Sydney CR1 Interview

[Gj & Cathy 20]

Hello guys, NVC has now received my case...waiting for Case Number and Invoice Number now.

Is there a long wait to get an Interview in Sydney at the moment?

How long have you guys been waiting from the time NVC received your case to your interview, please?

Was hoping I can make it to the US in December to be with my family...

[JFH 12,190]

*~*~*country-specific question moved to Australia and New Zealand forum*~*~*

[NatalieC136 36]

Hi, my case was received by NVC on the 22nd of August, got my case number and invoice number about 4 weeks later. Then paid fees. Takes 3-5 days to clear fees and open the forms, we submitted our documents 21st sept. Still waiting for a case complete and to be passed to sydney. All up the nvc process takes 3-4 months. Hope this helps.

[redvines 57]

I don't believe there is a long wait, the time will be process time. 

 

For me it was around 3 weeks till I got a case number, just under a week before fees were processed and we could submit, after my documents were submitted two weeks for case complete (there were no issues, so no resubmit required) my case has been complete for a week and a half so I'm expecting my interview date any day now judging by the timelines of other Australians. The usual is that they give you around a months notice and it's always on a Tuesday.

[Gj & Cathy 20]

7 hours ago, redvines said:

I don't believe there is a long wait, the time will be process time. 

 

For me it was around 3 weeks till I got a case number, just under a week before fees were processed and we could submit, after my documents were submitted two weeks for case complete (there were no issues, so no resubmit required) my case has been complete for a week and a half so I'm expecting my interview date any day now judging by the timelines of other Australians. The usual is that they give you around a months notice and it's always on a Tuesday.

Thank you...when did you get your NOA2? 

[Gj & Cathy 20]

10 hours ago, NatalieC136 said:

Hi, my case was received by NVC on the 22nd of August, got my case number and invoice number about 4 weeks later. Then paid fees. Takes 3-5 days to clear fees and open the forms, we submitted our documents 21st sept. Still waiting for a case complete and to be passed to sydney. All up the nvc process takes 3-4 months. Hope this helps.

Hopefully it doesn't take that long...I was hoping to join Hubby by December 17

[Gj & Cathy 20]

4 minutes ago, Gj & Cathy said:

Thank you...when did you get your NOA2? 

 

7 hours ago, redvines said:

I don't believe there is a long wait, the time will be process time. 

 

For me it was around 3 weeks till I got a case number, just under a week before fees were processed and we could submit, after my documents were submitted two weeks for case complete (there were no issues, so no resubmit required) my case has been complete for a week and a half so I'm expecting my interview date any day now judging by the timelines of other Australians. The usual is that they give you around a months notice and it's always on a Tuesday.

Sorry...I just saw your timeline...how did you go with your medical? Are you from Melbourne? Looks like you and I have similar timelines... When are you planning to go to the US?

[redvines 57]

2 hours ago, Gj & Cathy said:

 

Sorry...I just saw your timeline...how did you go with your medical? Are you from Melbourne? Looks like you and I have similar timelines... When are you planning to go to the US?

Medical went well I think. Not from Melbourne, west coast.

 

I don't have a formal plan at this stage, hoping to be there asap so will head over as soon as process is done.

[Keeley 67]

You can see my full details in my timeline and in my signature, but in summary, NOA2 was 28 June and NVC received my case on 23 July (25 days later). It was another 29 days to receiving our case number (on 21 August) and we paid fees immediately and had submitted all of our documents by 23 August. Case complete on 7 September, notification of interview date received on 18 September for one month out. The interview will be on 16 October. So, all up, the time between NOA2 and interview date will be 110 days. We were lucky and didn't experience any delays through the process with regard to our documentation. 

 

It's tough to say how busy the Sydney consulate is based on VisaJourney alone because I'm sure for every one of us posting here, there are more people applying for IR-1/CR-1 visas who don't use the forum. That said, it doesn't seem like it's TOO busy as most people seem to have their interview about one month after case complete. If we are to rely on VisaJourney timelines, it appears that the consulate schedules IR-1/CR-1 visa interviews for one Tuesday in a month and K-1 visas on another Tuesday. I don't know if they do more than one per month, but I have only seen one per each visa type based on the Aussie timelines here.

 

Since NVC has now received your case, it seems like it's possible you could end up with a December interview still and make it to the US for Christmas, assuming everything goes well! I would just use this waiting time to triple check all your documents to make sure you are ready to upload everything to CEAC as soon as you are able! You can also read through a sample DS-260 to make sure you have all of the information you need to complete the IV application. I would also recommend booking your medical as soon as you get your case complete. We did not have to wait until we had an interview date to book it.

 

Good luck! You're nearly there!

[Gj & Cathy 20]

7 hours ago, Keeley said:

You can see my full details in my timeline and in my signature, but in summary, NOA2 was 28 June and NVC received my case on 23 July (25 days later). It was another 29 days to receiving our case number (on 21 August) and we paid fees immediately and had submitted all of our documents by 23 August. Case complete on 7 September, notification of interview date received on 18 September for one month out. The interview will be on 16 October. So, all up, the time between NOA2 and interview date will be 110 days. We were lucky and didn't experience any delays through the process with regard to our documentation. 

 

It's tough to say how busy the Sydney consulate is based on VisaJourney alone because I'm sure for every one of us posting here, there are more people applying for IR-1/CR-1 visas who don't use the forum. That said, it doesn't seem like it's TOO busy as most people seem to have their interview about one month after case complete. If we are to rely on VisaJourney timelines, it appears that the consulate schedules IR-1/CR-1 visa interviews for one Tuesday in a month and K-1 visas on another Tuesday. I don't know if they do more than one per month, but I have only seen one per each visa type based on the Aussie timelines here.

 

Since NVC has now received your case, it seems like it's possible you could end up with a December interview still and make it to the US for Christmas, assuming everything goes well! I would just use this waiting time to triple check all your documents to make sure you are ready to upload everything to CEAC as soon as you are able! You can also read through a sample DS-260 to make sure you have all of the information you need to complete the IV application. I would also recommend booking your medical as soon as you get your case complete. We did not have to wait until we had an interview date to book it.

 

Good luck! You're nearly there!

Thank you Keeley!!  Congratulations too...when are you off to the USA?

BTW, how did your Medical go?  Dis you have to get a few jabs??

With your DS 260...what was the hardest to answer?  The sample was a bit too hard to decipher.

Thanks!

[Keeley 67]

1 minute ago, Gj & Cathy said:

Thank you Keeley!!  Congratulations too...when are you off to the USA?

BTW, how did your Medical go?  Dis you have to get a few jabs??

With your DS 260...what was the hardest to answer?  The sample was a bit too hard to decipher.

Thanks!

Thanks! My husband is the applicant and we have a flight booked at the end of November. His medical was fine! He did need some vaccinations, but not too many, tdap and MMR, I think?

 

The DS 260 is not difficult at all, it's just information gathering. You need address history for the past 15 years, need to know the applicant's parents' place of birth, that kind of thing. I know the IV application is long, but they do have page by page screenshots of all the questions, so you can read through and see what you might have to provide. I think the address history was the only thing that would have held us up had we not read through in advance, but I can't remember for sure!

[Gj & Cathy 20]

3 minutes ago, Keeley said:

Thanks! My husband is the applicant and we have a flight booked at the end of November. His medical was fine! He did need some vaccinations, but not too many, tdap and MMR, I think?

 

The DS 260 is not difficult at all, it's just information gathering. You need address history for the past 15 years, need to know the applicant's parents' place of birth, that kind of thing. I know the IV application is long, but they do have page by page screenshots of all the questions, so you can read through and see what you might have to provide. I think the address history was the only thing that would have held us up had we not read through in advance, but I can't remember for sure!

Congrats to you both!!! Your hubby will be home for Christmas with you...so envious!

Hopefully, mine won't take so long.

I'm organising my mmr and my diptheria, and flu shot.

Did you have to call the NVC to follow up too?

[redvines 57]

With MMR I would go to the medical first, my Dr organised an antibody test as I had proof of one shot when I was quite young but not additional ones. The antibody test showed immunity so no shot needed.

 

[Gj & Cathy 20]

4 minutes ago, redvines said:

With MMR I would go to the medical first, my Dr organised an antibody test as I had proof of one shot when I was quite young but not additional ones. The antibody test showed immunity so no shot needed.

 

I have done a serology test with my GP and i found out which ones I need as I haven't got any vac history....sadly

[Keeley 67]

1 hour ago, Gj & Cathy said:

Congrats to you both!!! Your hubby will be home for Christmas with you...so envious!

Hopefully, mine won't take so long.

I'm organising my mmr and my diptheria, and flu shot.

Did you have to call the NVC to follow up too?

So, I am actually quite lucky as I am here with my husband in Australia. We’ve been living here together for the last few years, so we have not had to endure the separation that so many people going through this process have! Our reason for wanting to get back ASAP is I’m expecting a baby and we really want to be back in the US before she gets here in January. I hope the NVC and interview process is very speedy for you!

 

I did call the NVC every day or two while waiting for the case number and once after submitting our documents to make sure we hadn’t missed anything. I’m not convinced calling did any good, though, other than making me feel like I was doing something and not just waiting!