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DV 2015 Oceania winners

EmilyW said:
We had to do the whole thing: vision test, signs test, written knowledge test and a road test. Everything has to be done at the DMV itself in NC: no online component.

The licensing (well here in NC anyway) is strict in that it doesn't matter that we have 20 years of driving experience and only a minor speeding fine each in that time. As far as they are concerned, our history does not exist because it's not American, Canadian or Mexican history.

In NC you can book ahead and it will only take 1-2 hours. You can just show up at the DMV but that's a wait of around 3-4 hours.
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That's a pretty good turnaround for the road test . Houston is atleast 30 days waiting to be scheduled for a road test .
From what I know Mew Jersey is the only place where you don't do the road test . Only have to clear written and eye and then swap you OZ/NZ licence over for an American one . Everywhere else it's the full monty
 
Yes, I had to do a road test. It was nothing like what we do in Australia (or at least in Victoria where I'm from).

I literally drove down the road, did a three point turn, reversed in a straight line, did an emergency stop, and then drove back to the DMV. Five minutes maximum. From what I can gather, if they can see you are a confident and experienced driver, the test won't last long. It's just about making sure you know and execute the basics: stop at stop signs, obey speed limits, don't hit anything, and make sure you noticeably check the windows, mirrors and blind spots.
 
EmilyW said:
Yes, I had to do a road test. It was nothing like what we do in Australia (or at least in Victoria where I'm from).

I literally drove down the road, did a three point turn, reversed in a straight line, did an emergency stop, and then drove back to the DMV. Five minutes maximum. From what I can gather, if they can see you are a confident and experienced driver, the test won't last long. It's just about making sure you know and execute the basics: stop at stop signs, obey speed limits, don't hit anything, and make sure you noticeably check the windows, mirrors and blind spots.
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No issues driving on the "wrong" side of the road Em?
 
Haha, @MattWatt, it takes alot of concentration to not make a mistake but I'm getting better day by day.

I still - at least once a day - look at oncoming traffic and think 'OH MY GOD, NO-ONE IS DRIVING THAT CAR. IT'S A GHOST CAR', before realising that the driver is on the left side of the car.
 
I was terrified at the prospect of driving on the wrong side of the road but actually found it surprisingly easy - I think partly because of the way the roads are laid out here (not sure about other parts of the country).

Like Emily, I also got the impression here ( in CA) that the test is easier for an experienced driver looking to convert than a new driver. Ours were 15 minutes rather than 5 but that was all driving and mainly ensuring turning into the right lanes, obeying speed limit sign changes etc. Some of the driving on busy main roads and some past a school where the speed limit drops during the school day. No 3-point-turn or or emergency stop or parking for us, though these are required for new drivers.
 
There was a young girl who failed her road test while I was there. She had run all the stop signs on the test, sped more than 10mph throughout, missed a turn, and failed to indicate. I overhead the DMV lady saying 'I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt and a chance, but you're just not ready right now'.

Poor kid. She ended up crying but, if she did everything the examiner said she did, she was a danger. The road test is the one place you need to obey all the rules. If you can't obey them in the test, you surely won't obey them once your license is issued.
 
We would still be outside of US for some time and need to file our tax return before we land there. Do you guys think we might be questioned at the airport for that our return bears foreign home address?
 
Permutation said:
We would still be outside of US for some time and need to file our tax return before we land there. Do you guys think we might be questioned at the airport for that our return bears foreign home address?
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As long as your tax return does not declare you as "nonimmigrant", you should be OK.
 
EmilyW said:
We were actually out for just under 8 months. No questioning at all. The guy opened our passports, looked up, flashed us a big, toothy American smile and said 'Welcome home guys'. :)
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Emily, did you use your passport with endorsed visas instead of the plastic green cards? Is it less likely to be questioned this way? - we would be also be out for more than 6 months and I am cautious...
 
We used both. We had our passport, with the green cards in them (I had the Green Cards sent to me by my brother, who lives in the US).
 
Permutation said:
Emily, did you use your passport with endorsed visas instead of the plastic green cards? Is it less likely to be questioned this way? - we would be also be out for more than 6 months and I am cautious...
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It makes no difference to a CBP officer which you use.
 
Hello All, I'm back from my USA mega-trip. As mentioned earlier, we activated in Hawaii, flew to SFO, then Denver and drove back to LA via Vegas and Salt Lake. Fun!

Activation in Hawaii was pretty easy. I declared myself to the first officer in the hall and he pointed me to the dimly-lit far end. We sat there alone for a while. When called, the bored-looking officer had zero interest in us, he just wanted us gone. He was just thorough enough to confirm my GC address details. There wasn't much to the whole process. Fingerprinting, handed me a few bits of paper and we were done. Successfully immigrated!

Hawaii looks like a definite retirement spot or one of the most awesome work-from-home locations ever. I was seriously looking around thinking "I could live here". It's a beautiful place with amazing beaches and mountains (however Waikiki is a bad tourist trap). Negatives are: few job opportunities outside tourism, isolation, cost of housing, cost of living (both are Australian level).

I'm too lazy to write everything so here's a summary: Denver - great as always, Salt Lake is clean but the downtown is dead, Vegas is Vegas, LA - some great neighbourhoods but too much traffic for my liking.

San Francisco is a total dump. I feel misled by everyone who said it was great. It's totally overrun by junkies and crime. Very unsafe.

Taking a roadtrip instead of flying was a good idea and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Next step is:
A) try and encourage my company to transfer me to the USA
or
B) see if my Denver friends can find me a job
or
C) when the 1 year deadline comes, take a leap of faith and just move there without anything certain
 
There are parts of San Fran that are glorious. But yes, the poverty, the smell, the street people... some of it isn't good and some of it is downright dangerous.

And yes, agree on the roadtrip. Our one in 2013 (going from West to East) was awesome. Travelling by car is a great way to see and experience the US. Little wonder so many Americans have RVs.
 
Yeah, most of us who live in the Bay Area live outside SF itself. There are certainly areas I agree are dirty and dangerous, but really only tenderloin. Even the mission, I'd keep an eye on my purse but I've never felt physically unsafe there. And they could definitely do a lot to clean up some of those very smelly BART stations in the city. The funny thing is that when we first arrived (bearing in mind I'm not from Australia or Western Europe) I couldn't see what everyone was going on about re dirt, homelessness and crime as none of that was worse than what we had taken for as normal back home (crime definitely better in fact). Now when we go into the city it does also jump out at us, already acclimatized after a year... there is literally not a single homeless person in my new home town... But you're gonna find homeless people and crime in most inner cities, more homeless in SF than most because the city is more accommodating to them than most cities are.

On a related note when I went back to LA for the first time in 2 decades recently I was taken aback by how many homeless people there are in Santa Monica/ Venice Beach. The last time there had been a few in Venice but none in Santa Monica. Now there are lots in Santa Monica and the Venice beachfront is basically one long encampment...that was quite an eye-opener... I can't say I ever felt particularly unsafe, but then I've basically spent my entire life coming into contact with homeless people so I guess I'm more used to it.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Yeah, most of us who live in the Bay Area live outside SF itself. There are certainly areas I agree are dirty and dangerous, but really only tenderloin. Even the mission, I'd keep an eye on my purse but I've never felt physically unsafe there. And they could definitely do a lot to clean up some of those very smelly BART stations in the city. The funny thing is that when we first arrived (bearing in mind I'm not from Australia or Western Europe) I couldn't see what everyone was going on about re dirt, homelessness and crime as none of that was worse than what we had taken for as normal back home (crime definitely better in fact). Now when we go into the city it does also jump out at us, already acclimatized after a year... there is literally not a single homeless person in my new home town... But you're gonna find homeless people and crime in most inner cities, more homeless in SF than most because the city is more accommodating to them than most cities are.

On a related note when I went back to LA for the first time in 2 decades recently I was taken aback by how many homeless people there are in Santa Monica/ Venice Beach. The last time there had been a few in Venice but none in Santa Monica. Now there are lots in Santa Monica and the Venice beachfront is basically one long encampment...that was quite an eye-opener... I can't say I ever felt particularly unsafe, but then I've basically spent my entire life coming into contact with homeless people so I guess I'm more used to it.
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I think this hits the nail on the head. I have always had an ongoing argument with Mrs B about big city living, she loves the "excitement" and vibrancy of big cities, and if you like that NYC and SF have to be high on your list. I hate big cities. Dirty, smelly, rude and, in the USA, terrible homeless problems that I literally couldn't ignore if I lived there. I would have a houseful of homeless people constantly. At least in London you knew they were cared for by the systems we have in place - here, nah, not so much.

So like SusieQQQ I live in the burbs. I can be in the city in 30 - 45 minutes by car, train or motorbike. I visit the city as an informed tourist so I head for what I want to take from it without the emotional drag of wanting to fix it all. But then I return home to the quiet burbs, not as quiet as SusieQQQ chose, but in my area I actually "know" the homless people (2 of them, they are "colorful characters" more than truly homeless) - and the community here take care of them. In terms of crime and living - well our neighboring town was just voted #4 place to live in the country.

I think that "burb" life is available in just about any area of the USA, so unless you are a city person, that is where you will want to look.
 
Hi guys!!!

How's everyone doing? We've had an amazing trip - NY, Miami, DC, Chicago, then the California Zefyr through the Rockies to Emeryville. Just spectacular, I'd highly recommend, especially in the snowy season. Now we're in LA. Hmmm. We're going to give it a year, as it's where the entertainment biz is, but it's not my favorite city in the world... At least its sunny. That does count for a lot after 6 years in London.

I have a question though... We landed in Nov, and there's still no sign of our green cards, is this normal?

Thanks!!
 
guestgulkan said:
Hello All, I'm back from my USA mega-trip. As mentioned earlier, we activated in Hawaii, flew to SFO, then Denver and drove back to LA via Vegas and Salt Lake. Fun!

Activation in Hawaii was pretty easy. I declared myself to the first officer in the hall and he pointed me to the dimly-lit far end. We sat there alone for a while. When called, the bored-looking officer had zero interest in us, he just wanted us gone. He was just thorough enough to confirm my GC address details. There wasn't much to the whole process. Fingerprinting, handed me a few bits of paper and we were done. Successfully immigrated!

Hawaii looks like a definite retirement spot or one of the most awesome work-from-home locations ever. I was seriously looking around thinking "I could live here". It's a beautiful place with amazing beaches and mountains (however Waikiki is a bad tourist trap). Negatives are: few job opportunities outside tourism, isolation, cost of housing, cost of living (both are Australian level).

I'm too lazy to write everything so here's a summary: Denver - great as always, Salt Lake is clean but the downtown is dead, Vegas is Vegas, LA - some great neighbourhoods but too much traffic for my liking.

San Francisco is a total dump. I feel misled by everyone who said it was great. It's totally overrun by junkies and crime. Very unsafe.

Taking a roadtrip instead of flying was a good idea and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Next step is:
A) try and encourage my company to transfer me to the USA
or
B) see if my Denver friends can find me a job
or
C) when the 1 year deadline comes, take a leap of faith and just move there without anything certain
Click to expand...
Hi there, I couldn't help myself but ask how you liked Denver Colorado? Houses prices,schools jobs n weather wise?
 
EmilyW said:
Yes, I had to do a road test. It was nothing like what we do in Australia (or at least in Victoria where I'm from).

I literally drove down the road, did a three point turn, reversed in a straight line, did an emergency stop, and then drove back to the DMV. Five minutes maximum. From what I can gather, if they can see you are a confident and experienced driver, the test won't last long. It's just about making sure you know and execute the basics: stop at stop signs, obey speed limits, don't hit anything, and make sure you noticeably check the windows, mirrors and blind spots.
Click to expand...

I also had to do a road test are in Texas. It was pathetic to be honest. It was around the block in a square through 4 stop signs. All right hand turns. no traffic lights, no left turns. But I did have to parallel park. Lasted about 6 minutes. I spent over an hour waiting in the line before i got my exam.
 
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