How long to get passport back from Sydney Consulate?

[Frustrated74 23]

Does anyone have an average time it takes for the Sydney consulate to return your passport after a CR1 interview?  I've read somewhere 10 business days to print the visa and return.  I'm trying to plan my exit from Australia but don't to book my ticket too early.

 

[desilove77 45]

1 hour ago, Frustrated74 said:

Does anyone have an average time it takes for the Sydney consulate to return your passport after a CR1 interview?  I've read somewhere 10 business days to print the visa and return.  I'm trying to plan my exit from Australia but don't to book my ticket too early.

 

Considering u are approved then possibly 10 business days. However, don't get any plane tickets until you have ur visa in your hands. Anything can happen to delay the visa process (Administrative processing which can take weeks, months and even years) Please wait till u receive visa in hands then get tickets. Goodluck!

[nightingalejules 678]

Yes. I know it's been a long wait, but you'd hate to mess it up now! Your visa will be valid for 6 months from issuance, so even if you have to wait a bit for a reasonable price on a ticket, it's just not worth it to book before you have your passport in hand.

 

[JFH 12,191]

*~*~*country-specific question moved from "removing conditions" to Australia regional discussion*~*~*

[mindthegap 2,590]

4 hours ago, nightingalejules said:

Yes. I know it's been a long wait, but you'd hate to mess it up now! Your visa will be valid for 6 months from issuance, so even if you have to wait a bit for a reasonable price on a ticket, it's just not worth it to book before you have your passport in hand.

 

Unless it has changed recently, visa is valid for six months from the date of the medical, not visa issuance..

[Frustrated74 23]

16 minutes ago, mindthegap said:

Unless it has changed recently, visa is valid for six months from the date of the medical, not visa issuance..

That I'm not concerned about. I'll be leaving a few weeks after my interview. I'm more concerned with how long it takes to get my passport back. 

[Sukie 1,464]

5 hours ago, Frustrated74 said:

That I'm not concerned about. I'll be leaving a few weeks after my interview. I'm more concerned with how long it takes to get my passport back. 

We're on the Gold Coast.  Interview on Tuesday - passport on Friday.

 

If you are in a smaller city, it might take longer for AusPost to get it to you.

 

Also - one reason people are freaking out about getting your tickets before your visa is in hand is that just AFTER our visa was printed, the software that prints the visas (world-wide) went down (July 2014), and all visa printing was halted for more than a week.  While I don't think that will happen again any time soon, there are always wacky issues.

 

But...we had our interview on July 1st, and I'd already bought tickets for July 15.  Just letting you know that some of us book tickets even though we know better.....

 

Good luck!

 

Sukie in NY

[Frustrated74 23]

3 hours ago, Sukie said:

We're on the Gold Coast.  Interview on Tuesday - passport on Friday.

 

If you are in a smaller city, it might take longer for AusPost to get it to you.

 

Also - one reason people are freaking out about getting your tickets before your visa is in hand is that just AFTER our visa was printed, the software that prints the visas (world-wide) went down (July 2014), and all visa printing was halted for more than a week.  While I don't think that will happen again any time soon, there are always wacky issues.

 

But...we had our interview on July 1st, and I'd already bought tickets for July 15.  Just letting you know that some of us book tickets even though we know better.....

 

Good luck!

 

Sukie in NY

That's interesting about getting passports back so soon. I guess what it says in the pre interview checklist isn't always accurate since it's not the first thing I've noticed that is slightly wrong. I remember the printing issue. What a nightmare that was.

 

i have a ticket already booked that was going to be for a holiday in June since we thought it would take longer than this (before I knew about EP) but I'll be changing it. The dilemma is do I wait until I have my passport in hand and change it last minute or change it now. I have to give two weeks notice at work and move out of my apartment so lots to coordinate. 

 

Interview 6 June so not a lot of time to get organised. 

 

 

[Frustrated74 23]

5 hours ago, Dee elle said:

We lived outside Melbourne so it tok an extra day.. interview Tuesday, passport arrived Friday.... have you got an interview date yet? 

Wow. So quick. My interview is 6 June. I live in Melbourne so now I'm hoping I get it back earlier than the ten days as per the interview checklist. 

[Frustrated74 23]

3 hours ago, Dee elle said:

Great news about your interview date .  You are going to have to c change your vj name soon. Wont be frustrated much longer !! 

Lol. I know.  I don't think I will want to look at anything immigration related for quite some time after I get that visa in my hand.   Happy to go back to my care free, relaxed self:)

[Frustrated74 23]

4 hours ago, Dee elle said:

Get ready for some HOT weather.. we live in Dallas .....and its certainly getting hot!!! 

You doing DFW as POE?  ... it is a good place to enter.. we do Mel Syd domestic then syd dfw on QF     I can wave to your plane as you land.. we are 3 km sw of the airport... very convenient 

I'll be flying into LA and staying there for a couple of nights first. I've done the MEL-SYD - DFW- AUS - couple of times and it kills me. 

 

I think ill take the Texas heat over a Melbourne winter. But don't quote me on that!!

[Karlzy 20]

I had a laugh at the "buying tickets even though we know better" line ...
I did exactly that, and I cut it pretttttty fine. haha. 

 

My interview was Nov 29 ... Visa was issued and in transit 2nd of December ... I received it 5th of December ... I flew SYD to LAX on the 6th of December ...

 

Butttt I had a very stressful 5th of Dec - when the courier company literally had NO CLUE where my package was - for around 5 hours. 

Seems TOLL don't make calls to Depots - they communicate by EMAIL ... Hours went by before they tracked it and I'd almost pulled out all my hair....You had 1 job, Toll  

Suffice to say, they finally found it and I drove myself to the Depot to collect it, didn't trust them to deliver. lol. 

[Frustrated74 23]

6 hours ago, Karlzy said:

I had a laugh at the "buying tickets even though we know better" line ...
I did exactly that, and I cut it pretttttty fine. haha. 

 

My interview was Nov 29 ... Visa was issued and in transit 2nd of December ... I received it 5th of December ... I flew SYD to LAX on the 6th of December ...

 

Butttt I had a very stressful 5th of Dec - when the courier company literally had NO CLUE where my package was - for around 5 hours. 

Seems TOLL don't make calls to Depots - they communicate by EMAIL ... Hours went by before they tracked it and I'd almost pulled out all my hair....You had 1 job, Toll  

Suffice to say, they finally found it and I drove myself to the Depot to collect it, didn't trust them to deliver. lol. 

Oh man. How stressful. My interview is 6 June and I fly 24 June. I'm thinking surely I'll have my passport in hand by then. They express post it which is a little scary. I don't particularly trust Australia Post but what can you do!?

[JamesQN 0]

On ‎5‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 6:17 PM, Frustrated74 said:

Oh man. How stressful. My interview is 6 June and I fly 24 June. I'm thinking surely I'll have my passport in hand by then. They express post it which is a little scary. I don't particularly trust Australia Post but what can you do!?

Between June 6th and 24th is 13 business days. So you've given yourself 3 days leeway if anything wacky goes wrong.

 

I was in the same boat as you back in October last year, except I waited until I had the passport in my hand (along with the giant folder that goes with it) before I booked my flights. It actually made it more expensive, but in the end I think a couple extra hundred was worth it to be sure I would fly at the right time and with everything prepared to leave forever.

 

Good luck at the interview. Just be honest and yourself, do exactly as they say, and you'll be fine.

[Dan 1981 0]

Mine took 4 working days but I had a weekend in there. 

Can anyone help with this? I'm not sure if its the right area but it ain't easy to find the right area. 

 

Hey guys got my passport back today with my visa in it IR1.

But there was no medical pack. Was I meant to get it? Do I get it or is it electronic?

Can I travel to the US without them? Has the rules changed as my case was processed through Ceac?

Need some clarity and proof and I want to buy my ticket so I can leave but Im worried. Not sure what to do. Doesn't help it's a public holiday today.