I looked up your visa class and say 5 years but you said 6 and I was a tad confused... but hey, whatever right? You'll be legal soon enough, and overstay is forgiven for a spouse of a USC (if that's ever a concern), as is illegal work (again if ever an issue).

[travelfairy 22]

Yep I'm talking about Xanax I think she only got a quicker interview date because of her special circumstances (I believe anyway).

Twin cities hey? A quick google (without the address) shows it's 5 1/2 - 6 hour drive from me... ouchies. i'll bookmark your site and wait for it to be updated. Wish there were groups closer though :S

You know I looked up your visa class and say 5 years but you said 6 and I was a tad confused... but hey, whatever right? You'll be legal soon enough, and overstay is forgiven for a spouse of a USC (if that's ever a concern), as is illegal work (again if ever an issue).

Yeah, it's a bit of a drive from IA to here - you'd need to make a weekend of it! We do have some great outlet shopping, but it's also much nicer here in summer. We have a great summer picnic just over the border in Wi, so maybe you can visit us that weekend, go shopping, swim in the lakes, visit the Mall of America and eat burgers with beetroot and lots of pavlova at the picnic. :-)

The L1-B is wierd. The initial visa is for 3 years, then my renewal visa was for 3 years as well. I had heard the L1-B was 5 years only, but what that refers to is a Maximum Stay rule. So over the 6 year period, you can only remain in the US physically for 5 years. This means that time you spend traveling outside the country (for business or pleasure) doesn't count towards the 5 years. It's very odd. The dates on the visa refer to entry to the US only, not how long you can actually be here.

Sometimes I feel the universe is conspiring to keep me here. I got that extra year on my L1_B (the consular official was trying to convince me I should move permanently to the US), my employer has kept me on regardless of immigration status and seems oblivious to the situation, I have met the man of my dreams here... now I just need to get out of Minnesota!

[CareBear 18]

*Waves hello to everyone*

And a happy new year to y'all Hope life is treating you well, I'm about to start the paperwork next week for my next round with USCIS - removal of conditions!

Blech - I hate dealing with USCIS lol.

[Deb+Steve 13]

Update on my voting situation ... fine wiped. I won't be apprehended when I return on holiday.

Hope you're all well & happy and had a great Christmas and fabulous NY's. We are freezing up here but on the bright side, my husband has new orders and we will be heading South in a couple of months and I cannot wait! We'll be in Nashville and I'll get to say G'day to Keith and Nicole.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Update on my voting situation ... fine wiped. I won't be apprehended when I return on holiday.

Hope you're all well & happy and had a great Christmas and fabulous NY's. We are freezing up here but on the bright side, my husband has new orders and we will be heading South in a couple of months and I cannot wait! We'll be in Nashville and I'll get to say G'day to Keith and Nicole.

That's great news! Out of interest what did you end up doing to get it wiped?

[CareBear 18]

Well our removal on conditions paperwork left on its journey yesterday, funnily this time round there was nowhere near as much stress as the last 2 times! Thank you so much Vanessa as always for such easy to follow advice. Sure does make life simple!

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Well our removal on conditions paperwork left on its journey yesterday, funnily this time round there was nowhere near as much stress as the last 2 times! Thank you so much Vanessa as always for such easy to follow advice. Sure does make life simple!

You're welcome and congrats on starting the process!

I see you filed at VSC. The wait time is about 9 months so remember if you want to file USC and your window opens, you do NOT need to wait until the ROC is complete. File USC anyway and it will push your ROC to be processed.

Good luck!

[CareBear 18]

You're welcome and congrats on starting the process!

I see you filed at VSC. The wait time is about 9 months so remember if you want to file USC and your window opens, you do NOT need to wait until the ROC is complete. File USC anyway and it will push your ROC to be processed.

Good luck!

Oh thank you - I didn't know that bit. I haven't decided whether to go the USC route yet or not. Baby has her US passport of course, and I travel on a NZ one which causes no issues coming in and out. Will have to think about it. Are you going to?

The only thing that worries me about the 9ish month wait is the possibility of being called for an interview. We're headed back to Australia late September for my sister's wedding so Murphy's law says they'll schedule it during the 2 weeks we're away lol But hey will deal with that bridge if it comes.

Edited January 20, 2013 by CareBear

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Oh thank you - I didn't know that bit. I haven't decided whether to go the USC route yet or not. Baby has her US passport of course, and I travel on a NZ one which causes no issues coming in and out. Will have to think about it. Are you going to?

The only thing that worries me about the 9ish month wait is the possibility of being called for an interview. We're headed back to Australia late September for my sister's wedding so Murphy's law says they'll schedule it during the 2 weeks we're away lol But hey will deal with that bridge if it comes.

Most definitely going for it! In fact my window opens in just over 2 months (April)!

There are a few reasons but my main ones are:

1. I don't want to continue to be "an alien". Tony and I lost our jobs at the end of 2011 (yes 2011) and it was very hard. I was of course worried about not having health insurance, and basically anything else I was prohibited from having access to due to being an alien; and

2. Freedom to move back to Australia or travel, without my status being at risk. I lost my dad in September last year so I only have mum left. If something were to happen (god forbid) I would like to be able to deal with that, free of immigration concerns.

I want to be done with USCIS and live a normal life. Sure it's "normal" now but there are still things I need to think about (what if we lose our jobs again, what if I need to go back to Aus) that are always in the back of my mind. I'd like for that never to be an issue. I think it'll be weird to finally not need to worry!

[CareBear 18]

Thanks again Vanessa - both very valid points that I hadn't even thought about. I think I may need to give this a little bit more thought. We're planning to move back down to New Zealand once my step-daughter is 18, so that's 8 years away. It would probably make my life simpler too if I had become a USC and then I dont need to stress about the PR card renewals every 10 years from there. Will look into it further when the time is closer.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Thanks again Vanessa - both very valid points that I hadn't even thought about. I think I may need to give this a little bit more thought. We're planning to move back down to New Zealand once my step-daughter is 18, so that's 8 years away. It would probably make my life simpler too if I had become a USC and then I dont need to stress about the PR card renewals every 10 years from there. Will look into it further when the time is closer.

The only negative is that you need to file tax on worldwide income for life as a USC. So on moving back you'll need to file taxes for the US every year (which you could do via turbotax AND you would need to look into the foreign income exemption). Your husband will have to do that anyway but it's something you should be aware of.