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Ciao bella! :cool: Sounds like you'll be busy. All the best with your internship and uni graduation. We applied for a credit card a few months ago but got rejected due to not having a credit history here. We talked to the manager of our bank at Citibank and asked her for advice. We...

I doubt you can do that. While I was still living in Perth, I opened a Citibank account there. When I was next in the US (not as a Green Card holder, but on a B1/B2 temp visa), I opened a Citibank account in San Diego. I found their exchange rates to be excellent and could do online...

Thanks for that, britsimon. Lest we forget.

Congrats, scorpz. Yes, your chances are very good. You won't hear anything til about 2 months before your interview date. When your number is current on the Visa Bulletin, you will receive an email a few days later, asking you to check online for more information. Early next year should be...

Ring them. I found their email responses useless. They were cut-and-pastes of stock standard verbiage which were probably automatically generated and nothing new. It'll come from: "noreply@state.gov" with the subject: "Required Entry Status Check for DV Submission" You might not get asked...

I can understand your reaction. I was so surprised to see such a small jump last month as it put DV2014, with its huge increase in the number of selectees, below the cut-off of the last few years. Didn't make any sense at all. All the best!! greg, I noticed in your signature that you...

So sorry to hear that bad news, Qewty. The new management sound like real mongrels. I hope you find another path to realize your dream of moving to the US. For us, Oz is very isolated in many ways, not just physical distance. We've always loved the US and enjoyed our many visits here. It...

They will give you a number fairly quickly - for us, the next day. The card will get sent not long after that. As long as you have a number, you will be good to go as far as jobs. I doubt they'll ask to see your card. Most Americans have it memorized, and the SSN people suggest not to carry...

Even though I ticked the box to get my SSN automatically, something stuffed up because we got our Green Cards in the mail but no SSNs. Went to the SSN office and asked about it. There were no SSNs in the works for us at all, so something didn't get processed as it should have. The lady at the...

Not sure if this helps but I have a hyphenated middle-name. They didn't drop the hyphen, it was there on all correspondence. It's not all that uncommon anymore to have hyphenated surnames so I can't see why it would be a problem for them.

You've obviously never met a Geordie or a Scouse then. If we include the Scots, then try understanding a Glaswegian! Good luck with that.

Australia's quarantine laws are necessarily anal. Because of it's geographic isolation, it has a unique ecosystem that doesn't have the protection from exotic pests and diseases that can be imported from other countries by ignorant tourists and foreign-born residents "just bringing a bit of...

I would not want to get on the wrong side of a US border officer ever.

Yes, I can relate to that. I'd bring everything regardless. Keep all the extra documents in a separate pile in case they need it. They probably won't but it's a bit of a comfort thing more than anything. When you're standing at the interview window, the stress level is pretty high, so the...

Thanks, and I'm glad it's working out for you too. That whole employment visa process sounds like a nightmare - several of my friends have gone through that and it was a lengthy, stressful and expensive experience. The DV is such a gift for people like you. It was absolutely crushing when...

Yes it is perfectly legal. I did (in the DV2014), despite being a DV2013 selectee with a fairly low number. Just in case.

I joined back in 2008, specifically for the DV forum. I had been applying since the first online draw in 2005 and then every year since so I was interested in understanding the process in case I won. I reckoned we had to win eventually. And I was right. Twice: first was hubby in the 2012...

The whole country is very expensive, and not just housing. Sure, Sydney's house prices are ridiculous but at least it's Sydney. Try Perth, in the arse end of nowhere and you'll pay at least half a million for a very ordinary 30-year old house, in need of updating, in an ordinary suburb not too...

Asheville, NC is a wonderful city in that Appalachian area. Not very "Deliverance" at all. Was just up in that area and it was a huge contrast to nearby towns. Lots of New Agey, crunchy granola, alternative types, artists, outdoorsy people, etc. A real good mix of humanity. Lovely historic...

Sorry, I need to respectfully disagree with you about Portland and rain :). That whole Pacific Northwest & BC is as dismal as can be when it comes to rainy grey winters, and much of their autumns and springs. I lived in Vancouver for 20 years and went to Seattle and Portland frequently for work...