Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Police Checks	I think the main thing I was after for the police checks, is it 10 years or 5 years, of addresses they are interested in, or is it any place since 16 for more than 6 months they want to see a police check for. But I think you have answered the question for me.	misstl	Female	New Zealand	2011-06-05 17:20:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Police Checks	I am thinking of starting to gather my police checks for the next step, but I am just wondering how many am I going to need. As I thought it was for the past 5 years, going on the G-325, but when I was reading the information from the NVC part for the DS-230, they are asking for the past 10 years of addresses. So basically For the past five years I have lived in the UK on a Ancestral Visa and New Zealand, but if I need to go back ten years, I was in Santa Monica, California (went over on a au-pair program) for just under 2 years, and the rest New Zealand So its 3 countries I have lived in for over 6 months, since the age of 16. Any information anyone has would be great. Thanks	misstl	Female	New Zealand	2011-06-05 16:17:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	about nvc process	Does it not matter where you are from whether or not you can email the DS-3032, or can everyone send it in via email.	misstl	Female	New Zealand	2011-07-29 02:49:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	about nvc process	Does it not matter where you are from whether or not you can email the DS-3032, or can everyone send it in via email.	misstl	Female	New Zealand	2011-07-29 02:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Any other parents who are separated from their children during the immigration process?	Hi I am not separated from my daughter, but my husband who is the US Citizen is and he is waiting in the US without us, and we have just about been separated for a year, interview date is coming up. My daughter is just about to turn 2. One thing that I think has helped him and our daughter still have a relationship is video calling, she still gets to talk to him and see him, which has really helped when he came over to visit us. On the bad side, is that they don't process your immigration any quicker because you have a child together, you are still just a number.	misstl	Female	New Zealand	2011-10-13 21:37:00
USCIS Service Centers	Has anyone sent their applications "signature required" to TSC?	All service centers accept courier delivery. Not sure if yours would be classified as such. This link is to the USCIS page about the Texas Service Center that has the various addresses. Did you use the PO Box address or the "Courier Delivery" address? Thanks for that, G. Yes, our package was sent by courier, but because we were unaware of the courier delivery address at the time of sending (much thanks---not!---to the USCIS agent who told us that the PO Box was our only option), it was addressed to the PO Box address. If it gets returned, we will use the courier delivery address---but I hope not, because we'd have wasted about two weeks of time and $50 through no fault of ours, except perhaps taking a USCIS agent at their word. Cheers, Chris.	cky	Not Telling	New Zealand	2007-06-10 07:52:00
USCIS Service Centers	Has anyone sent their applications "signature required" to TSC?	I wouldnt be so quick to say the documents didnt get delivered. Usually anything trying to be delivered to a Service centre after noon on a Friday, will get that "undeliverable" message. Regardless of where it's sent from. I would wait til Tuesday, i think you may be surprised!! Thanks for your reply, Jodee! In that case, we'll wait for either a status update saying it's delivered, or for a card to arrive in our mailbox telling us to go to the post office to collect the undelivered package. In the latter case, we'll resend it using a different address. You see, when Tiara phoned up USCIS, the agent there said there was no alternative address for TSC other than the PO Box listed. So, we sent our package to the PO Box address. However, we have since discovered, to our chagrin, that the agent was wrong and there is indeed a courier delivery address listed (it is in a very inconspicuous place on the TSC page on the USCIS website, unlike the CSC page). It's not in Mesquite, so I don't know if using that address will hold up delivery even further, but if it's the only chance we have, so be it. Either way, here's hoping no further drama...we've already had more than our share.... Cheers, Chris. Edited by cky, 10 June 2007 - 06:34 AM.	cky	Not Telling	New Zealand	2007-06-10 06:33:00
Caribbean	So our interview is tomorrow...	Best of luck tomorrow! I'm sure it'll go amazingly well!	kelnjohn	Male	New Zealand	2012-10-18 18:56:00
Australia and New Zealand	New Zealand - medical query	Hi kiwis, Just a question - we filed our I-130 while I have been living in Australia, however Auckland will be the consulate as I am moving back to NZ to wait the end of the visa process out. I will be visiting my husband for Christmas for awhile and am wondering whether I should go ahead and get the medical done on a stopover in NZ on my way through to the USA, or should I wait until I fly back to NZ in February? (We will be requesting an expedite due to a military situation - so I'm relatively confident it shoudn't be long after I return that I get an embassy interview). So, my question really is, can you do the medical stage in NZ PRIOR to it being at NVC? Secondly, how much should we be budgeting for this medical? Ta in advance Emma Hi Emma, I'm sure you've probably discovered an answer to this query by now but on the off chance you haven't, the only light on can shed is that in speaking with someone from the U.S Consulate in Auckland, they forwarned me about doing my Medical and or booking tickets too early, urging me to await instruction before jumping ahead in the process. At this stage (I'm waiting for NVC to close my case and send file onto the U.S Consulate in Auckland) I still have not undergone the medical. Apparently the medical stuff can take up to/approximately 10 days, so I have it on reasonably good authority that doing the medical a couple to a few weeks before the immigration interview is the safest bet. Best of luck Emma.	kelnjohn	Male	New Zealand	2012-10-21 04:48:00
Australia and New Zealand	Time frame for CR-1 visa in New Zealand (once NOA2 is received)	HI KiwiJanet I was wondering what exactly you said in your email to get things to speed up. Our case has been completed at the NVC as of the 19th October and we really want to be in the US for Christmas; we've got pet's to arrange flights for as well as our own plus my medical in Chch. Thanks S&J scott/jess, if its of interest, I wrote the consulate, and they said they could request the file early from the NVC, and gave a 'tentative' interview appointment to me(assuming they get the file in the next few days which the consulate advise they should without a problem then I get to keep this appointment) they gave me the 20th of November. I only advised that we hoped to be gone January next year, and I was given the aforementioned advice. Goodluck (footnote: of course theres no guarantee for me that I will actually get that appt, in the event NVC is non compliant and doesnt send info sooner...so if your case is already closed, odds are in your favor, and you may get the appt they offered me? fingers crossed for you) Edited by kelnjohn, 28 October 2012 - 12:48 PM.	kelnjohn	Male	New Zealand	2012-10-28 12:45:00
Australia and New Zealand	New Zealand medical and interview review	Awesome review and what a fab result So pleased for you How relieved you must be to have it all pretty much done and dusted. Congrats to you both, Kelli and johnathan Edited by kelnjohn, 03 December 2012 - 09:45 PM.	kelnjohn	Male	New Zealand	2012-12-03 21:45:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hey all! Well, we're here in the Bay area! We flew Air New Zealand Premium Economy and are SO glad we spent the extra money on it. Check in is a breeze, no long lines since you get to use the premium check in that first class also uses and you go straight through customs right there, then up an escalator to a specific line in security! The whole process took far less time than we expected and was surprisingly stress-free. When we landed in San Francisco and got to immigration we asked one of the officers which line to go in and showed him Chris' envelope. He quickly said "Oh, we have a line special just for people like you, and you can go through it together!" and escorted us to the line where a guy was just finishing up. Then it was our turn. The officer was great! Such a good sense of humor, very chatty, asked a few questions, took Chris' fingerprints and a picture, and before we knew it we were done! I think it was even easier than the Consulate, and we all know how great the Auckland Consulate is, so that's saying a lot. We declared everything we could think of (better safe than sorry) and had to go through additional screening where they hand checked our baggage. It was no big deal though, the guy was really nice about everything, we didn't have to wait in any long lines. They did confiscate some seeds I had (that a guy at a shop swore would be fine taking in as long as we declared them), but we were fine with that since we half expected they wouldn't be allowed in. After that we were all done! I'm so glad we picked SFO for our POE, all in all our trip over here was a great experience and I hope everyone's travel goes just as smoothly! I have to admit I'm suffering from a bit of culture shock. I've been gone from the US for almost 3 years and now I can't understand the accents! All the stores are massive in comparison to NZ and Chris and I find ourselves wondering through them in awe....and then I forget what I went there for. *snort* Our boxes have started arriving at my parents house (the ones we shipped courier with extra insurance). They're pretty beaten up according to them, but still in one piece so hopefully everything inside is fine. I made sure to tape up all the edges so that probably helped. We'll arrive there March 1st so I guess we'll know for sure then! Good luck to Cdneh, Michelle, and Kiwiana as you get everything ready for travel!	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-19 17:23:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 10 2009, 08:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I am starting to eye up Post Shop for sending now..but what do you put on the customs labels? Well, we mostly sent things like clothing, books, documents, pictures, CDs, etc... so that's what I put! As long as you make sure you aren't shipping any prohibited item a general idea of what's in the box has always seemed to work for those labels. You have to use the bigger international "consignment note" to ship the bigger boxes instead of the tiny green labels. I checked "other" and wrote "personal items" but the post shop guy scratched those out and checked "gift" instead, which is the same thing the post guy in the US did when I sent things here! LOL I think it's to indicate to customs that you are not going to be selling the items, which affects if they charge duty or not. Estimating the value of used items and such is a bit hard, but a ballpark figure should be fine, our labels usually looked like "clothing- $75, books- $50, CDs- $75, documents- $25" and I didn't even try to list the approx. weight of the items but the post guy didn't say anything about leaving them blank so I'm assuming that was fine. They just weighed it at the counter and wrote the total weight. If you're shipping a box thats value totals over $250 you'll have to buy additional insurance cover for it which covers up to $1,500 and only cost about $10, Alternately you can opt to send it International Economy Courier which doesn't cost too much more and is tracked (the regular international economy shipping isn't tracked) and covers for more than that. We sent 2 laptops that way, VERY well padded in their original boxes and blankets. Our really valued stuff (like love letters, gifts to each other and such) we also sent in a couriered box, since I knew that's what I'd be the most upset over losing if something went bad with the shipping. It's all a grand experiment I guess, and the ultimate test will be if everything gets there safe and sound. But if it does, well, we've just moved house for far less than most people do! I'll make sure to post back as the boxes start arriving at my mom's place. Oh, and one other thing. I taped all the open edges with packing tape, then numbered each box in the left hand corner of each side and wrote a corresponding list as to the contents as I packed, that way I knew what was in each one and it made writing the customs labels afterwards MUCH easier. Also, there is a little spot on the form for "sender reference" that we wrote each number in as we filled them out, so when we got to the post all the guy had to do was match each form the the numbered box! It streamlined things and he was quite pleased we were so organised about it. Can you tell I've moved a LOT?	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-09 15:43:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hey all! We've survived moving out of our flat (and all the drama that came along with it) and are now just 2 days away from flying out to the US! It's still hard to believe. Living out of a suitcase divided into 2 different seasons is such a challenge! I hope the weather isn't too cold in San Francisco or we'll be doing shopping straight away! I love NZ Post right now. We shipped 15 boxes--6 of the H6 boxes (big ones) and 9 of the H4 boxes (about half the size). All the weights averaged between 8-12 kilos except one that was 15. 11 were shipped international economy and 4 were shipped international economy courier. In total it cost us just under $2,000 NZD to ship around 138 kilos! WAY cheaper than the quotes I was getting from international moving companies to ship far less. The guy in the post shop was shocked that it turned out being more affordable than going with a moving company. He thought for sure we were going to break the bank with those boxes! He said though that the way they've revised their shipping to be more dependent on weight than size has made it so basically you are paying to ship the weight no matter what boxes you pack it in. We could have moved without taking anything, but having lived here for 2 1/2 years with pretty much nothing more than what fit in a suitcase and 2 boxes, I couldn't ask Chris to move to the US and leave everything familiar behind for the next 6-10 years if there was any way to take some important things with us. There's just something about being able to have some familiar things around you when everything else is foreign. With current conversion rates we paid slightly over $1,000 USD, it would have cost several times that to replace the things we shipped! Now lets hope they all arrive safely! Congrats on having that packet in your hands finally cdneh!! We keep handling Chris' with kids gloves, I'll be SO glad to hand it over at the POE! Good luck with your interview tomorrow Michelle! I'm sure it will go well and then you'll be rushing around like crazy trying to tie up loose ends before joining your love in the US. Congrats to Chris & Kim on your wedding!	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-09 06:55:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	cdneh--Ahah! Yet another thing I've missed putting on my list of things to do! Thank you for posting that! Good thing they are willing to send it via email... kiwiana-- Yes, it breeds! And unpacks itself... For the last 3 weeks people have been asking me "Are you done packing and ready to move yet?" and I'm like "NO! It's a whole lot harder than it sounds! We aren't just moving across town, we are moving across the WORLD!" Storing things here is going to cost far too much, so what we can replace we're donating or giving away, and what we can't replace is going in those boxes. I don't care if I have to ship 10 at $200 a piece, that's still WAY cheaper than using a moving company or paying rental fees on a tiny storage unit for the next 6-10 years! Kelvan--If you can arrange to do so, I would highly advise it, and I haven't even done the traveling yet! But I know from moving every 3 years while growing up that no place is ever what you think it's going to be and I want to know the good and bad in the areas, if possible. A few days isn't long enough to absorb anything worthwhile IMO, which is why we opted for 2 weeks (since that's easier than multiple short visits). It'll cost a bit as far as staying in a hotel goes (although I'm going to try and stay in places that offer air points for rooms, might as well get something out of it) and a rental car since I don't have one waiting for me back home and we don't want to buy until we know what state we're moving to. But it's still better than committing to moving to a place only to decide 3 months later that we can't stand to live in the area another day! I'll update my signature with a link to my blog when I can remember to...and I'll post on the blog as we're traveling around, so you can see pictures from the Bay Area and my reviews of things around there. We'll be staying in Mountain View I think, which is in between San Francisco and San Jose, but we'll be checking out the surrounding area on the weekend (armed with a map!).	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-27 08:22:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hey all!! Wow, everyone sure has been busy! I may not get the chance to post much, but I try to catch up on reading this thread about once a week. I've been keeping you all in my thoughts as you've waited out the paperwork process, and done happy dances as the approvals have come in!! Plus more than a bit of grumbling at the universe on behalf of cdneh ;-) We've got less than 3 weeks left in NZ! I'm not as excited about it as I thought I would be, but that's probably mostly me dreading getting everything done, and the flight to the US. The movers come and we hand over the keys to our flat on Feb. 5th...and I haven't gotten the cleaners scheduled yet, nor is the packing done. I swear every time I thin out our possessions they breed while we sleep. Feb. 12 we fly out of Auckland, our POE is San Francisco. After much debating back and forth we decided that choosing between North Carolina and California was too hard without actually visiting the areas, pricing apartments, and checking out the local scene. So, Chris' boss has been gracious enough to agree to the following plan: 2 weeks in the Bay area. Chris will work on-site there and get a feel for the work environment and in the evenings and weekends we'll drive around and try to picture ourselves living there! 2 weeks in Alabama to visit my family and friends in the area, and get all my belongings sorted out there, so they are ready to ship to wherever we settle. 2 weeks in North Carolina to check out the Raleigh/Durham area, price housing, and figure out if living there is worth having Chris continue to do contracting work remotely for the company instead of moving to Cali and working at the office....plus we'll go up to Virginia for a weekend to visit my grandmother and aunt. During all our travels Chris will continue to work remotely so there will be no loss of productivity for the company, as well as get as many hours in while we're moving as is possible. By the first of April we'll know where we're going to live for the next few years! A little unconventional, yes, but at least we won't be committing to a place sight unseen, and we'll get in a good portion of our visiting before settling down for a bit! We all know how much smaller the vacation time is in the US. I checked NZ Post site for their biggest "Weigh-To-Go" box (510 x 405 x 280mm). At a final weight of 20 kg it'll cost $233 to send it International Economy (which takes a few weeks). 10 kg is $138.50 So we bought some and those boxes are bigger than I thought they were! They'll definitely get our documents, some books, clothes, and keepsake stuff there (with a good taping). I think 2-3 would sort out anything you'd need to ship. I'll be mailing off some boxes to the US later on this week! If you're gonna ship big boxes to the US make sure to get the big red customs label, not the little green one.	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-27 02:20:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Nov 18 2008, 05:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> OMG!! i just checked website and it says i was touched on 17th nov. I checked online status and it says i am approved!! it says a notice was sent out on 17th Nov!!! OMG! i can't believe this!!! i just can't think straight at all. I am just sooo happy, i am crying!!! cdneh, michelleS and others.. PLEASE check USCIS and see if you have any changes!!! they may have just updated the site as i had just checked!! I should be thinking about the next stage now but my mind is just still in shock that i have been approved!! and my police certificate from australia arrived today too!!! yay!!!!! kiwiana- Yay!!! That's great news!! Seems to me the Consulate here gets all the paperwork out pretty quick once they receive the documents from the US. You should be able to schedule your medical check before Christmas I would think! cdneh- I'll be sending good energy that you hear something soon! Their website is so frustrating, it never was accurate with when our case was touched and NOAs were issued. We got documentation in the mail before we got email notification, and considering they were sending everything to NZ (since I'm here instead of in the US) that's really bad. Not to mention the two sets of notifications we were sent with different approval dates... Edited by yankiwi, 23 November 2008 - 10:11 PM.	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-11-23 22:10:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Nov 2 2008, 03:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well the interview went ok, I got there about half an hour early and there was only one other person ahead of me. The officer that took the interview was I think the blonde girl that others have mentioned. She was running a bit late so I didn't get called until about 30mins after my initial apt time, but it was ok. She was lovely and chatty, asking many questions about chris and I as she went through our paper work....it just felt like a conversation rather than an interview. I was told i should have my "package" as soon as my police check has come back, and with not having any kind of record, that should be soon. I'm so glad the paperwork part's over for now.........I have a flight booked for Nov 28, and that gives me a few weeks to concentrate on getting rid of belongings, (I had my first ever garage sale yesterday) and packing up stuff to fill my two suitcases and the packing crate that my son will send over when we relocate to SF in the spring....I plan on filling the crate with lots of edibles as well btw.....lol Yay!! Congrats on the interview going well! The blonde woman is so nice, isn't she? You could almost forget she was a Consular Officer...except for your entire life's history sitting in the folder she's got in her hands! LOL I'm sure your stuff will come through in plenty of time for your flight and you'll be in the States right after Thanksgiving! Just in time for all the turkey leftovers...mmmm....yum.	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-11-03 05:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Congratulations Kim and Russ!! I know, a little late with that one, but better late than never! I gather we're still waiting for wedding pics, but if you're anything like me, there are a million other things to do besides upload pictures! My brother got back to the US after coming to NZ for our wedding and posted pictures of it before I got any up 'cause I kept forgetting to post them! LOL Grant, glad to hear you've all made it to the US in one piece! I always feel so bad for babies on long flights because the change in air pressure is torture for their little ears. I think I feel even worse for their parents though, since some fellow passengers can make you feel awful about a situation you can't really control. When we fly in I think we're going to aim for POE San Fransisco after hearing all the good feedback from everyone going through there lately! Sure does sound a bit quieter than LAX... Just when I thought we were done with getting paperwork notarised for a while my absentee ballot showed up, so I got to run around trying to get it sorted! The Justice of the Peace who notarised it found the whole process rather fascinating. I must say I'm really going to miss the cheerful assistance we've received every time we've gone to the Citizens Advice Bureau here! I can't believe November is here already, any day now I'm sure some of you will be seeing NOA2's!! Oh, and I know someone said hot chocolate works in a pinch as a sub for Milo, but what about trying Ovaltine or Nesquik? Those are what I thought of the first time I had Milo...both are a little more solid than hot cocoa mix.	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-10-31 05:40:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hey all! Looks like things have been busy around here! Life has been a bit hectic for us, but that's a good thing, right? Chris just took a contract job with a company in California that will last for the rest of our time here in NZ and may turn into a full time job offer when we're ready to move to the US in January/February, so that was unexpected and exciting! It's in the Silicon Valley area, but I'm hoping maybe they can arrange some sort of telecommuting thing so we can be flexible about where to live, rent is brutal in that area. I should be sorting through things in the house so it doesn't get left 'til the last minute (since things always come up around the holidays anyway), but instead my brain and time have been stuck in other things, mainly politics. LOL Grant- Hope you and your family have a safe trip to the US! Best of luck with settling in and adjusting to US life, I hear the weather in the Bay area is a lot like Auckland, so at least that won't be a total surprise. Any news on the job hunt? I think once you're over there you'll find something rather quickly. Kim and Russ- I'm so glad you guys are together and getting ready for your wedding! I wish you all the best for your special day. Oh, and you'll post a picture so we can get all teary eyed over it, right?	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-10-09 05:38:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	OMG Kim you must be so excited right now, just hours and you guys will be finished with this part of your journey!! I hope you have a fabulous few days away soaking in each other's presence. Welcome Lisa! Government forms are a thorn in all our sides I think. I know I've yelled, cried, and generally thrown a fit over a few through all this. LOL	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-23 17:44:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Kim and Russ- YAY!!! So glad that is all sorted out now! Soon you'll be in each others arms, it's so exciting! Kelzm- Glad you made it home, bet you're glad all that travel is over! ShawnandLu- You must have had the same Consulate Officer we did, she was so friendly! Have fun packing and a safe trip home! Kiwiana- Yes! CDs in the States are SO much cheaper, and books! Before moving here I would order my books used through Amazon (I think of it as shopping and recycling at the same time... ) , so I'm looking forward to being able to go back to that. I recently picked up a photography book I needed here in a local shop--almost $40 for a book I could have found for less than $10 used! *shakes head*	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-17 03:11:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	OMG you guys are NOT talking about shoes! Everyone I know keeps me away from the shoe section when we're shopping because once I catch that new shoe smell....well, we're gonna be there a while. I have an itch to go clothes shopping since the weather is warming up here, but every time I think of it I remember we're only here for another 4 months and if I save up now I can have one hell of a shopping trip when my feet hit US soil! Still, I'll probably pick up a few things now that winter clothes are being discounted since NZ has such good quality wool... After all, I still have no clue where we'll end up living when we move! We were in town way early, so parked in the open air parking lot right across from the train station, you can see the building the Consulate is in from there. It cost $3 per 1/2 hour, with a maximum of $15 for 12 hours. We paid $15 since we opted to pay the whole day fee so we wouldn't have to worry about the meter going over, it was so worth it IMO! Grant- Good to know about the shipping prices, that's what we plan to do before we leave here!	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-15 02:41:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Yay for Kim and Russ!!! It's about time, eh!? Hopefully the interview will go smoothly so you'll be together soon! Kelzm- Here's wishing you a safe flight to your honey! I know it's hard leaving family behind, I can't imagine leaving a son, but I hope these next few months go well for you both and that he'll be visiting you in no time! Leave clothes, just be sure to take your favorites. Clothes shopping is one of the biggest things I miss about the US, it's nothing like NZ. Prices are better and there is a larger variety so you're more likely to get something that fits you well. When I moved here and needed to pick up a few things I did what most women do, saw someone close to my size wearing something I liked and asked where she got it from. The answer? The US! A lot of NZ women go on vacation to the US and stock up on clothes to bring back here! We just spent a week seeing parts of the South Island. The west coast is breathtaking, I want to go back already! We rode the train over the Southern Alps, it was so exciting 'cause I've never been on a train! I have piles of pictures to sort through, why are vacations never anywhere near long enough?	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-13 04:22:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Welcome dlopez! I hope you're filing DCF, things will go MUCH faster for you! Kim- I'm so sorry to hear that! It's Monday here in NZ, I hope you hear something from the Consulate soon and that they can help speed the process along. I'll send my positive thoughts along with everyone else. You guys have waited long enough! Kiwiana- If you're not looking to have a job ready as soon as you land, and you're really just looking for a job to keep you busy, I'd say your best bet is to move over there, enjoy the few months waiting for your work authorization and get to know the area. Then when you're ready to find a job, odds are you'll know someone who knows someplace that is hiring, or you'll at least have an idea of where you want to work and where you don't! LOL Networking is better than job boards IMO, almost every job I've had I got because someone I knew either worked there, or knew someone who did.	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-31 20:58:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Wow, y'all sure have been chatting up a storm! Welcome Dave n Genna and ShawnandLu! Kiwiana- Good job sites? What sort of job are you looking for and in what area?? I know there are some great industry specific job sites out there, just depends on what industry. Kim and Russ- Glad the medical went so well! I really think Dr. Stone is the way to go for people in the Auckland area. Here's hoping that interview date comes soon so you can be on your way home Russ! I never thought about the driving record though, I gotta add that to the "to do" list, thanks for mentioning it! Kelvan- Have a great visit!! Grant- Well, I wasn't entirely sure if we'd get the "special envelope" or not, but since we've not received it I'm assuming we won't get it 'til the passport has the foil in it. I bet they have some form stating the date it was issued that has to be included in the file. When we do get it I'm seal it in a giant ziploc bag to protect it from any fluid damage, add the copies of all our documents to it, and try to hide it out of sight so I'm not tempted to touch it! She didn't formally say "You're approved" or anything, she just reiterated what we'd need to do when we were ready to travel, and closed the folder and smiled. So I said "That's it?" and she said "Yes, everything is in order" and I said "So, we're good?" and she said "Yup!". So yeah, I guess they just don't formally say "You're approved!" LOL Both the woman at the beginning and the consular officer reminded us Chris would be able to apply for citizenship after 3 years, but they didn't overly stress it. I think that was because they were focusing most of their effort on explaining why we should wait 'til after our anniversary to enter if it was at all feasible. I'm so excited for you guys, all your plans sorted out, flights booked, and even a car purchased! Lets hope everything sells on Trade Me so you have less to store. How's the job hunt going, any bites yet? Some places accept applications for weeks before anyone hears anything... We transferred money to my bank in the US several times from our bank here (ASB) with no issues, just a small fee, and we did it all online! Lu-I don't know if the rules for the K-1s are different, but we didn't take the x-rays to the interview, just the radiologist's report, which they already had a copy of with the medical certificate so they didn't ask for ours. But, you may want to email the Consulate to double check just to be sure. I just can't imagine them needing it for anything.	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-28 05:00:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Kelvan and Michelle-- Congrats on your NOA1!!! I hope they process your applications in record time Amy and Nic-- Glad you've made it safely home! Enjoy your time with family and friend before the job hunting/moving begins again! Cdneh- Man, I need some of those pills for sure! I was born 2 months early and my Mom jokes it was because of my extreme impatience...I was impatient in the womb and have been an impatient person all my life! I figure things like the immigration process is the universe trying to teach me patience by brute force... Kim-- Great to hear he got an appointment so quickly!! Chris says the medical check with Dr. Stone was a breeze, the x-ray and lab are just around the corner and pretty quick as well. so he'll be through in no time and one step closer to being in your arms! The people at the Consulate were great. I think if he tells them he's planning on leaving as soon as is humanely possible they'll work with him to get his passport processed and in hand as quickly as possible. I'm so happy for you guys! Kiwiana- The way things stand now, we've decided to wait until after our second anniversary to enter the US. Since that's not 'til the end of December, we've decided that February is a good goal to set. That allows enough time for Chris to take on a short contract job here, job hunt in the US via the web and connections, and we get to enjoy another spring and summer in NZ instead of almost a year of continuous winter (going from winter here to winter in the US)! How are things going with you?	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-21 17:58:00