• Hello Members, This forums is for DV lottery visas only. For other immigration related questions, please go to our forums home page, find the related forum and post it there.

2013 DV Australian winners

I am also a winner from Australia! It's the first time I've entered so it is such a great surprise. The only thing is my case number is extremely high, 29XX. From what I understand this means my interview will be sometime late 2014, is this correct? Or does not everyone get an interview if their number is high like this?

Thanks!
 
Passport came back in the mail today! It's at my mums though, I'm not there at the moment, but she sent me a scan of it! Yay!

I'm confused though, it says "IV expires on: SEP2012" ... I don't understand. And it says only for permanent residence for 1 year - that's just the thing in my passport right?

Edit: my mums says her IV expires NOV2013. Mine expires before my 21st last year? We're assuming mine is under CSPA though?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
JESSJAME5 said:
Ahhhhhh...... How far back in driving history do they want? My car was a write off just over 3 years ago, some lady ran a red light & hit me while I was turning at an intersection - but I got charged, cause I was the P-plater & also turning across traffic etc.... And I had a few speeding fines last year.... My bad!
Click to expand...

oooh, if you have that on your driving record (that SUCKS, btw) then perhaps it's not the best to offer it to the insurance company.

I've only had 1 speeding fine in my 18 years of driving, and caused no accidents, so mine is pretty sweet ;)

And good idea re: friend writing you a letter - anything that helps, because it's the hardest thing to prove you're a good risk when you're all shiny new to the USA. Without a credit history, no one wants to take the risk on you, so the more you can do to prove you're reliable, the better.

Another tip on credit history: I did a ton of research on this as well, how to build a good credit history etc, because it's so hard if you have a bad one or none. Apply for a secured credit card (you give the bank your money in exchange for them giving you credit) - I got one with Bank of America, with a low limit of $300. Use it every month, but only use it enough that you'll be able to pay it off in full. So I'd use it for around $50 worth of purchases each month, then pay the balance to $0. After a year, I had a credit rating in the 700s (which is quite good).

Also, don't do too much shopping around for loans/credit cards. Too many hits on your credit history makes you look bad, like you're desperate for more money. So if you want to compare, look at no more than 3 loans/cards (I think within 12 months? Not 100% sure on that).

Hope that helps! I remember being blown away with how tough it was to try to get a credit card and rent an apartment when I got to NY - I had no idea about how credit history worked there, and how much everything seems to depends on it. Even paying your phone bills - don't be late! It all goes on your history if they have to chase you for money.
 
NicoleMack said:
oooh, if you have that on your driving record (that SUCKS, btw) then perhaps it's not the best to offer it to the insurance company.

I've only had 1 speeding fine in my 18 years of driving, and caused no accidents, so mine is pretty sweet ;)

And good idea re: friend writing you a letter - anything that helps, because it's the hardest thing to prove you're a good risk when you're all shiny new to the USA. Without a credit history, no one wants to take the risk on you, so the more you can do to prove you're reliable, the better.

Another tip on credit history: I did a ton of research on this as well, how to build a good credit history etc, because it's so hard if you have a bad one or none. Apply for a secured credit card (you give the bank your money in exchange for them giving you credit) - I got one with Bank of America, with a low limit of $300. Use it every month, but only use it enough that you'll be able to pay it off in full. So I'd use it for around $50 worth of purchases each month, then pay the balance to $0. After a year, I had a credit rating in the 700s (which is quite good).

Also, don't do too much shopping around for loans/credit cards. Too many hits on your credit history makes you look bad, like you're desperate for more money. So if you want to compare, look at no more than 3 loans/cards (I think within 12 months? Not 100% sure on that).

Hope that helps! I remember being blown away with how tough it was to try to get a credit card and rent an apartment when I got to NY - I had no idea about how credit history worked there, and how much everything seems to depends on it. Even paying your phone bills - don't be late! It all goes on your history if they have to chase you for money.
Click to expand...

Interesting on the credit rating! How do they know you're shopping around for credit cards? Is $300 the lowest you can get on a credit card? Cause that's easy enough - phone bills, groceries (cheap eater), petrol? I could do that haha. I bet it was tough to get an apartment in NY without credit! Luckily my first year will be out rural in Nebraska & Arkansas? Haha. Would I need a credit card first to sign up for a phone plan... or...? It's all so confusing haha. I don't know what bank account to go with (transfer money from Aus as needed etc). Haven't quite decided on a phone company either, leaning towards AT&T.... But still more $$ than I'd like!
 
JESSJAME5 said:
Interesting on the credit rating! How do they know you're shopping around for credit cards? Is $300 the lowest you can get on a credit card?
Click to expand...

Every time you apply for a loan, credit card or even a store card like Macy's, they run a credit check, which basically blips on your credit history. Too many of those will reduce your credit rating.

Even renting an apartment, they run a credit check on you, but those won't affect credit rating. Not paying your rent will, however! haha

I'm not sure how low, maybe around $250 or so? It has to be enough for it to be worthwhile to the bank. I went with $300 because that's how much I could afford to hand over. I also ended up finding a CapitalOne card via online application, and got a $500 balance without securing it. Best advice: do your research with the banks, find out what they can offer before giving them any of your information.

Here's a couple of websites that will send you down the Credit Score rabbit hole:

About Credit Scores: http://www.usa.gov/topics/money/credit/credit-reports/bureaus-scoring.shtml
How to improve credit score: http://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/fivetips_creditscore.htm

I don't think you need a credit card to get a phone plan? I got a prepaid phone at first, so that I could stick to a budget. I didn't need a US credit card for that.

I like Chase bank. There was something about how their fees were structured that I liked. But I also had a BofA account for a while. A lot of them have student accounts too, so you can take advantage of that while studying - usually means no account keeping fees.

Lots of people have said HSBC or Citibank are easiest for transferring money from Aust to US. I used to do it through Paypal - it was never more than a few hundred dollars, so the exchange rate was reasonable. I set up 2 paypal accounts for myself - one connected to aus bank, one to US bank, and then gifted myself money whenever needed LOL - that saved any transfer fees.

As for phone plans, I was given a company phone, so didn't have to worry about it for the most part, but the majority of people seem to say that Verizon is the best quality coverage, and AT&T sucks. I used virgin mobile when I had to pay for it myself, and it was always reliable, and reasonably priced. I believe they now support iPhones, too.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
NicoleMack said:
Every time you apply for a loan, credit card or even a store card like Macy's, they run a credit check, which basically blips on your credit history. Too many of those will reduce your credit rating.

Even renting an apartment, they run a credit check on you, but those won't affect credit rating. Not paying your rent will, however! haha

I'm not sure how low, maybe around $250 or so? It has to be enough for it to be worthwhile to the bank. I went with $300 because that's how much I could afford to hand over. I also ended up finding a CapitalOne card via online application, and got a $500 balance without securing it. Best advice: do your research with the banks, find out what they can offer before giving them any of your information.

Here's a couple of websites that will send you down the Credit Score rabbit hole:

About Credit Scores: http://www.usa.gov/topics/money/credit/credit-reports/bureaus-scoring.shtml
How to improve credit score: http://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/fivetips_creditscore.htm

I don't think you need a credit card to get a phone plan? I got a prepaid phone at first, so that I could stick to a budget. I didn't need a US credit card for that.

I like Chase bank. There was something about how their fees were structured that I liked. But I also had a BofA account for a while. A lot of them have student accounts too, so you can take advantage of that while studying - usually means no account keeping fees.

Lots of people have said HSBC or Citibank are easiest for transferring money from Aust to US. I used to do it through Paypal - it was never more than a few hundred dollars, so the exchange rate was reasonable. I set up 2 paypal accounts for myself - one connected to aus bank, one to US bank, and then gifted myself money whenever needed LOL - that saved any transfer fees.

As for phone plans, I was given a company phone, so didn't have to worry about it for the most part, but the majority of people seem to say that Verizon is the best quality coverage, and AT&T sucks. I used virgin mobile when I had to pay for it myself, and it was always reliable, and reasonably priced. I believe they now support iPhones, too.
Click to expand...

Great info, Nicole! Thanks for that. We've been using Citibank between Aus and US for money transferring as they seem to have the best exchange rates. The other big banks of Aus all seem to take a few percentage points off the current rate which seems like a rip-off. With online access, it's easy to do your own transfers with Citibank. I believe HSBC is good too for that.

And yes, the credit score stuff is crazy. Our US friends have told us the same thing about not getting too many cards. We were in a Home Depot with a friend of ours in San Diego once and they were promoting their credit card, with a $100 off your current purchase. We said "hey, that sounds like a great deal" to our friend, and told her she had to go for it. She refused. We thought she was nuts but she was adamant about not getting the card because she didn't want the hit on her credit score. She was planning on getting a mortgage soon and needed a high FICO. It sounded so bizarre. Just one of many things we'll have to learn about in our new home.
 
NicoleMack said:
Every time you apply for a loan, credit card or even a store card like Macy's, they run a credit check, which basically blips on your credit history. Too many of those will reduce your credit rating.

Even renting an apartment, they run a credit check on you, but those won't affect credit rating. Not paying your rent will, however! haha

I'm not sure how low, maybe around $250 or so? It has to be enough for it to be worthwhile to the bank. I went with $300 because that's how much I could afford to hand over. I also ended up finding a CapitalOne card via online application, and got a $500 balance without securing it. Best advice: do your research with the banks, find out what they can offer before giving them any of your information.

Here's a couple of websites that will send you down the Credit Score rabbit hole:

About Credit Scores: http://www.usa.gov/topics/money/credit/credit-reports/bureaus-scoring.shtml
How to improve credit score: http://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/fivetips_creditscore.htm

I don't think you need a credit card to get a phone plan? I got a prepaid phone at first, so that I could stick to a budget. I didn't need a US credit card for that.

I like Chase bank. There was something about how their fees were structured that I liked. But I also had a BofA account for a while. A lot of them have student accounts too, so you can take advantage of that while studying - usually means no account keeping fees.

Lots of people have said HSBC or Citibank are easiest for transferring money from Aust to US. I used to do it through Paypal - it was never more than a few hundred dollars, so the exchange rate was reasonable. I set up 2 paypal accounts for myself - one connected to aus bank, one to US bank, and then gifted myself money whenever needed LOL - that saved any transfer fees.

As for phone plans, I was given a company phone, so didn't have to worry about it for the most part, but the majority of people seem to say that Verizon is the best quality coverage, and AT&T sucks. I used virgin mobile when I had to pay for it myself, and it was always reliable, and reasonably priced. I believe they now support iPhones, too.
Click to expand...

Nice info! Yeah I've heard people say Citibank to Citibank too, I feel like there has to be some catch though haha. I went into Citibank in Sydney the other day to check it out and it just said "free" for everything like withdraw fees, accounts, etc. Seems too good? Haha.

Yeah coverage is a big issue for me - I need something that WILL get reception out where my family lives in Arkansas... It's like on the side of a mountain in the middle of no where. We can't get proper internet out there either. I know AT&T gets data out there, but T-Mobile doesn't. I haven't checked if Verizon does...
 
Vichel said:
Great info, Nicole! Thanks for that. We've been using Citibank between Aus and US for money transferring as they seem to have the best exchange rates. The other big banks of Aus all seem to take a few percentage points off the current rate which seems like a rip-off. With online access, it's easy to do your own transfers with Citibank. I believe HSBC is good too for that.
Click to expand...

So you find Citibank good? No catches? I should sign up? Haha :p do you have another US bank account or just use Citibank? Just seems like a lot of effort to have so many different bank accounts!

Vichel said:
And yes, the credit score stuff is crazy. Our US friends have told us the same thing about not getting too many cards. We were in a Home Depot with a friend of ours in San Diego once and they were promoting their credit card, with a $100 off your current purchase. We said "hey, that sounds like a great deal" to our friend, and told her she had to go for it. She refused. We thought she was nuts but she was adamant about not getting the card because she didn't want the hit on her credit score. She was planning on getting a mortgage soon and needed a high FICO. It sounded so bizarre. Just one of many things we'll have to learn about in our new home.
Click to expand...

Oh wow! I saw those deals ALL the time and thought "hey! I'd do that!" whoops! I'll have to learn more haha. So many of them give you rewards. Like in Canada Scotiabank's card gives you SCENE points for the movies & stuff. I liked that one :p But I worked at Scotiabank theatre.. so... I got free movies anyways..
 
Vichel said:
Great info, Nicole!

And yes, the credit score stuff is crazy. Our US friends have told us the same thing about not getting too many cards. We were in a Home Depot with a friend of ours in San Diego once and they were promoting their credit card, with a $100 off your current purchase. We said "hey, that sounds like a great deal" to our friend, and told her she had to go for it. She refused. We thought she was nuts but she was adamant about not getting the card because she didn't want the hit on her credit score. She was planning on getting a mortgage soon and needed a high FICO. It sounded so bizarre. Just one of many things we'll have to learn about in our new home.
Click to expand...

Glad to be of help! Is really is crazy isn't it? I'd never thought about it here. We do have credit ratings here, but it's not promoted like it it there, with your whole financial life depending on this good score. I have always been good managing my money and never getting into bad debt, so I never had any trouble getting loans/credit cards when I needed them in Australia. So it was a real shock to arrive in the US and suddenly be treated like a lesser person because I had no credit score. I was really lucky with my first apartment - my roommate's father offered to be my guarantor, so I paid him an extra bond. That was a huge help for me in getting a rental history established there.

All I can say when it comes to credit - research, research, research. Don't make any spontaneous decisions without reading the fine print. Generally, I'd recommend sticking to big name banks and avoiding store cards - their interest rates are usually through the roof.
 
For those who have entered the US already, how long has it taken to receive your SSN? I ticked the box to automatically be processed for a SSN on the original KCC forms, am I required to do anything else?
 
I have found the opposite in regards to credit ratings in Australia.

I came back to Australia after traveling and applied for a mobile plan, a credit card and leased a computer. So 3 applications for credit.

Credit card was rejected because I had applied for credit 3 or more times in the one month which gives you a bad score. I had no idea about this rule.

In fact, they wouldn't give me a reason why. I have never defaulted on a bill and always had a solid income.

It took a lot of research to find out about this rule.

There is no way to repair a bad credit score in Australia, you just have to wait for it to vanish from your record. This takes 5 years.

Really mysterious system.
 
Everyone's all quiet now! Bit sad, I liked checking this every day haha.. now what will I do?!

Anyway! I needed to come vent, I need that boost/support from other fellow people with hopes/aims of moving to the US! I'm beyond sick and frustrated with people having a go with how "terrible" America is. My uncle (who we rarely see, never talk to etc) is visiting from Victoria right now and tonight he did the whole "America is a joke" "you'll get a shock when you hear the 'rednecks' talk. it's horrible!" - I just stared at him and said "that's my family. i've heard the 'rednecks' talk, and I'd take that ANY DAY over a bogan Australian accent..." ... yeah, he shut up.

I feel like I'll be defending the US for the rest of my life, and I'm okay with that. I just wish people wouldn't be so horrible about it.... Anyone else having people/everyone against their plans?
 
I've been to the US five times on vacation in the last five years. A lot of people say the same shit to me Jess, and without fail it's almost always people who've never been. The only experience or interaction they've had with Americans is more than likely obnoxious tourists (Australian tourists are worse, in my experience) or watching George W Bush on the news.

Shrug it off.
 
Hey Jess. Like you, I used to visit this forum daily, but now it doesn't quite feel the same, and I'm sure you understand :) I DO pop by occasionally, although I can't look at the 2014 winners posts anymore.

You will get a lot of people who give you grief for your choices, whether it's going to the States to live or learning belly dancing. Unfortunately if they know something you are doing that's 'different', they will attack it. You won't change them, but as Crawf33 wisely suggested, you can change how YOU respond. Even though it's natural to defend your choices (Like your comment about the accents etc), even that gives them pleasure somehow. Bottom line is, it's your life, it's your choice, and one of my favourite sayings is "it's not your job to like me or what I do, it's mine" :) Surround yourself with positive people as much as possible and stay focused - you've worked hard to get to this point. I'm sure all of us on this forum get given crap from some people for our dreams (I even have a blog about my dreams for America, but it is anonymous to anyone who knows me for that very reason!).

You will love America. There is a reason we are all trying to get there. We know it's not perfect, but it connects with us in a place that makes us know that it is the home we want to be in.

Take care, take heart and keep going; you're nearly there.

Q
 
Qewty said:
dreams (I even have a blog about my dreams for America, but it is anonymous to anyone who knows me for that very reason!).
Click to expand...

Wanna share it with hopeful 2014 selectees who don't know you? I'm always after reading material along these when I'm at work!
 
Crawf33 said:
I've been to the US five times on vacation in the last five years. A lot of people say the same shit to me Jess, and without fail it's almost always people who've never been. The only experience or interaction they've had with Americans is more than likely obnoxious tourists (Australian tourists are worse, in my experience) or watching George W Bush on the news.

Shrug it off.
Click to expand...

Yeah I've been there back and forth visiting since I was 8, so longer than I've known most of the people/"friends" who are against the idea.. I know a guy there right now visiting, he's been saying some awful things about the people there, but the place is "beautiful", he's a jerk haha. But you're right, most of them have never been, but nor do they want to because they think it's so terrible. Everyone keeps telling me I'm going to get shot... thanks guys :\ Haha.


Qewty said:
Hey Jess. Like you, I used to visit this forum daily, but now it doesn't quite feel the same, and I'm sure you understand :) I DO pop by occasionally, although I can't look at the 2014 winners posts anymore.

You will get a lot of people who give you grief for your choices, whether it's going to the States to live or learning belly dancing. Unfortunately if they know something you are doing that's 'different', they will attack it. You won't change them, but as Crawf33 wisely suggested, you can change how YOU respond. Even though it's natural to defend your choices (Like your comment about the accents etc), even that gives them pleasure somehow. Bottom line is, it's your life, it's your choice, and one of my favourite sayings is "it's not your job to like me or what I do, it's mine" :) Surround yourself with positive people as much as possible and stay focused - you've worked hard to get to this point. I'm sure all of us on this forum get given crap from some people for our dreams (I even have a blog about my dreams for America, but it is anonymous to anyone who knows me for that very reason!).

You will love America. There is a reason we are all trying to get there. We know it's not perfect, but it connects with us in a place that makes us know that it is the home we want to be in.

Take care, take heart and keep going; you're nearly there.

Q
Click to expand...

Positive people are hard to find! I don't really talk to any of my friends anymore because they're all against the idea, makes moving away easier haha. I guess it's probably easier to shrug it off & ignore them... But it's frustrating. Less than 9 weeks now, I'm almost packed haha, I just want to go now! Can't wait until you get to go there too Q, we'll all be there waiting to welcome you :D
 
Hey Jess, yeah, know what you mean about the attitude towards the US from others. Some have been excited for us and supportive, even envious (in a nice way). Most have thought we were crazy because of their stereotypically negative view of the US. Or maybe it's also a bit of envy in there, in that we're actually going out and taking advantage of opportunities instead of staying within our comfort zone all the time?

Funny, but when we said we were moving to Canada a few years ago, there was more positive attitude and support. Canada - good. USA - not so good. Not sure why. After going back to Canada for a year, we realized it's over-rated and over-priced, with crap weather and ridiculous taxes (and a medical system that is viewed far too positively). It wasn't all bad, but it's certainly not the Nirvana many people seem to believe it is.

We know the US won't be all rainbows and butterflies. We certainly didn't go into this with a starry-eyed, Hollywood-ish view. But we've been here enough times before to know that we really, really like the country and its people, and that it has a lot to offer. It's very good value.

All the best to everyone.
 
I'm with all of you. I've had my fair share of negativity, but my response is that *I* love it, and it's the right choice for me. I don't care what others do or think - I just stay positive for myself, because as you said Jess, the only opinion that matters is your own.

You know the bonus though? Once you're there, you won't encounter so much negativity. Probably a lot of surprise about leaving "beautiful Australia," but Americans love America. They'll be glad you love it too.
 
I've been going to the States for a few years now for the summer, and I've had my fair share of the negative comments. It really, really irritates me, and I usually just do the 'Don't knock it til you try it' comment, considering most of the people commenting haven't been. And if they have, then it depends where they go - did they stick to the main tourist traps, or actually see the country and get to know locals?

On another note, my official green card came in the mail today, only two and a half weeks after arriving in the States! I also received another letter, something about the USCIS fee, but that letter doesn't make too much sense, and I definitely paid the fee - has anyone else gotten this letter?

The card is very fancy though, and has about ten different things on it to stop people from forging it. It's getting tucked away in my safe drawer along with my social security card.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top