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DV 2015 Oceania winners

I had my interview this morning! I got to the Consulate mega early, so was first to be taken upstairs. All good until the actual interview part - the systems were down! In the end they printed off blank DS-260s for people to fill in by hand. The questions the man asked were oddly easy (as I was the first interview he only noticed the systems being down at that point I think and seemed more focused on that then my responses!). After I filled in the form by hand and handed it to him he said everything looked fine and that I could book my flights when my passport is returned to me. I asked if that meant I was approved and he said, 'I can't say it's actually been approved because I can't get into the system to approve you, but everything looks fine and we'll process your visa as soon as the system's up and running.' He said there might be a delay getting my passport back as they can't issue the visa until the system is working. I'm hoping this can be chalked up as an approval!! Also hoping my passport doesn't take too long to get back (as a native Qlder living in Sydney, this 'Antarctic vortex' is driving me nuts so over the weekend I lost it and booked flights to Thailand for next week to get me some warmth!!).
 
I seem to recall there was an OCer refused the year before you, Emily, for not meeting the education criterion. But it does seem very rare for Aussies and Kiwis to get denied.
 
Yes, he was the guy who had done university degrees but did not have the high school certificate. He had letters from government agencies saying that he was qualified but it all ended up meaning nowt. And I don't think he qualified on work experience either. That was a sad case. :(
 
violetion said:
Has anyone here who has interviewed at the Sydney consulate ever watched people get denied while they waited? :eek:
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Someone was denied in Ottawa while I was renewing my E3. It was embarrassing watching the guy loudly insist a taxi license entitled him to operate heavy equipment. The CO tore him apart and he slunk out with his tail between his legs.

In the same session a Pink Floyd (Roger Waters) roadie applied for a work visa and was approved. His job title was "massive inflatable puppet operator". The CO was spell-bound by this story. Must've owned a copy of Dark Side of the Moon.

(Eavesdropping on other people's interviews is fun. There's no denying it.)
 
guestgulkan said:
Someone was denied in Ottawa while I was renewing my E3. It was embarrassing watching the guy loudly insist a taxi license entitled him to operate heavy equipment. The CO tore him apart and he slunk out with his tail between his legs.

In the same session a Pink Floyd (Roger Waters) roadie applied for a work visa and was approved. His job title was "massive inflatable puppet operator". The CO was spell-bound by this story. Must've owned a copy of Dark Side of the Moon.

(Eavesdropping on other people's interviews is fun. There's no denying it.)
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Thankfully the layout of the Sydney consulate allows for maximum eavesdropping then, eh? Something else to look forward to... although I don't know if I could bear listening to people get denied.
 
Success!

I think the staff were so focused on figuring out how to keep processing everyone with the system down that the only question I got was "Why do you want to live in the US?".

I saw a bunch of people who failed to bring the 3kg Express Post envelope and who also didn't have photocopies of everything. With the help of this forum all my docs were ready and in order - the girl going through my paperwork even complimented my organisation :)

Even with the system problems I was out of the Embassy within an hour of my interview time. I had a book with me but only got through 4 pages! Future interviewees should definitely take a copy of the DS260 - it seems the system glitches are not over yet.

Congrats to everyone else who made it through today!
 
miani24 said:
Good luck tomorrow Lisa D.

I think I am first up (my interview is at 8am). My plan is as follows:

1. Interview, get approved, go window shopping until I have to catch a plane back to Melbourne because I plan on moving with only 5 suitcases
or
2. Interview, get declined because I forgot to add my second middle name to the initial entry, go crazy shopping with all the money I have been saving for the move.

Both fun options! (although Option 1 is obviously my preference)

Nothing to do now except get a good night's sleep.
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Hahahaha, glad it went well. Mine was a success also. So easy.
 
I had my interview yesterday also. So easy.

A bit annoying that the systems were down because we had to fill in more paperwork at reception, but once that was done it was really quick. Interview was scheduled for 11am and I was out of there by 12.15

Went upstairs. Number was called within 5 minutes. Fingerprinted. Paid the fee.

Sat down to wait for my interview. Waited prob 20 minutes.

The guy called me up, looked through all my paperwork. Then asked me the following:

1) Have you ever lived overseas for longer than 12 months
2) Have you ever been in the Military (hehe)
3) Have you ever been arrested
4) Are you married
5) Do you have any children

THATS IT. Then he pretty much said approved........but because the systems were having problems he said "All looks very good here, if everything is ok you will receive your VISA within 1-2 weeks"

YAY........Very exciting.
 
I checked my application status this arvo and it's gone to Administrative Processing :( does that mean there's a problem with my application? Or could it just be because the systems are down?
 
Very exciting seeing all the OC 2015s go through.

For those with kids, we had to see the (Aus) school principal yesterday ... (been a long time since I have been in a Principal's office, and not by choice, lol). Asking for a letter for Aus immigration proof of absence - just for a week off - so we could defect to the US to go for our POE was kind of ironic, especially when the Principal wasn't smiling at first. But after discussing the big picture and that we will take a while to organize things etc, and we would be around for some time to come it all ended sort of well, if a little bit open-ended and uncertain.

Regarding POE we felt a bit sheepish finding the quickest and shortest route, Honolulu, when we really wanted to get to the mainland US, but I guess it is just plain practical, and from a number of above OC accounts the Customs and Border guys seem not to mind.

Given that it was snowing a few days ago and the kids went ice-skating in the main street (country NSW), and then built a lop-sided snowman, we can't wait to get to the beach in HI in a couple of weeks.

I don't think there will be any OCers there in Honolulu for the week of Aug 4th - but if there are (or any ghosts reading this) - please yell out or PM me so we can meet up.
 
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