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DV 2020 Oceania Selectees

Hello everyone,

I’ve been given a visa appointment for 8am at the US consulate in Sydney. Apparently, you cannot take anything into the consulate, including mobile phones or bags - you can only take in a plastic bag with your application papers.

Just wondering what everyone else did with their belongings? My appointment is at 8am and so the library storage Isn’t open!
cheers!
 
Hello everyone,

I’ve been given a visa appointment for 8am at the US consulate in Sydney. Apparently, you cannot take anything into the consulate, including mobile phones or bags - you can only take in a plastic bag with your application papers.

Just wondering what everyone else did with their belongings? My appointment is at 8am and so the library storage Isn’t open!
cheers!
I left everything at the hotel where I was staying, but they do have pigeon holes at the security check where they can keep your stuff until you return.
 
Hello,

Does anyone know if you're allowed to leave Australia to move over the US at this stage? Im getting mixed messages when I google. It says if you're a usual resident of another country and records show that you have spent more time there than Australia in the past 12 months. But nowhere does it say if you are a permanent resident of another country in the travel exemption lists.

Any experience or info any one could give me as we need to go by March to keep our green cards.

Thanks.
 
Hello,

Does anyone know if you're allowed to leave Australia to move over the US at this stage? Im getting mixed messages when I google. It says if you're a usual resident of another country and records show that you have spent more time there than Australia in the past 12 months. But nowhere does it say if you are a permanent resident of another country in the travel exemption lists.

Any experience or info any one could give me as we need to go by March to keep our green cards.

Thanks.
Theoretically as a permanent resident of another country you don’t need an exemption to travel but the reality is if you haven’t spent the better part of the last two years living there, it is unlikely you will be allowed to leave without issue if you just turn up to the airport, so it’s probably going to give you better piece of mind and a much better chance of travelling if you apply for an exemption under unavoidable personal business.

If you’re moving permanently you should have no issue - they may want to see evidence such as quotes for shipping, sale or new rental lease for your house (rental lease for new tenants) or proof of end of lease for the rental you may be living in.

If you’re looking to go for a short time period it may be trickier, but it is not impossible.

Couple things to keep in mind:
-the system is constantly developing and so the way things worked last week may not be the same as they are today.
-you may need to resubmit your request a number of times and provide various evidence
-by March everything might be different again. The international border closure is slated to end on the 17th December; whilst it has now been extended twice, the fact that it was only extended until December (and mid-December at that) means the government must be at least somewhat optimistic about some changes to the complete border closure.
 
Also just to note, until you have been processed by immigration when you land in the US you are not officially a Permanent Resident, you just have your visa.
My understanding is that you will need to apply for an exemption, as for if you'll be approved - its hard to say, I think the way its worded you would be denied as you are not a resident of the US yet. That said, I'd still try for the exemption, you won't lose anything by trying :)
 
Also just to note, until you have been processed by immigration when you land in the US you are not officially a Permanent Resident, you just have your visa.
My understanding is that you will need to apply for an exemption, as for if you'll be approved - its hard to say, I think the way its worded you would be denied as you are not a resident of the US yet. That said, I'd still try for the exemption, you won't lose anything by trying :)

I got my green card back in March so I do have the permanent residence status so that would be the issue there :)
 
Theoretically as a permanent resident of another country you don’t need an exemption to travel but the reality is if you haven’t spent the better part of the last two years living there, it is unlikely you will be allowed to leave without issue if you just turn up to the airport, so it’s probably going to give you better piece of mind and a much better chance of travelling if you apply for an exemption under unavoidable personal business.

If you’re moving permanently you should have no issue - they may want to see evidence such as quotes for shipping, sale or new rental lease for your house (rental lease for new tenants) or proof of end of lease for the rental you may be living in.

If you’re looking to go for a short time period it may be trickier, but it is not impossible.

Couple things to keep in mind:
-the system is constantly developing and so the way things worked last week may not be the same as they are today.
-you may need to resubmit your request a number of times and provide various evidence
-by March everything might be different again. The international border closure is slated to end on the 17th December; whilst it has now been extended twice, the fact that it was only extended until December (and mid-December at that) means the government must be at least somewhat optimistic about some changes to the complete border closure.

Thank you so much for the reply! Its really eased my mind a little.

It will be for the reason of moving with no plan of coming back to Australia in the immediate future. I did read the exemption reasons but didn't think I would be in the category of unavoidable personal business but now that I think about it, it does fall under that really. I would definitely want to apply for that rather than risking just turning up to the airport with high hopes!

Fingers crossed everything has settled come early next year and the process with be a little more normal than it would be trying to escape Victoria at the moment.
 
Thank you so much for the reply! Its really eased my mind a little.

It will be for the reason of moving with no plan of coming back to Australia in the immediate future. I did read the exemption reasons but didn't think I would be in the category of unavoidable personal business but now that I think about it, it does fall under that really. I would definitely want to apply for that rather than risking just turning up to the airport with high hopes!

Fingers crossed everything has settled come early next year and the process with be a little more normal than it would be trying to escape Victoria at the moment.

I think you'll be fine. I have to get over by May, and am fairly confident that things will be a bit easier, or at least more straightforward by the time I leave. Here's hoping for a December/January vaccine:)
 
I think you'll be fine. I have to get over by May, and am fairly confident that things will be a bit easier, or at least more straightforward by the time I leave. Here's hoping for a December/January vaccine:)

Will you have had your green card for 6 or 12 months come May?
 
Can I pick the brains of people who have already done the move? Just a few Q's.

1. What were your considerations when picking a city/state to make your home when moving to the US?
2. Did you move to your chosen state and then look for work or did you apply for work before moving over?
3. Did you move into a short term rental and then find a long term home? If you moved straight into a long term home was it hard securing a rental from Australia?
4. Has anyone moved over their pets and how was the experience?

Thank you :)
 
Also just to note, until you have been processed by immigration when you land in the US you are not officially a Permanent Resident, you just have your visa.
My understanding is that you will need to apply for an exemption, as for if you'll be approved - its hard to say, I think the way its worded you would be denied as you are not a resident of the US yet. That said, I'd still try for the exemption, you won't lose anything by trying :)
Just to provide some background on this from when we applied. The US Consulate sent the following email before we applied for an exemption: As per current guidelines from Australian Home Affairs, "people ordinarily resident in a country other than Australia" are exempt from current outbound travel restrictions. We have attached a letter which explains your right to reside in the United States using your U.S. immigrant visa, in case it may be useful to you as you travel.
 
Just to provide some background on this from when we applied. The US Consulate sent the following email before we applied for an exemption: As per current guidelines from Australian Home Affairs, "people ordinarily resident in a country other than Australia" are exempt from current outbound travel restrictions. We have attached a letter which explains your right to reside in the United States using your U.S. immigrant visa, in case it may be useful to you as you travel.
Yeah right, right. Did you prompt that email from them or did they send it randomly? So I guess all you have to do is show that at the airport and you’re off. I want a letter haha
 
Yeah right, right. Did you prompt that email from them or did they send it randomly? So I guess all you have to do is show that at the airport and you’re off. I want a letter haha
The US Consulate have been amazing and yes, we prompted the letter. I will just say though it didn't help us get an exemption to travel from Home Affairs. They still denied our activation trip 3 times. They did say if we were going for longer than a month they would reconsinder the exemptions. We have now just applied to have our visas re-issued. Another thing the US consulate have been really helpful with.
 
Guys, I have a situation here please need your suggestions and advice. I have already attended the interview and CO kept my passport however told me to submit my original AFP clearance since I couldn’t get the original at the time of my interview and had to submit a certified copy of the original... CO handed me a yellow paper 221(g).

I went through the yellow paper and I realised that I have made a terrible mistake, I applied for AFP clearance certificate with code 35 instead of code 33 ...as soon as I found out about my mistake I did apply AFP code 33 but not sure when it will arrive.
My questions
Q. Is AFP clearance with (code 35) accepted by the embassy or are they strict about the particular code ? (During the interview I remember that CO did not mention about any specific code it seemed he just wanted the original copy)
Q2. If I have to wait for few days for my new AFP clearance code 33, do you guys think I will have time to get my passport stamped before 30th ?
Thanks in advance..
 
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