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DV 2015 Oceania winners

alwaysrose123 said:
Hi eskimokisses... welcome :) Yes, lots of waiting...we are in this together... the only things that bothers me about this whole thing is that we won't be able to take our dog with us... we've had him since he was 2 months old... my kids have grown up with him..... look into Trulia real estate... they have fab info on housing, area, schools, weather, gas, shopping, travel etc. I've been looking into the houses and have figured out which areas are safe and best to live in Houston. Georgia is another lovely state... however I'm still looking into politics because its huge in USA...
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I might get some advice on Houston a bit later in the piece if we get a green card. That's where we want to go. I remember looking at housing prices. Very resonable. Especially since Auckland prices can give a person an out of body experience
 
alwaysrose123 said:
there are 10 states that do not charge income tax... I looked into it once..(although they charge one way or another somehow... its still cheaper than what we pay here in NZ). Texas being one of them, they have sales tax to cover... so if you don't buy you don't pay tax... their houses are reasonable... the only problem with Texas (Houston) is their weather and crime rate. I looked into their real estate from Trulia . its informative in that it gives all the details such as crime rate, schools, neighbourhood info... I've been looking into their website..

There health insurance is costly... however they provide excellent health services... you need to be covered... how much its up to individuals.
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There is a lot of debate here and elsewhere about where to live.
For many people states like texas and Florida are attractive because there is not state income tax (you still have to pay the IRS obviously) and property prices are low; for other people not paying state tax and low property prices are not enough of an incentive to live there for various reasons (which can range hugely from person to person).
 
alwaysrose123 said:
Hi eskimokisses... welcome :) Yes, lots of waiting...we are in this together... the only thing that bothers me about this whole thing is that we won't be able to take our dog with us ..... look into Trulia real estate... they have fab info on housing, area, schools, weather, gas, shopping, travel etc. I've been looking into the houses and have figured out which areas are safe and best to live in Houston. Georgia is another lovely state... however I'm still looking into politics because its huge in USA...

"Indeed" is a site where you could look for jobs.
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Why can't you take your dog? There is no quarantine in the US.

Also if politics in Georgia are an issue to you you may want to rethink Texas too ;)
 
SusieQQQ said:
I can't answer the Aussie specific questions but just to clear up the above: you don't get your green card at the interview, you get an immigrant visa (if successful). If you enter the U.S. on that visa before it expires, you then become a green card holder (LPR) and it is from that date that you are liable for filing with the IRS.
They would never make you liable for paying taxes just because you get a visa! There are many people who never convert that visa into a green card for various reasons (cold feet, change their mind, didn't read the expiry date, die...)
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Thanks SusieQQQ That of course makes sense, your LPR status is activated once you first enter the US and then you are required to lodge tax on income from that point in both countries ie. if you went back to originating country to finalise things, before moving permanently. :)
 
EmilyW said:
@eskimokisses, on the question about superannuation, you used to be able to take your super with you if you were leaving the country permanently. Not anymore. I have a fair kick of super but, if I leave, it has to stay here. So I can't join it up with any American pension plan or 401(k). So, effectively, I will have two lots of superannuation in two separate countries.
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that is interesting about superannuation EmilyW. My husband and I too have super as well and were wondering what happens to that. But we will still be able to have a American pension plan or 401(k) over there? (I will have to research how that works over there!). We obviously are not near retirement age now, but once you have reached retirement age and can access your super, could you take that Australian super overseas at that point?
 
alwaysrose123 said:
Hi eskimokisses... welcome :) Yes, lots of waiting...we are in this together... the only thing that bothers me about this whole thing is that we won't be able to take our dog with us ..... look into Trulia real estate... they have fab info on housing, area, schools, weather, gas, shopping, travel etc. I've been looking into the houses and have figured out which areas are safe and best to live in Houston. Georgia is another lovely state... however I'm still looking into politics because its huge in USA...

"Indeed" is a site where you could look for jobs.
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Glad to have another 2016 hopeful to chat with :) We are going to take our dog with us if we are successful. Probably not straight away but get our family to get her on a plane to us once we have a rental organised. Thanks for the tip about Trulia real estate. I have been also looking on areavibes.com which is good and trying monster, indeed for jobs .

Such a huge task deciding and researching where one might want to live.....soooooo many choices lol!

Current 2015 winners had you already chosen where you were planning to relocate to prior to the time of your interview?
 
Aucklander said:
I might get some advice on Houston a bit later in the piece if we get a green card. That's where we want to go. I remember looking at housing prices. Very resonable. Especially since Auckland prices can give a person an out of body experience
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Tell me about the Auckland house prices.. its always nice to be in your own place... we will rent at first just to get the feel of the area... but Houston will be great for my husband... they have a huge industrial- engineer area... that's what attracted us to Houston in the first place, plus my daughter is a chemistry- physics freak, top of the class... she might want to go into nasa... just a thought... I'd like that... whether she like to head that way? yet to see... parents can gently guide their kids but at the end its their choice.... my kids will eventually leave NZ I knew that last year... I've already lost my sister to usa... don't want to loose my 3 kids as well.. if you can't beat them - join them.. would be great if we could get in the first time in this dv 2016... if not I will keep applying... till we get there... its a win-win situation...
 
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alwaysrose123 said:
plus my daughter is a chemistry- physics freak, top of the class... she might want to go into nasa...
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Or you might want her somewhere with strong local university science faculties. Here in the Bay Area we get Berkeley coming into the schools for math/science workshops (and making them fun) , offering summer schools for schoolchildren, etc. Considering the uni is usually ranked in the global top 10, it's a brilliant resource. I presume other top unis do the same in their cities. Just a thought.

Also there are a lot of Berkely and Stanford alumni still living locally and for obvious reasons pushing hard to make sure the schools excel in maths and science here. The 'culture' of science is very strong here.
 
eskimokisses said:
Thanks Deb7a
:)

I have been following along on your journey - excited that you are almost on your way!
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Thanks @eskimokisses & @alwaysrose123, I too am pleased to be poised to leave. I know compared to some I have had a very short experience with the whole dv lottery, being a first time selectee with a good number. But for me (like all the others I guess) I have made some agonizing decisions, none of them easy. Some of them damn painful. I have had my doubts and second guessing, but I am following this through to the end now. And I had a destination picked out when I entered the lottery, near some friends in Minnesota, but I have since secured a job in Colorado, so now that's where I'm going. I will see how it goes. If I don't like it I'll move on. The whole point of the exercise is to explore and live the dream, good or bad. With only me to consider I figure I can be very portable and cheap to run.
 
Hey Y'all!

Great to hear some recent success with people on the forum!

I have a question regarding the medical (apologies if this has been discussed). I currently live in NYC on the e3 Visa. I expect to go current and interview around August/September.

I just read that I am not able to have my medical in the US, (UGH!!) (even though AoS applicants obviously can) I must be seen by a panel surgeon in AU approved by the US consulate (Sydney).

Also, this makes no sense to me:

"There are no authorized panel physicians to conduct medical examinations for visa applicants in South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT; therefore, it is recommended that visa applicants from these states make an afternoon medical appointment with a Sydney panel physician on the same day of their visa appointment."

"Medical examination results can take up to two weeks to be completed."

why would you schedule that afternoon - yet you need two week for the results to be completed?

My question: how long before the interview have people typically been having their medicals? I'd obviously like to avoid 2 trips from NYC to Sydney!

Any help /advice/ opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Steph.
 
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I'm having mine this week, so just under four weeks before the interview. We're planning on going away at Easter for a holiday and didn't want to rush anything. Otherwise, I would have allowed three weeks (2 weeks plus contingency in case anything goes wrong)

I think the advice from the consulate is that you can have your medical around the time of interview but, if the consulate doesn't have the medical results at the time of interview, they won't finalise your case. They will just pend final approval of the visa contingent upon receipt of the medicals. IMO.

Having said that, I'm pretty sure @GANDT-SYD had his medicals a week before the interview, so perhaps ask him how he did it? If you can get it all done in the space of a week, medicals and interviews, that might work?
 
EmilyW said:
I'm having mine this week, so just under four weeks before the interview. We're planning on going away at Easter for a holiday and didn't want to rush anything. Otherwise, I would have allowed three weeks (2 weeks plus contingency in case anything goes wrong)

I think the advice from the consulate is that you can have your medical around the time of interview but, if the consulate doesn't have the medical results at the time of interview, they won't finalise your case. They will just pend final approval of the visa contingent upon receipt of the medicals. IMO.

Having said that, I'm pretty sure @GANDT-SYD had his medicals a week before the interview, so perhaps ask him how he did it? If you can get it all done in the space of a week, medicals and interviews, that might work?
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My thoughts and prayers with you... Emily...
keeping you in my prayers...
 
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