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DV 2015 Oceania winners

guestgulkan said:
Quick question for experienced applicants.

Just going through the Sydney Pre-requisites list and I saw this:

"26) FORM DS-260 IMMIGRANT VISA ELECTRONIC APPLICATION
Each applicant, including dependents, must complete Form DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application online. Bring a copy of the DS-260 confirmation page, which should have a bar code and the applicant’s picture."

My DS-260 confirmation doesn't have my picture?
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you meant to have 2 recent photos with you, with your name written at the back when you go to your interview. DS260 doesn't have photos attached to it :)
 
Hi guys,

I'm yet to receive an email from the Sydney consulate regarding the checklist of documents... does this sound normal? Should I receive an email? I have the checklists that were in @EmilyW dropbox file but I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing out on anything.

My interview is September 8.

Thanks!
 
Hi @arrypottah
I did not even know I am about to get such email and only followed the instructions on the website and the general ones from travel.state.gov. By chance I saw this email in my "spam" folder probably a week before the interview. Good that my preparations were aligned to the instructions it brought.
Well, to add that it is only 2 Aug, I received mine on 6 May for 9 Jun interview. In your case it may not be sent.
Anyway - also check your spam :)
 
Hi Guys,
Well, the time has almost come. We have our interview on Tuesday at 9:15 and I had just a couple of last questions for those of you who have spouses.
We've done the checklist. I have our original marriage cert from BDM and a photocopy in my documents, and just wrote (see primary applicant documents) on my wife's checklist. Is this what other people did, or does she need a photocopy too?
Also, if you qualify under the education requirement, you just need to bring your transcripts and a CV and not a bunch of employment records yeah?
 
She needs to have a photocopy of the marriage certificate too @ndubbs.

Yep, you just need your high school certificates but we took degrees and a letter from my employer stating my position and wage. As it happens, my husband's degree was asked for (he did his high school in the UK and his high school results were just too confusing for the CO), so it's worth carrying more than less.

Just have two piles. One with the documents on the checklist (the girls in security will go through these and put them in a plastic folder for you). A second pile with the rest, just in case they ask for it.

Good luck. You'll be fine. The Sydney Consulate is a great one - friendly, efficient and - by 10am - you'll be out and wondering why you were ever worried!
 
EmilyW said:
She needs to have a photocopy of the marriage certificate too @ndubbs.

Yep, you just need your high school certificates but we took degrees and a letter from my employer stating my position and wage. As it happens, my husband's degree was asked for (he did his high school in the UK and his high school results were just too confusing for the CO), so it's worth carrying more than less.

Just have two piles. One with the documents on the checklist (the girls in security will go through these and put them in a plastic folder for you). A second pile with the rest, just in case they ask for it.

Good luck. You'll be fine. The Sydney Consulate is a great one - friendly, efficient and - by 10am - you'll be out and wondering why you were ever worried!
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Thanks @EmilyW. Were you or your husband the primary applicant?
 
He was the principal, @ndubbs.

So he had the original of the marriage certificate but we both had copies of it. I think that @AussieGemma had only taken one copy and had to photocopy another one. Just a minor stress you don't need on the day IMO!
 
All paper work done! Now to just get on a plane tomorrow arvo. @EmilyW you have officially allowed me to sleep tonight! Thanks so much. Will let you know how it goes!
 
I'll say what I say to everyone in the Class of OC2015 - you're golden. And you're golden because - like all OCers - you're prepared and ready. Get us some more GCs matey!
 
SusieQQQ said:
The first bit yes, doing it again might lead to problems on your second re-entry, as there would be valid grounds for the cbp officer to question if you have abandoned residency, especially if you haven't kept up to date with all your tax obligations during your absences. If you really want to do this, would suggest you apply for a re-entry permit on your activation trip as that gives you two years without really risking your green card.
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Bugger, wish I knew that before returning to Auzzie, could I apply for a re entry permit when we go for a couple of months in January 2016?
 
Is anybody else completely bummed about the dollar, we have decided to rent the house out as it's not worth selling and losing a third of our money, when I started this visa journey it was one for one:(
 
CC1 said:
Bugger, wish I knew that before returning to Auzzie, could I apply for a re entry permit when we go for a couple of months in January 2016?
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Gosh, it took you more than 3 months to respond to that reply, how long for this one? :p

Of course you could apply for it. Whether you get it or not, I don't know. Most people only do one long absence after becoming LPRs, you look like you want to do at least two. Out of interest, when do you plan on making a permanent move to the U.S.?
 
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Ladies and Gents,
I have competed my POE trip. Went as detailed by previous experiences. In my case the immigration officer did not take us to a different room but completed the entire process on the counter. Maybe because they were having system issues.
Had a holiday in Vegas with drinking and gambling to celebrate.
Went to SS office in Vegas after 6 days in the country and they ended up giving me and my wife our SSN. For some strange reason our son wasn't processed and will need a new application. I got a phone call later that afternoon from the person whose address we are using to tell us that the physical SS cards had arrived in the mail. Now to apply for some jobs and plan a big move by Jan .
 
Aucklander said:
Ladies and Gents,
I have competed my POE trip. Went as detailed by previous experiences. In my case the immigration officer did not take us to a different room but completed the entire process on the counter. Maybe because they were having system issues.
Had a holiday in Vegas with drinking and gambling to celebrate.
Went to SS office in Vegas after 6 days in the country and they ended up giving me and my wife our SSN. For some strange reason our son wasn't processed and will need a new application. I got a phone call later that afternoon from the person whose address we are using to tell us that the physical SS cards had arrived in the mail. Now to apply for some jobs and plan a big move by Jan .
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Congratulations! Don't forget to keep good records about financial transactions now, as you will have to file a 2015 tax report in April 2016.
 
Britsimon said:
Congratulations! Don't forget to keep good records about financial transactions now, as you will have to file a 2015 tax report in April 2016.
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Thanks Simon, financial records will be all Bank Statements and big expenses ? Is there any other stuff I need to keep ?
 
Aucklander said:
Thanks Simon, financial records will be all Bank Statements and big expenses ? Is there any other stuff I need to keep ?
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Income records, sales of stock, property and so on. Basically - anything that could create a taxable earning, and yes, expenses you might be able to offset.
 
We're still selling our house (the market is too red hot not to sell). Houses in our location are selling before auction and going a few hundred thousand over the reserve. But we're keeping the cash here in Australia until the dollar gets better.
 
EmilyW said:
We're still selling our house (the market is too red hot not to sell). Houses in our location are selling before auction and going a few hundred thousand over the reserve. But we're keeping the cash here in Australia until the dollar gets better.
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I am in the same boat @EmilyW . Auckland housing market is insane . I will be waiting a few months after I move before we sell. Mrs wants to keep it ( emotional attachment).
Don't know about the dollar getting better anytime soon tho. US economy is picking up whereas its doom and gloom in Aus/NZ with the Chineese wanting less Iron Ore /Dairy
 
There's speculation the dollar won't get to parity until 2018 when Chinese consumer confidence picks up, but that it will pick up towards the tail of 2016 and early 2017. I'm happy to wait. I'm not about to lose hundreds of thousands of hard earned dollars thanks to a crappy exchange rate. We'll invest the dollars here and use the interest to fund whatever we do in the US.

Thankfully, we've moved across a reasonable amount already to our Bank of American account (when the dollar was at 80c and we thought we were doing it tough, little did we know). So we have enough over there to get ourselves going initially.
 
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