Re: Direct Consulate Filing
 

jo lack <member28004@british_expats.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected] om>...
    >
    > Hey RB,
    > I am a huge fan of chocolate (!) but, I really don't have any info to
    > pass on at the moment. I only discovered this site last night and found
    > that I learnt more useful information about visa processes in a few hou-
    > rs than I have after 3 months of limping through the uscis opitions.
    > The high call cost is a drag, agreed. Good luck in your application....-
    > will pass on any info I find.
    > jo


Hi Jo,

Gathering chocolate for you as we speak!

I agree..I've found more useful info in the last week than I have in
many months of searching (at least with regards to getting this whole
immigration thing moving faster). I'm going to fax through my request
for paperwork to the Sydney US consulate this week (no more phone
calls!). If I was confused before I imagine the paperwork will really
wig me out! Thats assuming the consulate will respond to a faxed
request that is....we'll see how that pans out huh?

Good luck to you too :-)

To anyone else out there....the police checks: is it a general federal
check thats required or do I have to get individual ones from each
state I have lived in? What about other countries? I lived in Germany
for around 11 months many moons ago.
RB

Re: Direct Consulate Filing
 

Hi RB,

For the Police Clearance you need a National fingerprint-based check. You will receive the instructions and telephone numbers in packet 3. Call the number in your state before going ahead with getting fingerprinted at the police station because when mine was done in Melbourne they had just gone onto computerised fingerprinting and I had it in 3 days. It used to take around 3 weeks when they had to mail it from one state to the next so check if this option is available to you.

It is REALLY important that it is a fingerprint-based check, a guy was denied his visa the day I was interviewed because he got the wrong check.

If you were in Germany less than 12 months you do not need a clearance from there.

Keep a record of the date you fax the Consulate to request the packet in case it is slow getting to you.

Good luck!!

Kate

Re: Direct Consulate Filing
 

Hi Kate,

How on earth did you get the fingerprint based police check in three
days? I just called the Public Enquiries Service (Criminal Records
Branch) in Melbourne and was told it would take three weeks.
Admittedly I don't live in Melbourne..but still! It's not that big a
deal, but everything that takes weeks to be done, is just one more
area where things could go wrong or delays occur. I'd much prefer it
to come back to me in three days!

RB


    > Hi RB,
    >
    > For the Police Clearance you need a National fingerprint-based check.
    > You will receive the instructions and telephone numbers in packet 3. Ca-
    > ll the number in your state before going ahead with getting fingerprint-
    > ed at the police station because when mine was done in Melbourne they
    > had just gone onto computerised fingerprinting and I had it in 3 days.
    > It used to take around 3 weeks when they had to mail it from one state
    > to the next so check if this option is available to you.
    >
    > It is REALLY important that it is a fingerprint-based check, a guy
    > was denied his visa the day I was interviewed because he got the wr-
    > ong check.
    >
    > If you were in Germany less than 12 months you do not need a clearance
    > from there.
    >
    > Keep a record of the date you fax the Consulate to request the packet in
    > case it is slow getting to you.
    >
    > Good luck!!
    >
    > Kate

Re: Direct Consulate Filing
 

Hi Jo :) My name is Ramona and I'm currently filing DCF through Sydney. If you file in the US, it can take up to 2 years or more. If you file DCF in Australia, it can take as little as 6 weeks. Somtimes less. I spoke to them on the telephone (a luxury since i was in australia at the time.) and 80 dollars in telephone bills later, I got all the information I needed.

You call and request the package to file the spousal visa with them. Once you have all the nessesary paperwork you send the notice of readiness and your biographic information. You can request a good date to have your interview and they do there best to schedule it in with your travel times, and about 6 weeks later or less, you have your interview date and time. Its quicker to have your spose file the petition and you have your interview on the same day. Just send it in a cover letter with the DS-2001 I believe it is.

Feel free to message me if you have any more questions :)

-Ramona

Re: Direct Consulate Filing
 

[QUOTE=UpandOver]Hi Kate,

How on earth did you get the fingerprint based police check in three
days? I just called the Public Enquiries Service (Criminal Records
Branch) in Melbourne and was told it would take three weeks.
Admittedly I don't live in Melbourne..but still! It's not that big a
deal, but everything that takes weeks to be done, is just one more
area where things could go wrong or delays occur. I'd much prefer it
to come back to me in three days!

RB

Hi RB,

I had been to the local Police Station and been fingerprinted the inky way but the Sargeant insisted she had to send my fingerprints herself and that I needed to forward the completed application separately. I was concerned that the two items would meet up, so I called the Records Office to ask what to do. They told me to forget the inky ones as the new computerised machine had recently been installed and if I went in there it would be a much quicker process as the fingerprints would be forwarded electronically instead of from one state office to the next by mail before being returned to Melbourne for completion.

When they told you 3 weeks was that if you went in there to have your fingerprints taken electronically or the inky way? They told me the inky way was likely to be 3 weeks by the time they get mailed around the country. Where will you have yours done?

Kate

Re: Direct Consulate Filing
 

    >
    > Hi RB,
    >
    > I had been to the local Police Station and been fingerprinted the inky
    > way but the Sargeant insisted she had to send my fingerprints herself
    > and that I needed to forward the completed application separately. I was
    > concerned that the two items would meet up, so I called the Records Off-
    > ice to ask what to do. They told me to forget the inky ones as the new
    > computerised machine had recently been installed and if I went in there
    > it would be a much quicker process as the fingerprints would be forward-
    > ed electronically instead of from one state office to the next by mail
    > before being returned to Melbourne for completion.
    >
    > When they told you 3 weeks was that if you went in there to have your
    > fingerprints taken electronically or the inky way? They told me the inky
    > way was likely to be 3 weeks by the time they get mailed around the cou-
    > ntry. Where will you have yours done?
    >
    > Kate

Hi Kate,

I assume I will have it done here in Wodonga...I can't imagine they
have computer fingerprinting capacity here (but you never know....I
must check that out). I guess I need to initiate this in the state I
actually live in. I'm just wondering because maybe Albury has the
abilty (not likely, but possible I guess)?

Not that 3 weeks is too bad, but I like to be armed with knowledge
just in case I have to move very fast on these things for some reason!

RB

Re: Direct Consulate Filing
 

Hi RB,

I see from your earlier post that you are planning to be married in 5 or 6 months so even if you have to wait 3 weeks for the Police Clearance it is not going to delay your processing.

In my case we wanted to be married and together as soon as possible as we had already been delayed by various other things. We planned everything else around when we could earliest have the interview which of course was dependant on having all the documents ready.

Kate