biggish data

Haha as an Aussie I have to comment here!

Partner typically means "same-sex" partner in Australia as well. Some of the older people use it for their bf/gf because the term boyfriend or girlfriend isn't serious enough to explain their relationship.

Also, Australia recognises defacto couples. You wouldn't really be a spouse, but in that instance you could conceivably call yourself a partner, especially because you have to go through a type of "divorce" process to split possessions etc.

Honestly though, I only ever said bf then fiance and now husband because "partner" to me usually means "same-sex" so I didn't want that confusion

**Addendum - depending on what state you're in this makes a difference too. Some of the inhabitants of certain states (which shall remain nameless) are odd

I know I'm late to the party, but it does? Everyone I know says partner (in Aus) and I thought that was normal.. I think it sounds better than other terms too. I even call my husband my partner here... I hope no one things either of us are the opposite sex.

Xanax

Female

Australia

2013-02-13 03:18:00

Police certificate from all places lived since age 16 for packet 3?

Any country your fiance has lived in. So she'll need one for Australia (through the Victoria Police), plus if she's ever lived in any other country for more than 6 months (except the US).

Lainie B

Female

Australia

2014-03-23 19:50:00

I believe the medical is good for a year. I'm not sure where you are getting the 3-6 months from.

The visa is good for 6 months after date of issue, or the expiry of the medical, whichever comes first.

You need to deal with the consulate in Sydney, not the embassy in Canberra. They will respond to email only, you can't call them. The email address is sydneyIV@state.gov

Lainie B

Female

Australia

2014-03-13 23:38:00

Thanks to both of you. Breathing a little easier now!!!!!

Sukie

Vaccination records or titre tests are really all you need. But if you have any questions about what else might be needed, ask the panel physician that you will be using.

Lainie B

Female

Australia

2014-03-22 02:19:00

Hi B&G,

Thank you! I have printed off that page and also the page on the US Embassy website in Sydney (where it specifically says 'Applicants are required to apply for a police certificate based on a name check').

I am pretty sure the name check should be ok- and seemingly it certainly would be in Sydney. I guess I am just worried that London won't be up to date on the reqs for an Australian Police Certificate... And I have no idea whether I am way over thinking this, or whether it will be no problem at all on the day. I haven't had to send my documents to the NVC as we were able to file everything in London directly. So, we have to bring everything (ie. all original documents and copies of each of them) to the interview and just hope it all goes well.

For anyone else lurking this page- I will let you know what happens after my interview in a couple of weeks' time!

Would be great to hear any other recent interview experiences re: Australian Police Certificates...

Thanks again B & G!

Very welcome!

Hopefully London wont give you any grief and you'll breeze through!

Also...

B & G

Female

Greece

2014-03-14 05:58:00

http://travel.state....nts/submit.html

Hi s-c,

I am in the same boat as an Australian living in London. I got a name check as i followed the instructions on the AFP website and nowhere there or on the NVC guidelines does it note that fingerprints are required... So, i had thought all was in hand for weeks, only to stumble across something somewhere suggesting that for Aus it must be a fingerprint check.

I rushed to get fingerprints done here, couriered them to the AFP, and have been calling emailing them to explain i urgently need my fingerprint form... So far, there has been nothing from them to say it will be done quickly

So, i am wondering: have you had your interview in London already? Did they really specifically say that you must produce an Aus Police Cert with fingerprints?

Any news on recent experiences in London would be unbelievably helpful.

Hey Sleepless..

I had the same worries as you! Only applied for a name check with AFP. I am an Australian citizen but I havent lived in Aus for 14 years! Anyway.. through VJ, I found another CR1 filer like me that lived in Australia for a short amount of time and was now overseas. He applied for a name check certificate (no fingerprints) and it was accepted by NVC without any problem.

Here is what I found on the NVC website that states that only name check is required, mentions nothing about fingerprints.

Scroll down till you find the heading: Review additional embassy or consulate instructions, from the list chose SYD and download pdf. Print it out and take it with you to the London Embassy should they ask for fingerprints. You can only give them what they ask for, and the instructions for AUS police check certificates from the SYD consulate state only name check!

Good luck!

B & G

Female

Greece

2014-03-14 04:22:00

I believe there needs to be 1 for the interview.. I sent 2 spare photos with packet 3.

Ozgirl1981

Female

Australia

2014-01-09 21:49:00

Hey BFP,

I'm an Australian living in the UK and needed to get an Australian police check done. The check needs to be based on a name and fingerprint check. This means she will need to go to a police station and have her prints done (they have to be wet prints, not digital scans, as not every state has a database with complete digital prints).

The main thing is that the category of check is "Overseas Employment" category (Code 35). NOT the immigration/citizenship category (Code 33), as this category is for people applying to immigrate to Australia.

It only took about 5 weeks for me to get mine back, and this includes the time for me to send my prints back to Australia and then the check to be sent back.

Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, I'm happy to chat.

My local Police station only has the digital prints offered. They dont have wet prints anymore where I live. So as long as they take your fingerprints, wet or dry, it shouldn't matter.

Ozgirl1981

Female

Australia

2014-01-31 08:04:00

Thanks for the reply! We haven't discussed co-sponsor yet but I have family and friends who could do so. I don't have work lined up in the US but I'm sure I can find something when I get there. We plan on staying with my mother since she has room until we find a place of our own and figure out work situation.

How far along in the process are you? I keep hearing the process takes about 3-4 months.

Right now I'd expect to be more around the 6-7 month mark, we are about 2 months in, unfortunately had the application returned for using the AU country abbreviation in November which knocked us back a little bit.

Alex&Amy

Male

Australia

2013-02-19 01:59:00

My Fiance is here with me in Australia also, I guess we are in a fairly similar situation, she has a job to go back to in the US and her family will go as co-sponsors for me so hopefully that all works out with out any issues, I've also lived and worked in the US and have a job to go to once my visa and everything is approved and i have employment authorization, don't know if that will effect anything though.

We had no issues so far filing from Australia, USCIS will send all letters here no problem, you just have to wait about 7 days longer for the post. Do you guys have a co-sponsor available? By the sounds of it very few Australians get rejected for US visas, unless there is a criminal record of you lie on forms... Anyway good luck, will be interesting to see how we go through the process.

Alex&Amy

Male

Australia

2013-02-12 02:18:00

This might be off topic, but if the police check with fingerprints is valid for 12 months, could I get it now while i'm waiting for NOA2?

It's not off topic. The answer is: it depends.

If you live in Queensland or New South Wales, you need to wait until you have a case number from NVC - because QLD and NSW send your Police Certificate directly to the Consulate, and you need that case number. If you are not in Australia or live in other states/territories, you may be able to go ahead and get them done and sent to you.

Sweetswinks, I'm sorry - I can't see if you are a K-1 or IR-1 from this reply page. Right now, the K-1 is taking about 5-6 months from start-to-finish and the IR-1/CR-1 is taking 11 to 14 months. If you are an IR-1/CR-1, I suggest you wait until you KNOW your case is at the NVC. It's taking 4 to 6 weeks from the time the NVC gets your file until you get a case number.

Sukie

Not Telling

Australia

2014-03-09 11:03:00

Any Aussies from QLD out there? When I go to the Police Certificate site for Queensland, it says that the police report is delivered directly to the US Consulate. Therefore, my spouse will not be able to turn it in with her IV documents. May I assume that NVC will know this, and not hold us up waiting for a police certificate that will never be sent to NVC?

The Australian Federal Police site says that QLD police send the prints directly to the US Consulate in Sydney. Guess that means we have to get our NVC number so that it can be married up at the Consulate, right?

Who has gone through this? Any hints?

Thanks!

Sukie

Sukie

Not Telling

Australia

2014-02-03 06:56:00

Thanks to both of you. Breathing a little easier now!!!!!

Sukie

Not Telling

Australia

2014-03-21 17:21:00

Hi folks. My partner and I are at NVC at the moment, and preparing for the next steps (medical and police certificate).

Our wonderful NVC forum co-ordinator has suggested (strongly) that beneficiaries need to take their medical history files to the medical examination. My partner is nearing 60 years old, and her files must be over 200 pages long!!!!

She and her physician have been working on getting all immunizations up to date, including titers to prove immunity. But does she really need to take her WHOLE medical history files (including all past chest x-rays) to the panel physician? I thought the US was looking for communicable diseases - not peering into medical-history-since-childhood.

Have any of you "passed" without taking your whole medical file with you? We've got nothing to hide, but why does she need records of her shoulder bone spur surgery or her appendectomy or her IVF treatment? Can't she just put those down on the form the panel physician will have her fill out?

Thanks.

Sukie

Not Telling

Australia

2014-03-21 15:39:00

Hi, my process was straightforward and easy, USC was employed and living in America though. The only difficulty I could see for you is the lack of employment for you, the USC. Have you a co-sponsor? Or do you have work? Have you consider a spousal visa instead? You may find the benefits of that will suit you better than K1. Read the guides and follow the helps and pre-filled forms, putting the package together is easy enough.
Good luck

Touch of Treble

Female

Australia

2013-01-28 11:28:00

Hello all,

I have a question regarding which Australian police check is required for our K-1.

My fiancé, who is currently living in Australia, is trying to get her police checks as soon as she can to avoid delays later on. She has told me that Australia offers two different types of police checks, one WITH finger prints, and one WITHOUT finger prints.

We've looked everywhere, but we can't seem to find a definitive answer.

If anyone has dealt with Australia for their K-1, or can provide solid information (e.g. official website) it would help us breathe alittle easier.

Thanks in advance,

M&A

You should get the one WITH fingerprints. I got my K1 through London but needed an Australian Police Certificate as I'd resided there for over 2 yrs. I had to get my fingerprints taken at Scotland Yard and mailed them with the application down to Canberra, who then mailed my Police Certificate back. Aside from the extra hassle of getting prints taken, its straightforward.

Kiwinyc

Female

United Kingdom

2014-03-04 15:02:00

Police certificate from all places lived since age 16 for packet 3?

Make an appointment at the world trade centre in Melbourne so she can get fingerprints and fill in forms and they will post you the certificate you need.

https://www.police.v...Document_ID=274

You will be doing the most expensive one, fingerprints for immigration.

jajaju

Female

Australia

2014-03-23 18:43:00

Can I please ask when your interview was scheduled, like how long after you received case complete? 4 weeks? Sorry I'm just about to be at that stage and am jumping out of my skin with curiosity as far as how soon after case complete I may get my interview.

Thanks so much. Good luck with your issue.

jajaju

Female

Australia

2014-03-27 01:46:00

vaccinations

They will do them at the medical appointment anyway, just take proof of what you have already had done.

kiky

Male

Congo DR

2014-04-01 08:08:00

You need two photos for packet 3!

charlottelizabeth

Female

Australia

2014-01-10 16:43:00

I didn't - admitedly I am nowhere near 60, but I've had a child so I do have hospital records etc. I didn't bring any files with me, except my vaccination proof.

charlottelizabeth

Female

Australia

2014-03-21 15:47:00

Co-Sponsor's I-134, Question 11 (for U.S. Consulate in Sydney)

Our co-sponsor simply wrote she would provide bed/board for as long as I needed. Didn't have a problem at the interview.

charlottelizabeth

Female

Australia

2014-03-17 20:40:00

What was your processing time?

It's just luck of the draw! There is really no rhyme or reasoning behind why one couple waits 200+ days and another under 100. Sometimes one processing centre will be working at a faster rate than another but you can never guess which will be the fastest at x point in time.

Ours went like this:
24 Sept 2012 - send off petition
01 Oct 2012 - first NOA1
31 May 2013 - NOA2
24 Jun 2013 - packet 3 received (medical, police clearance, etc)
27 Aug 2013 - packet 3 sent back
16 Sept 2013 - packet 4 received
24 Sept 2013 - interview @ Sydney (approved)
04 Oct 2013 - visa in hand

When we applied, (with CSC) they were overloaded with DACA applicants & k1 processing screeched to a near halt. You just never know!

Good luck with everything, if you follow all the guides on this website you most definitely do not need to waste your money on an attorney! Just my opinion tho!

charlottelizabeth

Female

Australia

2014-03-31 15:27:00

I sent 2 passport photos with packet 3 just to make sure because one of the forms said I needed them but they weren't listed on the checklist.

With the DS-160 form as long as you upload an acceptable photo it appears that is all that's required. When I was called to the counter for my pre-interview document collection stuff the woman gave me back the passport photos. I will now use them for my AOS

It might not hurt to throw the passport photos in with packet 3 anyway just in case there's something wrong with the photo on your DS-160, I'm all for being over-prepared

dodgyJim73

Male

Australia

2014-01-10 04:17:00

My local Police station only has the digital prints offered. They dont have wet prints anymore where I live. So as long as they take your fingerprints, wet or dry, it shouldn't matter.

That's surprising, given that there are a few states that don't have digital fingerprint technology. Oh well, clearly worked haha

S-C

Not Telling

United Kingdom

2014-01-31 08:25:00

Hey BFP,

I'm an Australian living in the UK and needed to get an Australian police check done. The check needs to be based on a name and fingerprint check. This means she will need to go to a police station and have her prints done (they have to be wet prints, not digital scans, as not every state has a database with complete digital prints).

The main thing is that the category of check is "Overseas Employment" category (Code 35). NOT the immigration/citizenship category (Code 33), as this category is for people applying to immigrate to Australia.

It only took about 5 weeks for me to get mine back, and this includes the time for me to send my prints back to Australia and then the check to be sent back.

Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, I'm happy to chat.

S-C

Not Telling

United Kingdom

2014-01-31 03:47:00

Why don't you legally marry in Australia and have another wedding in the US? Or travel to the US, get married, and come back and file the CR-1?

I imagine going for an interview at the consulate and the conversation going something like this:

Interviewer: So where did you get married?
Me: At the courthouse

Interviewer: How many people in your family attended?
Me: None

Interviewer: What does your family think of your marriage?
Me: They don't know

lol. So even though the K1 is a little bit tougher, it's the right fit for us I think.

Edited by kdude1, 24 February 2013 - 10:13 PM.

kdude1

Male

Australia

2013-02-24 22:09:00

I'm in pretty much the exact same situation lol!

My partner (opposite sex partner haha) is a US citizen, we've been together years and she lives with me in Australia.. We want to get married in the US so we are looking at the K1 visa as well.

The marriage visa is beneficial and cheaper, however we want to marry in the US because my partner's family is there, so K1 is really our only option.

Any work you have in Australia wont count unfortunately (unless you can show that the income will continue when you move to the USA).. My partner therefore cannot be my sponsor as she doesn't work in the US, she lives here in Australia. We are going to ask a family member of hers to be the sponsor (The sponsor has to be a USC).

So we're thinking of filing over the next few days.. 3-4 months would be a dream! We are expecting anywhere up to 12 months based on what we've read... not sure how long it all takes. We just don't want to be separated.. hoping we can do the whole journey together.

had the application returned for using the AU country abbreviation in November which knocked us back a little bit.

Which form was that for? Do you mean you wrote AU instead of "Australia"?

Edited by kdude1, 24 February 2013 - 04:29 AM.

kdude1

Male

Australia

2013-02-24 04:26:00

Police certificate from all places lived since age 16 for packet 3?

It means go to the police in melbourne and get a print out from them detailing any criminal activity since age 16 and any other place your fiancee has lived.

Mela17

Female

United Kingdom

2014-03-23 18:17:00

I would email again, I sent an email before and it took them four days to answer

cheers

razspaz13

Female

Australia

2014-03-20 05:00:00

What was your processing time?

sure now you tell me to marry in the usa LOL, we married in 2000 in Oz

such is life

cheers

razspaz13

Female

Australia

2014-04-02 23:18:00

Thank you Kpea That's a relief..will be so glad when this is all done haha.

Good luck to you!!

Good luck to you too! Looks like we have a similar timeline and are both in the same boat right now! Maybe we'll run into each other in NY hehe.

KPea

Not Telling

Australia

2014-01-12 19:07:00

_{Thank you Ozgirl!}

_{I have just come across information about scheduling the interview appointment online?? I haven't seen or heard of this before, so am now confused.. Did you do this too? I was under the impression packet 4 was when they told us of the interview dates.}

Hi, no you don't schedule the interview appointment online. The Packet 4 email that they send to you (and/or your USC petitioner fiance) will state your interview appointment.

I've just sent my Packet 3 off a couple days ago, now for the last wait!

KPea

Not Telling

Australia

2014-01-09 23:31:00

Rescheduling of Immigration interview at Sydney Consulate AUS

Bump

BFP XX

Male

Australia

2014-03-20 19:09:00

Rescheduling of Immigration interview at Sydney Consulate AUS

Hi guys!

*UK citizen, Australian PR, applying for K1 from SYDNEY Australia*

The K1 Visa process has moved very quickly for us. We lodged our I-129F late January and received NOA2 mid February! While we are thrilled that the process is moving so quickly, we had already made plans prior to approval, for me to visit with my fiancee in the US, and I am currently in the US visiting him until the end of May *Btw, no issue with entering the US for my 3rd visit. I was questioned and was completely honest about our situation, and was granted entry*

I received the Packet 3 email, advising of an interview date at the SYDNEY consulate for early April - I emailed them back as instructed to reschedule the appointment for late May/June. I received an email back stating that they have no interview dates left for May, and that I have been placed on a cancellation list for May, and if no appointments become available, then I will be moved to the June waiting list.

The email correspondence is vague and despite numerous emails, the consulate don't seem to be able to give me clear direction, and their phone number is extremely difficult to navigate, and I haven't been able to speak to an actual person on the line yet. I am unsure as to whether I am on a waiting list for June for cancellations, or if they have not yet allocated appointments for June, and I'm next in line to be booked in? I did email them to clarify this, but no response as yet - This was 3 days ago, I am sending them another email follow up today. The NOA2 will expiry mid June, and I asked them if we should extend the validity of it, and they have told me how to do this - Fairly simple procedure of my fiancee signing a document and emailing it to them requesting the extension, however I'm not sure if we should apply for the extension now, or wait and see what the consulate say next regarding an appointment... They did not answer that part of my query.

I am wondering if anyone else has had to reschedule their interview date at the SYDNEY consulate, and how the process was for them? How long did you have to wait for another appointment? Did you struggle to communicate effectively with the consulate?

I would really appreciate anybody that has dealt with the SYDNEY consulate, to bring their story forward. As always, this is a nerve wracking and stressful process, and the more we all share, the more we all feel less alone in this!

Thanks in advance A&M

BFP XX

Male

Australia

2014-03-19 21:27:00

if she's never been arrested or convicted of a crime she likely does not need the one with fingerprints.

I thought that, but that "likely" part makes me weary... have you had experience with getting the Australian police checks?

BFP XX

Male

Australia

2014-01-31 00:34:00

Hello all,

I have a question regarding which Australian police check is required for our K-1.

My fiancé, who is currently living in Australia, is trying to get her police checks as soon as she can to avoid delays later on. She has told me that Australia offers two different types of police checks, one WITH finger prints, and one WITHOUT finger prints.

We've looked everywhere, but we can't seem to find a definitive answer.

If anyone has dealt with Australia for their K-1, or can provide solid information (e.g. official website) it would help us breathe alittle easier.

Thanks in advance,

M&A

BFP XX

Male

Australia

2014-01-31 00:12:00

I would contact them, and just be honest. It shouldn't be a problem. They probably know that it'll take that long to get the documents, and won't have a problem adjusting your interview date.

ChrisFurlough

Not Telling

Philippines

2014-03-13 20:14:00