Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	Don't forget the mail order sites here.....they are a bit more expensive but you can get (some) of the things you are craving from home! And I agree..........The fruit and veg you get in AUS is FAR superior to the tasteless stuff we get here. Thanks Kaffy! I haven't tried PB from over there (yet). THe amount of preservatives in the food here scare me....There is food that has been in our fridge for weeks (Not including fruit and veg) that should have gone bad, but is still fine to eat. Like bread, I went to go make toast yesterday and I thought for for sure my brown bread that had been in the fridge for nearly three weeks was going to be mouldy, but it was still fine. NOT normal at all.... Something a little different I want to ask - Who here is living in California? What was your experience with getting a drivers licence while having your AOS pending?	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-11 14:56:00
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	Thanks for the update Vanessa...I'm so happy that you get to have your own little life for real so soon...There is nothing like being able to settle into a new home and really make it your own! An update for me too...Got the wedding pictures today and our wedding certificate yesterday. It's all official now Here's me and my amazing, gorgeous HUSBAND Attached Files  profile_pic.jpg   453.22KB   14 downloads	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-02-28 21:24:00
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	Hi Astrid, Thanks for the great info, your previous messages have been a GREAT help too. I rang Penrith council (where I grew up) to see if they had any of my records and no such luck. I think it will just be easier to get the blood test. Should I be pro active and get the MMR and TDpa at the same time? I'll see what the doctor saids hopefully i'll only need the TDpa. To those that had the blood test. Did the results get sent to you? LOL so how many packs of the pill do you have now Astrid? cheers No problem Candice Thats really strange that Penrith didn't have records! And annoying to say the least. I think just go ahead with the blood test...hopefully some luck will come your way and your doctor will bulk bill it! I think you could skip the MMR vaccine, as I am fairly sure there was a national program to give the MMR shot in around 1997, and just get the Boostrix shot (diphtheria tetanus whooping cough). If the MMR shot doesn't show in the test, you can just get it then....save some money hopefully! The Boostrix shot isn't too much, you can get it from a Chemist Warehouse kind of place for about $38. For my bloodwork, I had to call my doctor three days later for the results, and then I asked for a hardcopy of the results to take to my visa medical. If you have been seeing the same GP, or even going to the same practice for all your shots lately, they should also be able to print a vaccination history for you....another useful thing to have! Haha Candice I've only been here a month now so I still have a LONG while to go before I have to get a refill done	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-02-28 12:18:00
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	Hi all excuse my butting in. I've been lurking for awhile and decide to add myself to the fray. So I decided to make the appointment with my local GP and get the vaccines I need (MMR/TDap). Was still tossing up weather I need the titre test but decided against it. I will just get the shots and get what evidence he has and worry about the rest later. Are prior vaccines like polio and such relevant? Do they need to know I had them? I think probably not Has anyone thought about their pill? And how much they will take with them? Oh um I know you weren't talking to me but I will be based in Sarasota FL. Candice Hi Candice To help with your questions I will tell you about my own experience. I was lucky about my vaccines...I was born in South Australia, grew up in both SA and Victoria, and then while I was going through the K1 process, lived in Queensland. You are only a few years older than me (I'm 23) and I just had to do a bit of ringing around. Local council is always a good place to start. High schools and Primary schools usually do not keep records of and jabs you had while attending. Also, where ever you were born, call the hospital or district health for that area, they can usually provide your shots from when you were born. We are too old to be on the national register that exists, but at a local level there should be something But, if you have already looked and they don't have them....thats just plain bad luck I would say, especially since we are close in age, that you would have had the majority of all the shots required, just because we were run through all of them in school. I just had to get the Boostrix shot (which HURT like a mother!) and then the HPV course. The only think I could not prove was having chicken pox, so my doctor had bloods run on me, and she checked for rubella just because she could. It's such a pain in the as$ to have it all checked, but it could come in useful, especially when it comes to getting health insurance in the States. So yeah, I think it's relevant to have your whole history! As for the Pill - The three major times I have traveled to the US (VWP, student visa, and the K1) I have had a fair amount of pill packs with me. Never been asked about it. My brother even brought some over for me when he visited once (my mum had been taking the same brand but stopped) and he had no problem. The student visa and K1, I had a year and a bit's worth. I would get the year's worth back home, and then once you are here, just go to Planned Parenthood and you can get it for free. I've gone there several times, and it's a really good resource. My husband is going to add me to his health insurance very soon, so once I know how much the pill costs I will share the details! Good luck on your journey Candice! Edited by alex and astrid, 28 February 2010 - 12:48 AM.	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-02-28 00:46:00
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	Okay, so I actually got two NOA2's in the mail today. Is that normal? And I haven't heard anything from NVC about them sending the application to the embassy. I looked at others timelines and they usually get the packet in a day or two and process it so that by now it would have already gone off to the embassy. Should I call them? I know it says to wait two weeks but I'm trying to get this stuff done by April. I already have an uncooperative fiance who thinks that everything will just fall into place with the visa even though he does nothing for it. I really can't deal with constant delays from everyone else. I wouldn't worry about getting two NOA2's in the mail. In our case, we got the hardcopy NOA2, but in the USCIS system it still says our case is pending! Sometimes they just stuff up. NVC will not contact you once you package is sent to Sydney. You need to call them, give them your WAC number from your NOA's your name, your fiance's name and a few others bits of info and they can tell you if they still have your petition, or when it was sent. If it was sent, there is a thread in the NVC forum that tells you how to track your package from NVC to Sydney. The time frame between our NOA2 and NVC sending our petition to Sydney was eight days, then another five days for it to get to Sydney, and then another three days for them to get us our Packet Three - Just over two weeks in all. Don't start to lose heart - You are SO CLOSE to being at the embassy and getting that approval. I know it really sucks when you are the one doing all the hard work, because that was me, too. But you are nearly there. Soon enough you can give your fiance a good smack up the head in person	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-01-30 19:53:00
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	So many of us flying out around the same time! I fly on Wednesday, haven't even started packing yet haha. Have my last day at work tomorrow, going shopping with Mum for her Mother of the Bride outfit, then packing all day Saturday! Have way too much ####### that has accumulated since I moved back home that I must sort through. One month til the wedding!!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-01-21 08:11:00
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	have my interview date! December 15 at 8 am	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2009-11-23 05:01:00
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	QUOTE (Warren and Cindy @ Nov 11 2009, 03:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (alex and astrid @ Nov 12 2009, 08:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Warren and Cindy @ Nov 11 2009, 08:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (alex and astrid @ Nov 11 2009, 11:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Quick question my fellow Aussies - when you got packet three form Sydney, was it ever a hardcopy? Or did you only ever get an email version of it? I think that if they have an email address, they will send it to that, if not, a hard copy will be sent. Both packet 3 and packet 4 were sent to Cindy's email (even though I had giving them mine), so look there too Ok...they have Alex's email, but the email that Alex gave the NVC of mine is wrong! I have two email addy's and the lady at NVC had trouble understanding my usual one, so he gave her my alternate...except he didn't add .au at the end of it, and forgot there was an underscore between my first and last name. When I called NVC to check if our packet had gone to sydney, I corrected the email, but of course, my packet was no longer there. Alex hasn't gotten an email to his account yet, and I have not gotten a hardcopy in the mail. They've had my packet for four days now, and nothing from them yet. I am getting worried! if your email is incorrect it will bounce and they i'm sure will use Alex's. If your worried, email the consolate with your concerns I was stressing for nothing....got Packet 3 just a few hours after you posted this!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2009-11-12 07:22:00
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	QUOTE (Warren and Cindy @ Nov 11 2009, 08:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (alex and astrid @ Nov 11 2009, 11:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Quick question my fellow Aussies - when you got packet three form Sydney, was it ever a hardcopy? Or did you only ever get an email version of it? I think that if they have an email address, they will send it to that, if not, a hard copy will be sent. Both packet 3 and packet 4 were sent to Cindy's email (even though I had giving them mine), so look there too Ok...they have Alex's email, but the email that Alex gave the NVC of mine is wrong! I have two email addy's and the lady at NVC had trouble understanding my usual one, so he gave her my alternate...except he didn't add .au at the end of it, and forgot there was an underscore between my first and last name. When I called NVC to check if our packet had gone to sydney, I corrected the email, but of course, my packet was no longer there. Alex hasn't gotten an email to his account yet, and I have not gotten a hardcopy in the mail. They've had my packet for four days now, and nothing from them yet. I am getting worried!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2009-11-11 16:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	Quick question my fellow Aussies - when you got packet three form Sydney, was it ever a hardcopy? Or did you only ever get an email version of it?	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2009-11-11 07:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	LAND DOWNUNDER, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi	Hey Miss Natalie, I saw that you had your bloodwork and xrays done prior to your medical, this was allowed by your panel doctor? which state do you live in, because if you are in QLD then I want to know if I can do that, because it made it cheaper, right? Can you tell me more about what you did when you got your chest xray and bloods done? Were you referred by your GP? And what did you ask for your blood to be tested for? Thanks!!!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2009-10-07 07:24:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	When you send back your packet three, include your email address with it so they know who to send it to. I'm pretty sure that is what I did, because Alex gave the wrong email address for me at NCV!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-05-10 10:59:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Woohoo!! I bet you can't wait for your holiday and to see your man I'm not surprised someone would ask such a silly question. I've seen subtitles on several American tv shows when British people have been speaking in English. ME TOO! And I'm always thinking #######, I can understand them perfectly. So can Alex, too, hahah!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-05-05 22:08:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Seeing as it's April 25 in the US today.... LEST WE FORGET.	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-25 13:18:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	I know!! It still makes me laugh that a guy wanted to go out with her & she has no clue who he is! She is the only Aussie they have had at the school that anyone can remember...so she has been asked so much about Aus...important things like do we have yoghurt there? do the kids ride roos to school? you know important must know stuff LOL Do you guys speak English? Do you know Crocodile Dundee? Do you eat shrimp?	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-24 21:16:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	...oh she was already asked out by a guy & she said no because as she put it ' I had no idea who he was!!' we laughed for a while over that one! HAHAHA thats a classic!! So good to hear though that she is settling in so quickly and already popular!!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-24 21:07:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	SSN update -- We went to get our SSN's last Thursday to get Bek enrolled for school. For those who are doing the process with a child -- the child does NOT get an SSN on the K2 visa. They are not eligible for one until adjustment of status. We applied for mine and it will be delivered within 2 weeks. How was Bek's first day at school?	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-20 12:20:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	WE GOT OUR NOA2 TODAY!!! Congratulations!!!!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-14 21:35:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Hi everyone, We filed at the Vermont Service Center in January and are currently waiting for our NOA2. VSC is currently processing January filers, so hopefully anyday now is our day for NOA2! I just found this Australian beneficiary topic and i am so glad becuase i have a few questions about getting ready for P3 and the interview. I already filed for my police certificate about 3 weeks ago, so that should arrive soon. I have booked the date for my medical which is on May 11. It was very hard to get an appointment and i am wondering if we dont have the NOA2 by this date (hopefully we do, i a getting so anxious for it!!) can i still go to the appointment whithout our sydney consulate case number? Also, in regards to the i-134 affidavit of support, is it necessary to have my finaces last three years tax returns? He is currently in a job in which he makes well over the 125% poverty guidelines so getting the letter from employer and bank statements are no problem. However, last year he was unemployed and his tax return for that year does not show that he made over the poverty guideline. Is this a problem? Does it only matter that he is over the 125% poverty guideline now, or does he also have to show that he was over the guideline in provious years? I have read through this forum and you all seem so helpfull! Your responses will be much appreciated. I am praying for NOA2 anyday now Hi! For your medical, it depends on your doctor as to whether you can have your medical without your case number. For example, Dr Yates in Brisbane will not do the medical without the case number. Which state do you live in? For Sydney, I only showed Alex's last tax return, which was his 2009 tax return. But, he has been in his current job for five years, so what he makes has been constant. I also had three months worth of his payslips, his employer letter and his bank statements. At Sydney, once they see that you make more than the 125 percent, they are satisfied. I think they just looked at the affidavit Alex did and were satisfied. But, I think you could submit all three years and they won't ding you for it.	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-14 12:31:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Yeah, I would do that, but the boy is visiting Melbourne in May, so I will be otherwise occupied My plan is to do the police check as soon as he leaves (which will be 1st week of June). I guess I could do it before he arrives mid-May, but then it might be too early (NOA1 was March 4). The police check only takes about half an hour to do, and it really can bite you in the bum with the time it takes. Though I didn't have a strict time schedule to stick to, my police check took ages and if I was short on time, it would have really hurt me. Plus, it's valid for 6 months and you only need it for the consulate, so you can afford to get it done sooner rather than later.	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-12 00:43:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Congratulations on your marriage to Alex, I hope you have a long and happy life together, I guess the paper work is just beginning again? Thank you so much for your advice Astrid, this is such a strange thing to go though, one min I feel like it's going to be ok and everything will work out, then the moment of panic comes and it's ridiculous. I stayed up late last night to call Jamie and of course he made me feel so much better. Thank you!! Alex and I have been together since I was 18, so we are coming up on five years together. It was about time we got hitched Actually, the AOS paperwork was much easier than the K1 paperwork, which was a pleasant surprise! It helps that you don't have to include all the evidence up front. So guess now you will be bringing the date of your wedding forward? A year seems a little far away now	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-10 12:12:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Hi Guys, It's so great to read where everyone is at and things are going so well for everyone. We received our packet 3 on the 3rd March and I've sent off the first form, it was received on the 27th March. I'm starting to worry, I'm not ready, it all happened so fast, we sent out K-1 application on the 11 Jan 2010 and and I thought I would have more time. I have my medical booked in 2 weeks and next week going to get my police check. My fiance is coming over to visit in 5 weeks and was going to bring his forms (Form I-864) with him. Am I taking too long? our petition expires on the 24th June? He is coming on the 10 May for my sister's wedding? I was talking so long to book stuff because I was waiting on my police check for Canada, (I lived there for over a year) and was told it would take in excess of 140days, thinking I would have time and need to file for an extension but they arrived yesterday. If I have everything ready to post in the first week he is here, that leave 5 weeks until it expires, pushing it? I'm freaking out about the interview, we have been together for 2 years but my memory for things isn't great, I'm not one for knowing a date off the top of my head, I have to think about it, where we were etc. Is this going to be a problem, should I start studing? or am I getting myself worked up? Ok I'm going to stop now, I think I'm panicking over everything. I would really appreciate any advice you can offer. First up, Hi! Congratulations on getting such a fast approval! Thats the funny thing about the K1 and the service centers, you can be prepared for a five months wait to be approved, then suddenly get approved when you least expect. Sydney is pretty fast is booking your interview appointment, we have consistently seen appointments get booked two weeks after you send in your packet three. So, if you send it in with five weeks to spare, you theoretically should be fine. If need be, you can ask for an extension. Do not freak out about the interview! We all freak out and there is no need - Sydney is one of the easiest consulates to get through. This is not to say we all waltz in without a care, we still bought lots of evidence with us just in case. They are not going to ask you lots of obscure dates, but you should try and have some key stuff down. If you look at the Reviews section up the top, search for Australia and people have written about their interview experience. Look at the questions they were asked to help yourself out. Personally, I wasn't asked about dates. I was asked if I had been to the states, how long was my longest visit, what degree did I get while I was studying in the states, explain my living situation with Alex during the time I was in the states, did my parents like Alex and what kind of wedding were were planning. If you do get flustered, just take a breath and be truthful that you are not good with dates.	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-09 10:39:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	TY TY TY -- no was a dark haired lady who interviewed me...our package was in a pretty hot pink manila folder too LOL Eh, mine was in a blah sandard issue beige manila folder. No sense of style the day I was there, clearly.	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-06 18:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Congratulations Terri and Bek!! The woman who interviewed you, was she a blonde? And did you notice a Texas coffee cup with her at the desk? If so, she interviewed me too	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-06 00:10:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Terri's interview should be all done by now....I want to hear the good news lol!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-04-05 20:01:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Woo hoooooo! Next tuesday, thats bloody quick! Normally it's the second tuesday away! Go Terri!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-29 10:38:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	I forgot to write this the other day when I was responding to Rosa....We tend to forget what strong people we are in terms of the relationship we are pursing. Not many people can handle having their partner on the other side of the world for months or years at a time. We have a lot of patience, trust and guts to make our relationships work. We put up with explaining to people why our partners aren't from here. We are a special type of person and sometimes there are days where we forget that. But all the doubt and pain and fear from separation is worth it when we walk into the arrivals hall and see them. What I felt when I saw Alex in January for the first time in seven months has only been topped by the pure awesomeness that was our wedding day. So, it's ok to feel crappy sometimes and worry and be a bit neurotic and have a cry. This is all a big deal. But it's worth it	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-24 19:30:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Hi! I posted this in the Aussie chat thread, but I think it's pretty pertinent to the ladies still in Australia who are getting married. I wish I had known this kind of stuff before I flew out, because changing my name sure would have been easier while I was in Australia. Of course, I would have been changing my name by deed poll and not marriage, but still a change none the less. I hope it helps you out! I have information regarding fun post marriage things - specifically, changing your name back home in Australia and getting a passport. Sorry if this information is widely available, but from what I have gathered, requirements are always changing and it's nice to be up to date. Plus, a nice long post will help keep my boredom at bay until my husband gets home So, info about me. I am a resident of Queensland (since August 2008), born in South Australia, but have not lived in SA since 1997. According to Queensland Births, Deaths and Marriages, you must be born in Queensland, or have been born overseas with 12 months QLD residency to be able to file a name change there. So, to South Australian BDM I go! So, it's pretty much safe to assume that if you were born in one state, but have residency in another, you have to go back to your birth state to file the name change. Victoria and South Australia let you do it if you have at least three months residency, though. When you do a South Australian name change via Marriage, they will issue you two documents - an amended birth certificate with your maiden name on it, as well as your married name, and then a Certificate of Name change. These two documents have to stay together to be valid. The cost to do all this in SA is $187.50 AUD. They do take credit card, so it will be a bit cheaper by paying in USD! Another thing about the name change in SA - they do ask that you surrender your original birth certificate, and you cannot send a certified copy. Being that I am pending AOS, there is no way I am going to give up my birth certificate in case I need it! According to SA BDM, I can just request a new birth certificate along with my name change application for them to use, and just include a letter stating why I can't give my original up. It sucks, but I would rather pay $39 and get a second copy than risk getting into strife with USCIS! You may, however, send certified copies of everything else. So, once you get the certificates back and you finish admiring them, it's time to get your passport with your nice new name on it! I spoke with a lovely woman named Carla at the Los Angeles Consul-General (she really was lovely - if only more people in government were like her!) and she informed me that, yes, we must have both the Australian Name Change/Amended Birth Certificate and the US Marriage Licence in order to get a passport. It used to be that you could do it with just the US certificate, but that changed about five years ago. The other documentation needed is your old passport, another form of ID (Aussie/US drivers licence for example) and then something that shows your current US address on it, like a bank statement. If you are lucky enough to live near a Consul, you can get an appointment to get your new passport. This is a good thing, because it means you are not missing your old passport while you are waiting for the new one! I think this is a well know bit of info, but if you have more than two years remaining on your passport, you can get your new one free. I have six years remaining on mine, so I will be taking that option. If you so choose, you can also pay for a new, 10-year one. So overall, this is an annoying, but must-do process if you eventually want to get a new passport. I am fairly certain that the information given to me by the LA Consul-General would be correct for the rest of the Consuls across the US, but of course, always check! I hope my day of research can help everyone out...there is certainly some conflicting information out there so it's nice to know what is what.	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-23 19:19:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Hey all, just a random update from a lurker! NOA1 on Dec 18, NOA2 on March 18. God what a wait that was! Waiting on word from Sydney now, but hey, there's the light at the end of the tunnel right? I was curious, has anyone gotten their medical done through Adelaide, with Dr David Miller in North Adelaide? Kinda wondering as to how much of a grimace the fee will turn out to be. Which hahaa leads me to some questions. Should I attempt to get the medical booked and done in advance, or wait for Sydney to get in contact with me first? I'm also trying to lead the fiancee through gathering the forms and statements she needs, but I'm hitting a bit of a snag. We're going to need a co-sponsor (her father for this case), but just how excessive should we get for evidence on the affidavit? Right now she has the bank letter (which doesn't mention total deposits, just the 6-month average balance), and is thinking of sending through the last year of bank statements to cover the 'total deposits' part. Is it better to do this, or to get an IRS tax return for the last couple years, or both? Ahhh the paperwork mountain never stops!! Grats to recent approvals, also! It's been quite heartening to read the success stories through the 50+ pages on this thread! (and boy did that took a while lol) Thanks, Matt Hi! My medical was done in Brisbane, and it was a bit under $500. I did not need to have any vaccinations though, as I made sure I had any missing ones through my GP...much cheaper! Expect to pay at least a few hundred. Go ahead and book your medical and get the police check started now. Since you got your NOA2 nearly a week ago, call the NVC and get your case number - it will start with SYD2010********. You must have that to complete your medical. The police check can take a few weeks and it is one of the things that slowed me down in returning packet 3. A tip too, when you receive your medical results, make a few copies of everything you get. That way, you can have a copy of your medical in case you need it once you get to the States. As for the Affidavit stuff, don't worry about being too heavy handed. My husband gave a HEAPS of paperwork to show how much he made it and was way too much. He gave me the actual Affidavit, a letter from his employer, 6 months worth of pay slips, the last two years of tax returns, a letter from him bank, a years worth of statements, and the deed to his car. Really, all he needed to give me was the Affidavit, the employer letter, a tax return, a months worth of payslips, and the bank letter. The woman who interviewed me said that once they can see that they make over the amount needed, they don't care about anything else. So really, I guess the tax return proves that. Don't stress about having too much info! Rosa - I'm sorry you are feeling conflicted about the move. It's okay to feel like that though. It's a BIG DEAL to pick up your whole life and go, and sometimes our husbands or fiances don't understand that, because they haven't had to do that. They have gotten to stay comfortable in their homes, jobs, etc while they wait for their fabulous partners to arrive back. I even had a few times when I was thinking, "Am I really doing the right thing?" even though I had already been living in the US, and with Alex for nearly three years. Saying that last goodbye to friends and family is hard. But, it will be okay once you get here. And you have the three months to really cement everything. As sad is it is to say, people do realise that things are not going to work and go back home. But at least that is an option. Be positive and think about to great it is going to be back with Matt	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-23 12:55:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	I'm now a married woman! We got married last Friday so I'll be filing for AOS very soon....yay!! CONGRATS!! Welcome to the wife club	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-19 13:28:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	I found this which I thought was really interesting and helpful for those wondering where their cases are, like Terri for example who should be receiving P3 soon. Let me know if it works for you ------ The NVC uses DHL to ship their packages. Once you confirm the date that the I-130 was sent, you can go on the DHL website to approximately track your case. There are forums here talking about it but I'll sum it up below. 1. Go to: http://track.dhl-usa...?nav=TrackByRef 2. In Reference, enter the info as follows: EXP DD MMM YYYYA EXP is constant DD is the date before the day the NVC said they shipped the case. MMM is the three letters representing the month the NVC shipped the case YYYY is the year the NVC shipped the case A is constant For example, if the NVC says they shipped the case on February 12 2009, this would be entered as "EXP 11 FEB 2009A" 3. Date range for shipment - From: Enter the date of the day NVC said they sent the case 4. Date range for shipment - To: Enter todays date 5. Keep the rest of the fields blank 7. Once you enter the info, press "Track" 8. After a while you will see a list of all of the packages that left the NVC today. You need to search for the specific consulate. 9. When you find the shipment the corresponds to your consulate, you will see the tracking number that you can record. 10. You can then track the shipment from the NVC to your specific Consulate I used this to track my package from NVC to SYD. And it does work! You have to play with the dates a little bit to get the correct info, but it's worth it to feel a little bit closer to our cases Once you find what you believe to be your package, you can sign up for email alerts to see when it makes it to the Consulate.	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-16 13:41:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Congrats!!!! Super super fast from here. Took ours three weeks to get to the consulate after we received the Noa2. So happy for you! Question for everyone. Damo didnt make a copy of his medical when he got it before his interview. Since he is leaving Aus in two weeks does he need to go by the docs office and ask for one for our AOS? Today is is last day of work, he keeps texting me he cant believe it. lol. Im getting excited, I dont think it will really hit me that he will be here with me for good until I'm driving to the airport to pick him up. Feels like a dream. Yes, He should get a copy. You need to send in either a copy of the vaccination sheet of his medical, or the vaccination supplement (which uses that sheet) when you do AOS. They should give it to him if he asks them	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-12 11:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	NOA2 arrived this morning WOOOOOOOOOOHHHOOOOOO YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!! Such an awesome and amazing feeling! Uncle Sam approves of you, lol. I hope that the rest of this process is smooth for you	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-11 19:32:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Thanks Astrid, I think all will be ok. Its weard how much we want everything to be perfect. Hope you and your hubby have settled in. Still cold over there? its been wet here on the mid north coast of NSW and QLD has been getting a battering with lots of rain and some floods. cheers and chat soon Candice Yeah we are settling in great, just dealing with all the mundane stuff that comes with merging two lives together It has been lovely weather the last day or so, but today it's supposed to bucket down. I'm dying to wear all the stuff I was wearing just a month ago! Back home in Brissie it's been solidly raining...Mum and Dad got home on Friday and have resigned themselves to the fact that their garden will be washed away!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-06 12:03:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Hi all, Can anyone who had a blood test to check their immunity tell me what the blood was actually tested for? I had mine done today and it is only going to be tested for rebella and chicken pox. I thought measles and mumps would be included in it too? I got a new pill script today too and it is a years worth. I am going to hang back on taking it till I get the noa2. Going back to my GP in 2weeks for the adacil jab and the results of the blood test. Doc said he would write me a letter stating I was up to date with all my vaccinations. He also sugested I get a pap smear done before I leave. I told him no at first, but thining about it now its a good idea I suppose. Mine was tested for chicken pox and rubella, but only because chicken pox was the only thing that I had as a kid but didn't have proof of, and rubella because my doctor thought I am of childbearing age and it was a good idea. I had proof of MMR immunity already. Maybe ask your doctor about the history of MMR vaccination in NSW, maybe everyone was blanket vaccinated so they just assumed you were immune already? I held off getting my scripts filled until the week before I left. I should have gotten a pap smear done too but I kind of forgot. I'm not on Alex's health insurance yet so I can't get anything like that done, and I am due for one. The letter is a good idea, because the letter I go ended up being used by my panel doctor, and went into the envelope that I handed over at my POE.	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-05 11:55:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Not yet -- our timeline estimate says literally any day now -- so someone needs to hurry up over there LOL When we got our NOA2, the website didn't even update, it just said we'd gotten a touch. It still isn't even updated, lol. We didn't know we had the approval until we got the hardcopy! I'm thinking positive for you!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-03 20:00:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	OK so I decided to go ahead and get my police check done early. I am so glad I have. Just remember that, just because they are police officers doesn't mean they know everything. I had the form filled out and took the instructions with me, with the bits relevant highlighted like the cost $175 and that I needed the name date of birth and fingerprint check. He still got it wrong. After trying all afternoon yesterday ringing them to see if it was a good time to come in for it (4 times they said come back at a later time and that was just that day) I decided to just go in. I expected for there to be no officers in there by the way they keep carrying on, on the phone. There was police officers everywhere. AnyWho he did it wrong he only did the date of birth and name check even though I said the word fingerprint twice. It wasn't until I questioned him again and he looked at the form number on the instrustions 799 that he got a clue. I didn't want to have to tell a POLICE OFFICER that he was wrong, thankgod the lightbolb went off in his head. So he had to write 2 reciepts numbers on the form and to top it off I couldn't get my prints taken cause there was "prisoners" there. Id have to say I would have found it intimidating. But thinking about it now I should have just said stuff them I'll do the check. Anyway I have to go back at 6pm to get the prints done. I assume I will have to explain everything to the officer I get then too. Almost got it checked off the list. going to my GP on friday to get the blood test. GGGGR I just knew I'd have a problem. Ok I'v finished my rant. Time for some lunch Ugh yeah it's a tad frustrating when you are dealing with people in power and you know more about the process than they do! The receptionist at my cop shop had no idea what I was asking for and tired to give me a bum steer but the officer I got was great. Police check in Queensland was $147...I don't get why it isn't the same price everywhere, seeing as it's a NATIONAL police check, not a individual state one!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-03 10:35:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Hey everyone! Been a while since I have posted but I have been lurking hehe. Hope everyone is well. Been super busy here getting ready for Damo to come over. He gets here in a little over 3 weeks! We are getting married May 1st, I so cant wait for that. I cant believe I only have 3 more Friday nights without him. The trees are blooming here, so I'm excited by the time he gets here spring will be in full bloom and we can go on trips on the weekend and maybe it wont be raining all the time lol. Talking about schedules and talking to our sweeties, for the last 3 years I have lived on a very strict schedule to be able to talk to him. Everything is pretty much planned around that lol. He has told me over the years to not to do it, but I just cant go do stuff or not jump on my computer when I know he is available to chat. Damo has a skype cell phone, so I pretty much get to chat with him anytime I want. I usually talk to him on his drive to work, then chat with him on his lunch break for an hour, then on his drive home from work. Its really been great cause he gripes about work and even though the schedule is set in stone I feel like a normal couple even though we are on the other side of the planet from each other. So when he gets here the schedule will be over. Im really looking forward to that lol. It will take me a few weeks to not think, ok i need to start cooking dinner by 5 so i can have it done and eaten before his lunch break at work. My kids I think love it cause they are usually starving when they get home from school, and eating so early has done wonders for my waist line. hehe. Jules Haha I hear you on the scheduling! Alex and I lived together for two and a half years while I was in the US on a student visa, so when I went home last year to wait for the K1 it was so weird to have to schedule 'skype dates" so we could see each other! Since we both worked full time, the only time we could talk was my Saturday and Sunday afternoons, which was his Friday and Saturday nights. Thank God for Skype, I don't know how we would have coped. Three more weeks...So soon for you Jules! Those last few weeks flew by for me, as did the three weeks in between me getting back to LA and the wedding. Can't wait to hear all about you guys being reunited! Side note - If anyone wants to see wedding pics, Clicky! Edited by alex and astrid, 02 March 2010 - 01:08 PM.	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-03-02 13:07:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Ah yes! You should at least DEFINITELY have AP by then and if it gets transferred to CSC then it's likely you won't get an interview. It'll be good to go on honeymoon all official and complete though... I'm excited to get mine but also scared 'cause it's $300 to get a new one if it's stolen/lost etc and knowing MY luck **knock on wood** I will. No no, you will not lose anything! Think positive Though I am always scared I will lose all that important paperwork, I make Alex put it all in a safe place	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-02-27 21:19:00
Australia and New Zealand	Australian Beneficiaries - Packet 3 to Interview date	Ugh Vanessa that sucks! You can file sooooon though! I'm just excited that we can file way sooner than I though. Makes me hopeful we will be all done by the time we are going to Mexico for our honeymoon!	alex and astrid	Female	Australia	2010-02-27 20:46:00