Sydney Embassy Contact

[Gj & Cathy 20]

Hi guys, I’ve been trying to reschedule my visa interview. I’m set for Dec 18 (CR1) but I need my passport back before Dec 28 as I’m bound for Japan. I have called and emailed the embassy but still waiting for a response for over 5 working days now. How else can I reach them?

 I’m almost tempted to just take the risk of doing my interview on the 18th and hope to God my passport gets back to me before the 28th of Dec. They say it takes 7 days to get your passport back but with Christmas and Boxing Day in between I’m cutting it close.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Im in panic mode as the embassy hasn’t replied to my 4 emails☹️

[Cheryl303 1]

Hello GJ and Cathy,

 We had our interview in December 2017 in Ghana. They kept my husbands passport till they approved his visa May 2018. 

I would suggest rescheduling your trip, but there maybe someone here from Australia that could give you a better time line.

 

Best of luck

[Sukie 1,459]

Our interview was on a Tuesday, and we got her passport back on Friday.  We are on the Gold Coast in Queensland.  It can take up to a week for the consulate to answer your email - especially if it is not an immediate emergency.  You will be dependent upon Australia Post - so you might want to consider that.

 

Good luck!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

[Gj & Cathy 20]

36 minutes ago, Sukie said:

Our interview was on a Tuesday, and we got her passport back on Friday.  We are on the Gold Coast in Queensland.  It can take up to a week for the consulate to answer your email - especially if it is not an immediate emergency.  You will be dependent upon Australia Post - so you might want to consider that.

 

Good luck!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

That’s really comforting to know. I’m in Ballarat. Maybe I should just take the chance and go ahead with my interview on the 18th of December. A lot of people are getting it back between 2-3 days. I’m in 2 minds... maybe I should.... flip coin?

It will be 5 days today since I sent the email on the 20th of November. 

 

Would you know if the embassy sends of the passport straightaway?

Edited November 26, 2018 by Gj & Cathy
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[AlicerCooper 32]

The CR1 requires you to bring an express post envelope too doesn't it? Is that for the passport to be sent back? If it is then Aus Post really should have it back to you in maximum 3 business days (express post is technically 1-2 business days but say 3 to be safe). 

[Gj & Cathy 20]

13 minutes ago, AlicerCooper said:

The CR1 requires you to bring an express post envelope too doesn't it? Is that for the passport to be sent back? If it is then Aus Post really should have it back to you in maximum 3 business days (express post is technically 1-2 business days but say 3 to be safe). 

That's right... well it still depends,,,I'm not quite sure if the Embassy sends out the passport straightaway after the interview.  Worse case scenario would be I'll receive my passport either Dec 27 or 28 because of Christmas and Boxing Day and if all goes well...  So I'm still really in two minds....

[AlicerCooper 32]

Just now, Gj & Cathy said:

That's right... well it still depends,,,I'm not quite sure if the Embassy sends out the passport straightaway after the interview.  Worse case scenario would be I'll receive my passport either Dec 27 or 28 because of Christmas and Boxing Day and if all goes well...  So I'm still really in two minds....

Also I remember when I didn't get a response in the 1-2 business days they promise I emailed them on the 3rd day calling them out on it and they replied lol. Strange that they're taking so long to reply to you, are you getting the email receipt that your email was received by them too? 

[Gj & Cathy 20]

5 minutes ago, AlicerCooper said:

Also I remember when I didn't get a response in the 1-2 business days they promise I emailed them on the 3rd day calling them out on it and they replied lol. Strange that they're taking so long to reply to you, are you getting the email receipt that your email was received by them too? 

Yup it's been 6 business days now and no reply...I am going to send a fax shortly.  So depressing.

Did you say you emailed them or called them on the third day?... The help desk is pretty useless.

I only got an email receipt once...I emailed again no receipt.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Gj & Cathy
.

[AlicerCooper 32]

2 hours ago, Gj & Cathy said:

Yup it's been 6 business days now and no reply...I am going to send a fax shortly.  So depressing.

Did you say you emailed them or called them on the third day?... The help desk is pretty useless.

I only got an email receipt once...I emailed again no receipt.

I emailed! And kept putting my case number and everything in it. I think sometimes they reply the same day, other times 2 days...

[Gj & Cathy 20]

9 minutes ago, AlicerCooper said:

I emailed! And kept putting my case number and everything in it. I think sometimes they reply the same day, other times 2 days...

I wonder what's happening to my emails...yes some people get a same day response.... mine is over 6 business days now.  I'm in panic mode. 

[Gj & Cathy 20]

On 11/27/2018 at 5:39 AM, Sukie said:

Our interview was on a Tuesday, and we got her passport back on Friday.  We are on the Gold Coast in Queensland.  It can take up to a week for the consulate to answer your email - especially if it is not an immediate emergency.  You will be dependent upon Australia Post - so you might want to consider that.

 

Good luck!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

Hi Sukie... are you Japanese? Sorry just asking because of your name. If you are... did you have to submit a Police Clearance other than the one from Australia?

[Sukie 1,459]

4 hours ago, Gj & Cathy said:

Hi Sukie... are you Japanese? Sorry just asking because of your name. If you are... did you have to submit a Police Clearance other than the one from Australia?

Hi!  I'm a USC.  I lived in Japan when I first started on this website - and my childhood nickname was Sukie (pronounced soo-kee - not soo-kee-ay).  But because I loved my time in Japan, I love the nickname and kept it.  I answer to soo-kee-ay when I'm in Japan.

 

Actually, I'm also an Australian permanent resident, and yes, I had to provide a police clearance from the US, from Japan, and from Hong Kong when I got my PR in Australia.  My spouse is Australian, and had only lived in Australia prior to applying for her CR-1 visa to the US - so she only had to provide her Australian Police Report.

 

But...she had lived in both Queensland and Victoria, and NVC demanded a police clearance from both states - not realizing that police clearances were national in Australia.  I was pretty angry when that RFE came in - as it was clear no one had updated the "book" for the officers.  It delayed us by six weeks, which I was NOT happy about.

 

But now my spouse is through the process!  She became a USC in August.  I will have to wait a long while to get Australian citizenship, as the residency requirements are quite stringent and we are currently spending more time in the US than in Australia.

 

Good luck to you!

 

Sukie in NY

[Sukie 1,459]

17 hours ago, Gj & Cathy said:

I wonder what's happening to my emails...yes some people get a same day response.... mine is over 6 business days now.  I'm in panic mode. 

I ended up writing them twice.   I was asking for permission to attend my spouse's interview, and needed an email reply that I could print and bring to the consulate.  I wrote 4 weeks in advance, and heard nothing.  So I wrote ONE week in advance, and told them I was sweating bullets (not really) and they got back to me within 24 hours!

 

So it seems to be hit or miss. 

 

If you have waited 6 working days, I think you can write again (be gentle) and ask again.

 

I actually think you'd be OK time-wise, but you never know...

 

Sukie in NY

[Gj & Cathy 20]

13 minutes ago, Sukie said:

Hi!  I'm a USC.  I lived in Japan when I first started on this website - and my childhood nickname was Sukie (pronounced soo-kee - not soo-kee-ay).  But because I loved my time in Japan, I love the nickname and kept it.  I answer to soo-kee-ay when I'm in Japan.

 

Actually, I'm also an Australian permanent resident, and yes, I had to provide a police clearance from the US, from Japan, and from Hong Kong when I got my PR in Australia.  My spouse is Australian, and had only lived in Australia prior to applying for her CR-1 visa to the US - so she only had to provide her Australian Police Report.

 

But...she had lived in both Queensland and Victoria, and NVC demanded a police clearance from both states - not realizing that police clearances were national in Australia.  I was pretty angry when that RFE came in - as it was clear no one had updated the "book" for the officers.  It delayed us by six weeks, which I was NOT happy about.

 

But now my spouse is through the process!  She became a USC in August.  I will have to wait a long while to get Australian citizenship, as the residency requirements are quite stringent and we are currently spending more time in the US than in Australia.

 

Good luck to you!

 

Sukie in NY

Thanks Sukie!!!  Love your nickname BTW...reminds me of that vampire show .... LOL

 

Anyways, I was just wondering if having a Police Clearance apart from my Australian one would delay my visa/passport returned after the interview.  This is also my second marriage.  Once the officer approves your visa, do they send it off straightaway?  There's another girl here and she said it goes into AP first... I hope mine doesn't take that long as I'm off to Japan on Dec 29.

 

Congrats to your better half :)

[Gj & Cathy 20]

17 minutes ago, Sukie said:

I ended up writing them twice.   I was asking for permission to attend my spouse's interview, and needed an email reply that I could print and bring to the consulate.  I wrote 4 weeks in advance, and heard nothing.  So I wrote ONE week in advance, and told them I was sweating bullets (not really) and they got back to me within 24 hours!

 

So it seems to be hit or miss. 

 

If you have waited 6 working days, I think you can write again (be gentle) and ask again.

 

I actually think you'd be OK time-wise, but you never know...

 

Sukie in NY

Got my date for Dec14 Friday !!!! YAY!!!!

 

Now hopefully I get approved and my passport back before Christmas :)

I'm really nervous... I know I don't need to but just worried about my passport being returned to me in time. LOL