It has Arrived!

My Visa has come through! It didn't take near as long as I thought it would. I was emailed on August 14th saying my Visa had been Granted! When I read it, I started crying...wanted to jump up and down...wanted to vomit a little. I felt so many different emotions. It was so crazy. Things are now moving ahead. We have started to sell our big items and our house is slowing emptying. It is very strange.

Anyway...timeline for the Visa...it took all of 4 months. Not bad at all!

First Contact

Over the weekend, I received an email from the embassy requesting more documents. They needed my Utah State background check. This is what it said:

Processing your application

I have begun considering your application for this visa and require additional information or documents. A summary of the information required for each applicant is provided in the attached Request Checklist. More detailed information about each of the requirements is included in the Detailed Information attachment.

 

Today I went and got my background check and overnighted to Washington. It should get there before noon tomorrow. I am hoping that this request means they are actually looking at my application and if they receive my background check, it won't be long until they deem me worthy of a visa! Fingers crossed!

FBI Check

The embassy has now received my FBI background check. I emailed them (again), asking if they had received it and I was told the following:

With regards to enquiry, we can confirm that your FBI check was received in our office on the 17th of July. At this moment the application is still in process. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) undertakes to process all applications in a timely manner. The average processing time for this type of visa is approximately 5-12 months for complete applications. Actual processing time for individual applications will vary and is dependent on a number of factors which includes the complexity of the case, the planning levels for the particular visa and the number of applications lodged.

Although we understand your concerns that you have not been contacted by your case officer, contact will only be made where specific information is required to continue processing your application. This process allows your case officer to focus their efforts on processing your visa application in a timely manner.

SO, we are still waiting. I am starting to think that because my case *should be* fairly straight forward, I might not hear anything from a case officer. No news is good news. But it sure is annoying.

FBI

I sent my fingerprints to the FBI on the 23rd of May. I just received the results on Tuesday.....What did they say??? Nothing. "No Arrest Record" Easy Peasy. I have now sent them off to the Embassy. Hoping to speed up the process.

I emailed the embassy last week asking if they had received my medical papers (since the doctor sent them in, leaving me with no control of the situation). I also asked about being in contact with a case officer since I have read other people's time lines and they had a case officer contact them rather quickly. Here was my reply:

Dear Ms Bougoure Latchford,
Thank you for your interest in Australia.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship is committed to monitoring the quality of the services we provide, as part of an ongoing improvement process. We would appreciate your feedback on our performance. Please refer to the link below to start our survey:www.surveymonkey.com/s/diac_email_en
In reply to your email, we can confirm your medical results have been received at our embassy and have cleared for your Partner Visa. At this time it is very early in the process for a Case Officer to open communication with you. But your application is being assessed. The average processing time is 5-12 months.


We hope this information has been of assistance.

Regards,
Carroll
DIAC Americas

Always the same thing: 5-12 months. I don't know if not having anyone contact is a good thing or a bad thing. I am hoping that no news is good news, however, it would be nice to know where my application is and what is happening with it. I'm sort of annoyed about it. But what can i do? I hope by sending in my FBI check, it will help speed things up!

US Citizen

Owen is now officially a United States Citizen! I know...we are moving to Australia, why waste the time and money? However, if we didn't get his citizenship, he would have to enter the country every 2 years or so and file paperwork just to keep his residency. And if we ever moved back here, and didn't have his residency, we would have to start all over. So, he is official now! He had his oath ceremony on the 13th of June and was sworn in! There were 202 other people becoming US citizens as well. It was pretty cool. Glad the girls and I got to be a part of it!

400 Bucks Later..

I had my medical appointment today. I had to go a specially appointed doctor for the physical. He had to be approved by the Australian government or whatever. Luckily for me, he was just down the road at BYU. I didn't have to travel to far! That being said, I did have to pay $412 for the medical check and chest xray...seriously 400 bucks! So that should be sent off soon and we just continue to wait! Good times!

Dual Citizens!

Its official! Ava and Dempsey are now dual citizens of America and Australia! Their passports came today! Next will be Owens Oath Ceremony and getting his passport! I am feeling very left out :(

Delivered!

Per last post...the package was delivered! Whoo-hoo!

Whoops...

So, I went to the police station on Wednesday and got my fingerprints done...what a messy deal that is! Anyway, I sent it off to the FBI asap for my background check. I got a notice today that they had tried to deliver it yesterday (which was Memorial Day so I don't even know why they delivered it on a holiday...) but there was no one there to sign for it, therefore, no delivery. Hoping that someone will get the notice and schedule a redelivery...or it will just put me farther behind...boo!

Smooth Sailing...

My pediatricians office just called me to let me know that the immigration officer for the girls passports has already spoken with Dr Wynn and everything is good! The marriage license should get there at about 10:30am. (I just checked the tracking number and it is out for delivery!) We are on our way!

At the Embassy

Last week, we had our appointment at the Australian Consulate in Los Angeles. We had to apply in person for our girls passports. I thought we would go in and hand it over and leave, but we actually sat down with someone and went over the application making sure it was correct. The only thing we need to get to them is our marriage license. Hoping it all goes well!

When we got home from our trip, Owen had a letter from US Immigration with a date for his Oath Ceremony. June 13th! One step closer for all of us!

Nightmare

I had a dream last night that some of my paperwork got sent back to me because I had filled it out wrong. I had spelled something wrong and they had to have it fixed and it then delayed the process of my visa...I woke up not sure if it was real or not! Thus far, not real! Hope it stays that way!

The first letter...

Today, I received my first letter (via email) about my Visa application.

Dear Mrs Ashley Diane Bougoure-Latchford,
 
Acknowledgement of valid application for a Partner (Provisional) (Subclass
309)
 
This letter refers to your application for a Partner (Provisional)
(Subclass 309)  visa, which was lodged at The Embassy of Australia in
Washington DC on 24 April 2012. You have indicated on your application that
you wish to be considered for the grant of a Partner (Provisional)
(Subclass 309) visa.
 
We have begun to process your application. This letter confirms that your
payment has been receipted and your application has been assessed as a
valid application.

This came very quick! Of course, all of my correspondence for Owen's Visa was done by mail and it took forever! So the process has officially started!!! Crazy crazy!!
 

$$

They have taken my money. $2000+ is now pending on my AMEX...so they have received my Visa Application which I sent on Saturday, April 21st. I will be now awaiting my letter...hoping it doesn't say I screwed something up!

Visa Application In!

It's done! It's sent! There is no turning back! I sent off my visa for permanent residency on Saturday morning. It should have arrived on Monday. They have yet to take my money, so I hope they have received it! I also hope I have filled everything out correctly! When we sent it off, Ava and I gave it a kiss for luck and fingers crossed! Now we just wait. The exciting part...waiting...

With my application, I also sent in photos from our wedding, and family photos, tax papers, pay stubs from both Owen and I, affidavits from me, Owen, Owens mum and Kelly (a good friend of ours in Australia). Also attached were birth certs of Ava and Dempsey as well as their Australia citizenship certificates. I had to send in my birth cert and Owens, our marriage certificate and passport photos.

Hoping it all goes easy from here! I'll keep you posted!

He Passed the Test!

Owen had his citizenship test this morning. We had been studying all weekend. We reviewed all 100 questions last night as well. His interview was at 7:45am this morning. Bright and early!

His interview took all of 20 minutes. They asked him 4 questions of the 100 we studied. He had to read and write out a sentence and then his interviewer asked him if he was a drunkard. Did he drink and then stagger around drunk? Really? Owen thought that was a rather random question! But in the end, he passed the test and we now await his letter informing us of when his oath ceremony is. Next step is to get his US Passport! Now everyone is a dualie but me...

Certified Copies

I am finally getting all the paperwork done and the documents I need together to send off my application. Right now, I am trying to get my vital records, marriage license, passport photos and the like certified. I have a called a few notaries but so far, haven't got much information on who can do what. Thanks to google, I did find out that a notary CAN NOT certify a vital record. In order to get it certified, you have to request one through the vital records dept of your state. It costs $18, at least in Utah. Make sure you specify that you want a Certified Document...not an original. Lucky for me, I already have certified copies, so that saves me some trouble and some money! Passport photos will get done this weekend, I will pick up my certified birth certificate from my moms house and I will be able to send off my application and my $2000. Better start looking for the 2nd job to pay for it...or start selling my plasma...

Almost There

I have now received one affidavit from my mum-in-law and am just waiting on one more from our friend Kelly. Once I receive them, I can get my application filled out, passport photos taken, copies of a million things notarized and send it off with a check for about a million dollars and hope I got everything right and the process goes smoothly from there!

Owen's Next Step

As mentioned, Owen has applied for US Citizenship. Today, he recieved his interview date set for the 12th of April. In the interview, he will have to take a test, and have a short interview. I don't think it will be too bad. Our friend Lexi has done her US Citizenship and said her interview was pretty easy. This is the next step in his process for citizenship. We decided to get his citizenship because if we just keep his residency, he will have to enter the US every 2 or so years and do some paperwork to keep his residency and if we ever decide to move back or anything and he has lost his residency, we will have to start the process all over again. Getting his citizenship was the smartest way to go in our situation so we can make travel easier and keep our options open for the future.

Now I have to garther up the necessary paperwork for him to take to his interview. We need tax papers and an assortment of other things. We also need to start studying! I'm glad I don't have to take the test! Wish us luck!

And so it begins...

The time has come. After 5 years of living here in the wonderful US of A, we have made the decision to pack ourselves up and head to the land down under. I have decided to start this blog about our process in the hope that will help someone else in their process of immigration. It is a very confusing process and very VERY expensive and we can all use all the help and advice we can get! I have been scouring the Internet for advice, stories, timelines and such and I have found a bit of help. So I thought I would offer my own.

In the past few months, we have applied for Dempsey's Australian Citizenship by Descent, (Ava already has hers), and Owen's US Citizenship. We have since received Dempsey's certificate of citizenship and Owen has done his biometrics and we now await the interview. In May, we travel to California to personally apply for 2 Australian passports for the girls. (Yes, you have to do in person at the consulate in LA.)

The next step is me. I am starting the application process for a Partner Visa to enter and stay in Australia with my family. This is going to cost me a hefty sum of money and I have killed a few trees in the process of printing out the application forms. So far there are about 4-5 that I think I need. I also have to get certified copies of marriage licences, birth certs, passports, etc. Also, proof that my marriage is "above board" and that we are in it for the long haul. I also have to prove I am not a criminal and will need my own biometrics down as well as an FBI background check. I need to go to the doctor and get some medical exams done too. I feel very overwhelmed at the moment and I am just hoping I can get everything we need together so that the process is that much easier.

During the process, I will be posting any and all information I can and keep everyone informed on where we are in the application process!