Hershal
Active Member
I have noticed everything seems to be sweet here. Not just the bread. So many different breakfast cereals that seem to be abut 95% sugar. hahah
DV 2015 Oceania winners
- Thread starter Kellie
- Start date
I have noticed everything seems to be sweet here. Not just the bread. So many different breakfast cereals that seem to be abut 95% sugar. hahah
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
I have noticed everything seems to be sweet here. Not just the bread. So many different breakfast cereals that seem to be abut 95% sugar. hahah
Yeah the Raisin Bran here is waaaaaay sweeter than it was back home.... Weetabix is the same though. I think.
Mikey Mike
Member
I'm loving reading everyone's stories now that people are getting settled over there. I'm that excited, I can't wait to get there! Unfortunately I've had a bit of a hiccup and need some advice. I activated in November last year and the plan was to move in November this year, right after my final exams. Unfortunately nothing goes quite to plan - UNSW has changed their course offerings, meaning that one of the subjects I was to complete in Semester 2 this year is now a Semester 1 offering. Essentially, it means I'll have to stay here until May next year to complete that subject in the first semester of 2017. Now, I do NOT want to lose my Green Card. I also don't want to waste the degree I've been studying for the past 3.5 years. How is best to go about this? I'm going to San Diego in June for two weeks for a wedding - should I be using this time to apply for a re-entry permit? Or would flying to, say, Honolulu or LA every three months or so until May 2017 be sufficient? Any advice on this would be much appreciated!!
Britsimon
Super Moderator
Weetabix here is Canadian I think and no real need for the HFCS....
Britsimon
Super Moderator
Re-entry trips would keep your status alive. No more than 6 months apart - less would be better. You might get some questions after one or two entries like that - but you would probably be OK.
A re-entry permit would be "safer" BUT you would have to stay in the USA for 5 or 6 weeks to process it.
Mikey Mike
Member
Thanks Britsimon. I'll go every three months to keep the status alive. Unfortunately I can't stay in the USA for six weeks for it to be processed, but would be happy to fly there to apply, then fly back six weeks later to do the fingerprinting thing. I'll stick with doing re-entry trips every three months, if I'm questioned about it on entry I'll say that trip is to apply for a re-entry permit and make sure I apply for it on that trip. Thanks again
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Thanks Britsimon. I'll go every three months to keep the status alive. Unfortunately I can't stay in the USA for six weeks for it to be processed, but would be happy to fly there to apply, then fly back six weeks later to do the fingerprinting thing. I'll stick with doing re-entry trips every three months, if I'm questioned about it on entry I'll say that trip is to apply for a re-entry permit and make sure I apply for it on that trip. Thanks again
I'm going to be the more sceptical party here, and say that frequent trips in and out, whether 3 or 6 months, are going to get you a lecture about residency requirements at some stage. When that happens there will be an annotation in your passport, and potentially trouble if the trip following that isn't on a one-way ticket to stay. I'd definitely suggest doing the re-entry permit option rather. Also remember you need to file tax returns with the IRS as a green card holder even if you don't owe any tax or earn any income, with your 2015 one due Friday (though you can get an extension). This is one of the key things they will look at to determine if you intend to abandon residency ..as well as needing it for any naturalization you may wish to pursue in due course.
violetion
Active Member
You'll have to come to LA for meat pies - there's a few great Aussie meat pie & sausage roll shops here!
Although it did make me terribly home sick for a little bit lol. It took me a few different brands of bread before I settled on one I liked - Wonderbread is getting me through fine. Tastes much like the Wonder White back in Australia.
Britsimon
Super Moderator
Thanks Britsimon. I'll go every three months to keep the status alive. Unfortunately I can't stay in the USA for six weeks for it to be processed, but would be happy to fly there to apply, then fly back six weeks later to do the fingerprinting thing. I'll stick with doing re-entry trips every three months, if I'm questioned about it on entry I'll say that trip is to apply for a re-entry permit and make sure I apply for it on that trip. Thanks again
For the reason Susie said - I would actually say don't do the trips too often. With the timeline you discussed you could get away with only 2 re-entries perhaps. Less re-entries (under 6 months) means less chance of a lecture. The lecture is generally "posturing" but the posturing *can* turn into a referral to an immigration judge - so whilst that's unlikely, it is possible.
Britsimon
Super Moderator
You'll have to come to LA for meat pies - there's a few great Aussie meat pie & sausage roll shops here!
Ewwwww. Not nice, and should not be given to kids....
http://www.foodfacts.com/ci/nutriti...Products/Wonder-Classic-White-Bread--oz/30443
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...gh-fructose-corn-syrup-addictive-cocaine.html
violetion
Active Member
LOL oh dear. I'm open to other recommendations for a tasty, non-corn syrupy white bread... Otherwise my taste buds rather than my brain will continue to make me buy this lol.
Britsimon
Super Moderator
Does it have to be white??
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/07/18/best-healthy-bread_n_5597115.html
arrypottah
New Member
Hi team! Me again. I'm all activated as of Feb 12 and planning to head to NYC in August. I have a query about my SSN that I couldn't find in previous posts; I understand that the GC and the SSN get sent separately and my friend who lives in the US and is collecting my mail has received my GC but the SSN is yet to arrive. Have I missed something? Does the SSN come from another source or do I just need to keep waiting for it to arrive?
As always, thanks so much!
Cheers!
As always, thanks so much!
Cheers!
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
While we were puzzling over bread in the supermarket, a Canadian woman suggested this to us - it tastes like 'normal' not sweet white bread - and it's lower calorie than than the whole wheats we were trying successively....
https://www.franciscobread.com/products/french-sliced-bread
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
It should have arrived within a week or two. You'll need to visit a SSA office to see why it hasn't/reapply.
Hi guys, we've been lurking for quite some time here. We are Australians who just moved to Texas, and we're having second thoughts of coming back to Gold Coast. When we first visited US, we loved it. However, when we finally quit our jobs and moved to Dallas, we began to understand, that we really miss Australia. And we've just realised that we never actually appreciated how good we had it in Australia. Dealing with all sorts of tax bureaucracy, health care and job security issues, it's just doesn't make sense living here in the US.
We have just one question for you, after you made your final move, do you think of coming back to Australia?
We have just one question for you, after you made your final move, do you think of coming back to Australia?
EmilyW
Well-Known Member
The US isn't for everyone. Lots of people do go back to Australia and are happier for it.
For us, Australia's appeal had become limited. I was tired of lazy workers, punitive taxation structures, and a 'gimme gimme gimme' welfare state. Australia is beautiful, but not for us. We want to be rewarded fairly for our work and that was becoming harder and harder for us in Australia. The harder I worked, the more successful I become... the more I was taxed and abused by people who assume that those of us who earn high wages have 'stolen' those wages from someone else.
Don't miss that at all. But your mileage may vary and everyone's experience is different.
We might move back to Australia in the future, but not until Australia changes. If she doesn't change, then here we will stay. It perhaps helps that we have no family in Australia. Our families live here in the US or in Europe, so there is no familial lure.
For us, Australia's appeal had become limited. I was tired of lazy workers, punitive taxation structures, and a 'gimme gimme gimme' welfare state. Australia is beautiful, but not for us. We want to be rewarded fairly for our work and that was becoming harder and harder for us in Australia. The harder I worked, the more successful I become... the more I was taxed and abused by people who assume that those of us who earn high wages have 'stolen' those wages from someone else.
Don't miss that at all. But your mileage may vary and everyone's experience is different.
We might move back to Australia in the future, but not until Australia changes. If she doesn't change, then here we will stay. It perhaps helps that we have no family in Australia. Our families live here in the US or in Europe, so there is no familial lure.
That's what we're talking about, everything is about money here in the US, everyone is too self-centered on their own success.
Yes, we can be living in a nice cookie cutter home and nice suburb here in Dallas, working on high paying jobs and getting privileged health care. Keeping up with Joneses, etc. But seeing all those poor people who just can't get out of poverty... There are millions of people who don't have health coverage and just thinking about it make us sad.
Oh... and another thing, driving is too dangerous here! Drivers just don't show their turn signals at all! They cut in suddenly and make strange moves on highways, way to dangerous, no wonder why there are so many fatalities. I'm just too afraid to let my wife drive here on highways...
You're right that Australia is taxing it's people too much, and there are long waiting lines to get health care. But still, people are generally much better off than here in the US.
Anyway, maybe it's just us and adaptation takes time... Maybe we lived too long on the Gold Coast and enjoyed it's beaches and mountains... Time will tell
Yes, we can be living in a nice cookie cutter home and nice suburb here in Dallas, working on high paying jobs and getting privileged health care. Keeping up with Joneses, etc. But seeing all those poor people who just can't get out of poverty... There are millions of people who don't have health coverage and just thinking about it make us sad.
Oh... and another thing, driving is too dangerous here! Drivers just don't show their turn signals at all! They cut in suddenly and make strange moves on highways, way to dangerous, no wonder why there are so many fatalities. I'm just too afraid to let my wife drive here on highways...
You're right that Australia is taxing it's people too much, and there are long waiting lines to get health care. But still, people are generally much better off than here in the US.
Anyway, maybe it's just us and adaptation takes time... Maybe we lived too long on the Gold Coast and enjoyed it's beaches and mountains... Time will tell
Britsimon
Super Moderator
Do you miss the coast? That sort of lifestyle is in your blood, very easy to miss if you love it. Luckily, USA has coast. Lots of it.
Britsimon
Super Moderator
That's what we're talking about, everything is about money here in the US, everyone is too self-centered on their own success.
Yes, we can be living in a nice cookie cutter home and nice suburb here in Dallas, working on high paying jobs and getting privileged health care. Keeping up with Joneses, etc. But seeing all those poor people who just can't get out of poverty... There are millions of people who don't have health coverage and just thinking about it make us sad.
Oh... and another thing, driving is too dangerous here! Drivers just don't show their turn signals at all! They cut in suddenly and make strange moves on highways, way to dangerous, no wonder why there are so many fatalities. I'm just too afraid to let my wife drive here on highways...
You're right that Australia is taxing it's people too much, and there are long waiting lines to get health care. But still, people are generally much better off than here in the US.
Anyway, maybe it's just us and adaptation takes time... Maybe we lived too long on the Gold Coast and enjoyed it's beaches and mountains... Time will tell
Yup, you chose the wrong city. Fix that.
Edit: probably wrong state too. Look at the coast from South Carolina down to about Jacksonville, Tampa to Loooosiana, or, West coast from Sandiego up to Portland Oregon other than LA itself.