Australians Waiting For Interview at US Consulate Sydney

[Botoole 17]

Chiming in to update those following on my expedite request timings so far (on the grounds of emotional hardship and my pregnant wife (petitioner)). Fingers crossed approval any day now! Will keep you all posted.

 

13/8 -DQ'd

18/8 -Expedite Request Sent to NVC

24/8 -Expedite Request Received/Acknowledged

 

[teeshainaus 6]

Joining this very helpful thread!

 

We applied for IR1/CR1 Sept 2018. We got DQ March 20th, just a few days before embassies switched to emergency only due to COVID. We hadn't heard anything since DQ at all, and have just been patiently waiting for the embassy to contact us regarding an interview. I looked into an expedited interview application, but as my husband (who is the applicant, I am USC) and I live together in Australia with our kids, I really couldn't come up with a good reason to qualify.

 

However randomly today we got an email "Immigration visa case has been expedited". It states "The U.S. Embassy/Consulate General in SYDNEY, ASTL approved your request for expedited processing of your immigrant visa application"... Is this just a normal email people get or did our case somehow automatically get expedited? Regardless, very happy to finally hear SOMETHING. And then to find this thread today and people are actually getting interviews - woo hoo! 

[zochu 255]

1 minute ago, teeshainaus said:

Joining this very helpful thread!

 

We applied for IR1/CR1 Sept 2018. We got DQ March 20th, just a few days before embassies switched to emergency only due to COVID. We hadn't heard anything since DQ at all, and have just been patiently waiting for the embassy to contact us regarding an interview. I looked into an expedited interview application, but as my husband (who is the applicant, I am USC) and I live together in Australia with our kids, I really couldn't come up with a good reason to qualify.

 

However randomly today we got an email "Immigration visa case has been expedited". It states "The U.S. Embassy/Consulate General in SYDNEY, ASTL approved your request for expedited processing of your immigrant visa application"... Is this just a normal email people get or did our case somehow automatically get expedited? Regardless, very happy to finally hear SOMETHING. And then to find this thread today and people are actually getting interviews - woo hoo! 

 

WOW, are you saying that you did not apply for your case to be expedited at all? 

 

I mean, its good they approved you, but I would clarify it with them ... they may be trying to "expedite"  ALL cases so they can resume their normal case load when they re-open normally! If you were DQ'd in March, you're well overdue for an interview anyway.

 

Id just go with it .. !! 🤷‍♀️

[teeshainaus 6]

5 minutes ago, zochu said:

 

WOW, are you saying that you did not apply for your case to be expedited at all? 

 

I mean, its good they approved you, but I would clarify it with them ... they may be trying to "expedite"  ALL cases so they can resume their normal case load when they re-open normally! If you were DQ'd in March, you're well overdue for an interview anyway.

 

Id just go with it .. !! 🤷‍♀️

That's right, we didn't end up applying for expedite at all! I didn't think we would meet any of the conditions so didn't bother.  We were shocked to receive the email today. We will definitely just roll with it lol! I'm hoping this means an interview in the near future for us. My husband will be travelling to Sydney from Brisbane though, so if there is a further wait ahead, at least there's potential for the QLD/NSW border situation to change? 😕  Although feeling even moreso for everyone from VIC at the moment! 

[zochu 255]

9 minutes ago, teeshainaus said:

That's right, we didn't end up applying for expedite at all! I didn't think we would meet any of the conditions so didn't bother.  We were shocked to receive the email today. We will definitely just roll with it lol! I'm hoping this means an interview in the near future for us. My husband will be travelling to Sydney from Brisbane though, so if there is a further wait ahead, at least there's potential for the QLD/NSW border situation to change? 😕  Although feeling even moreso for everyone from VIC at the moment! 

 

What is the current border situation with NSW/QLD? Is that if you enter NSW, you have to quarantine upon return to QLD?

 

Victorian visa applicants are unfortunately in a very sad and frustrating situation - not allowed in NSW at all, not even under 'legal obligation' requirements. 

[GiggsMcGill 40]

3 hours ago, zochu said:

 

What is the current border situation with NSW/QLD? Is that if you enter NSW, you have to quarantine upon return to QLD?

 

Victorian visa applicants are unfortunately in a very sad and frustrating situation - not allowed in NSW at all, not even under 'legal obligation' requirements. 

My husband will be coming from Qld, and you have to quarantine if you return. Our plan is for him to take everything into Sydney and fly directly from Sydney. 

 

We haven't gotten an interview date yet. Got our expedite approval last week, but they asked for a lot of extra financial documentation since all of our documentation is from 2017/2018 since we've been doing the process for so long now.

 

I was given a deadline of Friday to get everything in and have no idea what will happen if I don't do that as it said they would cancel the interview, but we haven't been given an interview yet...

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

Grrrrrr after rejecting my Expidite back in February got an email this morning saying my Expidite has been approved and all my stuf has been sent to Sydney 😡😡😡 

 

hate immigration... left hand never talks to the right... my stuff is meant to be getting sent to New Orleans 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

[Jem.G 47]

So my Fiance (US petitioner) sent an email off to the Sydney consulate today about the possibility of getting an expidited interview due to emotional hardship. He is now suffering major depression, anxiety insomnia and a resurgence of his PTSD. He can't sleep and is finding it hard to eat and is suffering through a crippling emotional state because I can't be there to help him through all the milestones we have been working through in anticipation of my arrival pre covid, which is now catching up to him without me there.

I'm so worried for his emotional state and him being an essential worker working 60-80 hours a week, he's really suffering through this on his own and it's breaking my heart.

Feeling really down today.

[zochu 255]

11 hours ago, Duke & Marie said:

Grrrrrr after rejecting my Expidite back in February got an email this morning saying my Expidite has been approved and all my stuf has been sent to Sydney 😡😡😡 

 

hate immigration... left hand never talks to the right... my stuff is meant to be getting sent to New Orleans 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

Did you apply for expedite??? 
 

I hope they forward it to New Orleans for you! 

[zochu 255]

15 minutes ago, Jem.G said:

So my Fiance (US petitioner) sent an email off to the Sydney consulate today about the possibility of getting an expidited interview due to emotional hardship. He is now suffering major depression, anxiety insomnia and a resurgence of his PTSD. He can't sleep and is finding it hard to eat and is suffering through a crippling emotional state because I can't be there to help him through all the milestones we have been working through in anticipation of my arrival pre covid, which is now catching up to him without me there.

I'm so worried for his emotional state and him being an essential worker working 60-80 hours a week, he's really suffering through this on his own and it's breaking my heart.

Feeling really down today.

I think you’ll be approved for expedite.

 

my husband was in a similar position, and also an essential worker. I’m sure they will approve it and you’ll be with him soon. 

[aus2tx 168]

12 hours ago, Duke & Marie said:

Grrrrrr after rejecting my Expidite back in February got an email this morning saying my Expidite has been approved and all my stuf has been sent to Sydney 😡😡😡 

 

hate immigration... left hand never talks to the right... my stuff is meant to be getting sent to New Orleans 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

FWIW the consulate responds to emails in a very timely manner. But man, I feel for you!! Keep us updated

[Jem.G 47]

@zochu I can only hope and pray. It's so hard to see him try and stay strong and keep building our life there alone but suffer through all this emotional turmoil and not be able to help and comfort him.

I'm trying so hard to keep it together. It's times like these that I'm glad I have a place like this to come to and talk with all of you as I know so many of us are all going through this or have gone through it.

I appreciate the kind words and I hope you are right 🙏❤️
Thank you to all you wonderful people in here who have helped keep me sane through this process.

[Duke & Marie 1,389]

1 hour ago, zochu said:

Did you apply for expedite??? 
 

I hope they forward it to New Orleans for you! 

Not since the one at the start of the year which they rejected... now suddenly they’ve gone back and approved it some 5 months later... meanwhile covid hit whilst I was here and we submitted AOS... NVC should have returned my papers to USCIS Nola... not forwarded them to Sydney 🤨

 

no idea what to do now... going to the interview is so tempting other than the need to quarantine 

[Jen27062019 22]

20 hours ago, Botoole said:

Chiming in to update those following on my expedite request timings so far (on the grounds of emotional hardship and my pregnant wife (petitioner)). Fingers crossed approval any day now! Will keep you all posted.

 

13/8 -DQ'd

18/8 -Expedite Request Sent to NVC

24/8 -Expedite Request Received/Acknowledged

 

hi, which e-mail address did you send you request? thanks!   Good luck!  

[Botoole 17]

1 hour ago, Jen27062019 said:

hi, which e-mail address did you send you request? thanks!   Good luck!  

nvcexpedite@state.gov