Australians Waiting For Interview at US Consulate Sydney

[Redjlper 1]

45 minutes ago, Duke & Marie said:

Do your medical in Vic, then fly and stay 2 days without the additional cost.. but seems getting authority to leave Vic has gotten harder

My fiance is in rural Victoria, we are on day 116 of our NOA1 so I am just trying to proactively figure out the best plan. So he would need an exception to go to NSW and then quarintine, and then the appointments if everything happened today? I know it's changing by the min. but I'm trying to understand what steps we will need to take if the NOA2 comes in the next month.

[Lelly 65]

4 minutes ago, Redjlper said:

My fiance is in rural Victoria, we are on day 116 of our NOA1 so I am just trying to proactively figure out the best plan. So he would need an exception to go to NSW and then quarintine, and then the appointments if everything happened today? I know it's changing by the min. but I'm trying to understand what steps we will need to take if the NOA2 comes in the next month.

I honestly cannot see a reason listed for a permit to go from VIC to NSW that would cover "for reason of the interview at the Consulate". And if you go under another stated reason, you run the risk of being caught doing something you haven't been allowed into NSW to do. From what I am reading they have really clamped down. And the reasons listed are now very specific, they are no longer broad categories with some examples. 

 

Having said that, you are still at NOA1 of your K-1 process and right now it is taking a lot of people 6+ weeks from NOA2 for NVC to receive their case from USCIS. And even if you went down the road of submitting an expedite request once your case is at NVC, that would still take multiple weeks (probably closer to a month) until interview. I would wait and see what happens. Times are fluid right now. I think it's too difficult to plan for navigating interstate border closures multiple months in advance. But the benefit of having time right now where you can't hurry your case forward and just have to wait, is that you can watch what happens between now and then. Maybe some people will have luck. Maybe the restrictions will change slightly. But hopefully us VICs get some better news soon ❤️. 

[Redjlper 1]

Thank you, and I know you are right it's just hard not to plan anything at all right or even know what our options are. We are actually toying with the idea of him coming here for a couple of months for the holidays if we can get an exemption for him to leave and flying him back into NSW for the embassy interview from here. Geez as if Long Distance wasn't tough enough this pandemic has made this whole process that much more fun. Good Luck to everyone out there. ❤️

 

[Lelly 65]

1 minute ago, Redjlper said:

Thank you, and I know you are right it's just hard not to plan anything at all right or even know what our options are. We are actually toying with the idea of him coming here for a couple of months for the holidays if we can get an exemption for him to leave and flying him back into NSW for the embassy interview from here. Geez as if Long Distance wasn't tough enough this pandemic has made this whole process that much more fun. Good Luck to everyone out there. ❤️

 

We are considering the same. My partner desperately needs help and although I've raised the possibility of flying his family in to his State to be there until I can get there, it's looking unlikely. And I have very recently seen some K-1s get an exemption to leave Australia for a visit to their fiance in the US while they are waiting. It will cost an absolute fortune for me to fly over and come back before flying out again (with quarantine costs, increased air fares and I would likely have to take some of my leave unpaid if I want to stay more than a couple of weeks), but it might be necessary at some point. We also discussed how I could fly back into Sydney and quarantine there (but you would want to time that well so you're not paying too much in hotel costs before an interview, so it's tricky). 

 

Also, in terms of prep, maybe look at what is needed for interview and start preparing some of those documents. We did that while waiting on NOA2 and I found that it helped me to feel like I was doing something productive. 

[Redjlper 1]

21 minutes ago, Lelly said:

We are considering the same. My partner desperately needs help and although I've raised the possibility of flying his family in to his State to be there until I can get there, it's looking unlikely. And I have very recently seen some K-1s get an exemption to leave Australia for a visit to their fiance in the US while they are waiting. It will cost an absolute fortune for me to fly over and come back before flying out again (with quarantine costs, increased air fares and I would likely have to take some of my leave unpaid if I want to stay more than a couple of weeks), but it might be necessary at some point. We also discussed how I could fly back into Sydney and quarantine there (but you would want to time that well so you're not paying too much in hotel costs before an interview, so it's tricky). 

 

Also, in terms of prep, maybe look at what is needed for interview and start preparing some of those documents. We did that while waiting on NOA2 and I found that it helped me to feel like I was doing something productive. 

 I have. lol Can't help it. I have that planner personality. We did submit to registrar our relationship de facto in Victoria and should hear back on that soon. Hopefully that will make the exception for him to leave easier. It will cost a fortune but its been 216 days since I saw him so I think we would gladly just fork it out. I've seen the same with K1 exceptions and honestly that has given me hope! Best of luck to you and your fiance I hope you are together soon!!! 

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

1 hour ago, Redjlper said:

My fiance is in rural Victoria, we are on day 116 of our NOA1 so I am just trying to proactively figure out the best plan. So he would need an exception to go to NSW and then quarintine, and then the appointments if everything happened today? I know it's changing by the min. but I'm trying to understand what steps we will need to take if the NOA2 comes in the next month.

Vic isn’t that big a state (actually, it’s one of the smaller ones)  and driving long distances isn’t usually an issue for Aussies, were kind of used to it.. I still say it’s better for him to do the medical in Vic before going to Sydney to ensure the results reach the consulate prior to his interview..

 

the last thing u want is 2 weeks of quarantine @3200 before he can do his medical then additional days @100+ waiting for the medical to be forwarded to the consulate or him doing his interview pre-results received and facing further AP delays. Plus flight, trains, cabs, meal expenses etc... it all adds up and what should have been a simple 1 day turn around turns into a 3-4 week major expense 

[Redjlper 1]

6 minutes ago, Duke & Marie said:

Vic isn’t that big a state (actually, it’s one of the smaller ones)  and driving long distances isn’t usually an issue for Aussies, were kind of used to it.. I still say it’s better for him to do the medical in Vic before going to Sydney to ensure the results reach the consulate prior to his interview..

 

the last thing u want is 2 weeks of quarantine @3200 before he can do his medical then additional days @100+ waiting for the medical to be forwarded to the consulate or him doing his interview pre-results received and facing further AP delays. Plus flight, trains, cabs, meal expenses etc... it all adds up and what should have been a simple 1 day turn around turns into a 3-4 week major expense 

Yea he's just an hour from Melbourne. Hopefully he will be able to go in for the medical and go home. ❤️ 

[Lelly 65]

1 hour ago, Redjlper said:

 I have. lol Can't help it. I have that planner personality. We did submit to registrar our relationship de facto in Victoria and should hear back on that soon. Hopefully that will make the exception for him to leave easier. It will cost a fortune but its been 216 days since I saw him so I think we would gladly just fork it out. I've seen the same with K1 exceptions and honestly that has given me hope! Best of luck to you and your fiance I hope you are together soon!!! 

Thank you, same to you! I look forward to the day that all of us here talking about this now can say we are all permanentely reunited with our loved ones 😊

[zochu 255]

4 hours ago, Redjlper said:

So if you are from Victoria would you be able to fly into NSW, quarantine for 2 weeks, then do your medical and interview? I know that is not ideal because of the cost, but I would rather pay the $3k than wait if that is an option. 

I would say no because you don’t have a valid reason to get a permit. They have narrowed down the interpretation of what is considered “legal obligation”. They have made it really specific that it’s either request by court of an Act of parliament. 
 

A visa interview is neither - but a requirement under US federal regulations.

 

i don’t see another options for a permit that would allow someone to cross. 
 

but perhaps a fine is worth the risk?? So I dunno 🤷‍♀️ 

Edited August 7, 2020 by zochu

[Lil bear 4,214]

6 minutes ago, zochu said:

I would say no because you don’t have a valid reason to get a permit. They have narrowed down the interpretation of what is considered “legal obligation”. They have made it really specific that it’s either request by court of an Act of parliament. 
 

A visa interview is neither - but a requirement under US federal regulations.

 

i don’t see another options for a permit that would allow someone to cross. 
 

but perhaps a fine is worth the risk?? So I dunno 🤷‍♀️ 

Likely to get a fine at  the border or Sydney airport and turned straight around.  

[Lil bear 4,214]

1 hour ago, Redjlper said:

Yea he's just an hour from Melbourne. Hopefully he will be able to go in for the medical and go home. ❤️ 

Melbourne is in stage 4 lockdown. Immigration Medical Exam may not be a valid reason for travelling into the area. Medical treatment is accepted but ... 

[zochu 255]

1 minute ago, Lil bear said:

Melbourne is in stage 4 lockdown. Immigration Medical Exam may not be a valid reason for travelling into the area. Medical treatment is accepted but ... 

 

Are the medical exams in Melbourne not happening? 
 

surely they are still being conducted 

[Lil bear 4,214]

Just now, zochu said:

 

Are the medical exams in Melbourne not happening? 
 

surely they are still being conducted 

Dont know. Probably .. the clinic itself would be open .. it’s getting through the VicPol roadblocks and roving check points .. including checks on VLine passengers.. to ensure they have a valid reason for entering the greater Melbourne area ... or travelling further than 5 km if you live in the greater Melbourne area 

[aus2tx 168]

2 hours ago, Duke & Marie said:

then additional days @100+ waiting for the medical to be forwarded to the consulate

I'm sorry, what? 😩

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

3 minutes ago, aus2tx said:

I'm sorry, what? 😩

Lol if you have to pay for additional accomodation in Sydney, post quarantine it’s likley to cost you at lease $100 p/n..Sydney ain’t cheap unless you plan on staying in a backpackers or in the suburbs..  it’s not like you’re going to be able to go get your medical done and go do interview while in quarantine or on the same day right after getting out of the quarantine hotel..