Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Should we find a co-sponsor?	When you say 'he meets the requirements' what exactly do you mean? Does he just meet the requirements or does he exceed the requirements? Theres a difference. Does his last 3 tax returns just squeak by or does he easily surpass the requirements? To meet the requirements of the 864 the USC must show they have STABLE US based earnings. Since he is self-employed he is going to have to write his own letter of employment. In it he is going to have to describe his business. (freelance, works on the internet for various US clients doing whatever) Do NOT say- "now he is just working job to job, for various clients, on various small contracts which are generally only a month or two of work at a time." Do NOT say "he may or may not have a long term contract going/lined up, and most likely no 'permanent' job offer" DO say "There is not going to be an issue with him finding work," So if you can show he has stable earnings, because his tax returns are consistently above the guidelines and his letter is strongly written- then he will qualify. If your 864 does not qualify they will RFE you and tell you, so you could submit you co-sponsor at that point. Thank you Capri, this is much appreciated feedback. To clarify our situation, up until June 2012 my husband was earning a salary at a permanent job in the US. He was working at that job for several years, earning a very good income well in excess of 125% of the poverty level. Since then, he has been working as a freelance contractor for different clients (remotely, so as to be in NZ with me), so the 2012 tax year will be the first tax year he files as self-employed (however the first half of the year he was on salary). The sum of all income for the 2012 year will also be well in excess of 125% of the poverty level. My concern is proving 'the future' earnings, and I take your point about writing a strongly worded letter, thank you. I suppose I am wondering if solid earnings in the recent past is enough evidence of stable US based earning prospects. While we know he will not have a problem obtaining clients and earning $, I am curious whether they will take our word for it. Particularly given his relatively recent foray into self-employment. If there's any chance of an RFE for that, I'd rather just do co-sponsorship in the first instance... But I don't know if I am being excessive given we don't actually *need* a co-sponsor to meet the $ level. Just proof, if that makes sense...	sophielas	Female	New Zealand	2013-01-20 21:47:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Should we find a co-sponsor?	If you put that he is living in New Zealand with you, be prepared to show that he is only there temporarily and has maintained domicile in America. If it were me, I'd go for the co-sponsor. Perhaps you can research it more on the forum, but you'll need to prove his steady income that is at 125% or above of the poverty level and will definitely continue upon his return to America. How one does that with self-employment is best left to others to describe, I think. Hi Nola, thanks for your reply. I am slightly worried about showing he is here temporarily. He has maintained a domicile in the US in so much as his possessions, clients, bank accounts, forwarding address remain there. But he has been signed on to a lease in NZ here with me while we wait out this process. So I am not sure yet how to tackle that aspect. He certainly is not here indefinitely. His visa has an expiry date on it. Thanks for your thoughts on co-sponsor, I do need to get my head around what the self-employed situation is.	sophielas	Female	New Zealand	2013-01-20 21:31:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	Should we find a co-sponsor?	Hello, We have submitted our I-130 and now I am trying to figure out what we need to prepare for NVC. I am confused about the financial sponsorship, and I hope VJers may have some advice for us! Our situation is that my husband (the USC) is currently living with me in New Zealand. He arrived on a temp visitor visa, then changed to a temp work visa. He is working freelance, works on the internet and has continued to work for various US clients while being here. He has filed all his US tax returns over previous years meeting the income requirement for sponsorship BUT now he is just working job to job, for various clients, on various small contracts which are generally only a month or two of work at a time. At the time that we hope to return to the US (hopefully later this year), he may or may not have a long term contract going/lined up, and most likely no 'permanent' job offer. Is that going to be a problem for him showing sponsorship of me? What is the situation for freelancers/self-employed? There is not going to be an issue with him finding work, but I am afraid there might be an issue with that being acceptable enough for this sponsorship requirement. I also have a brother in US who is happy to be a co-sponsor if required, so I am wondering whether I should pre-emptively take him up on that offer... I don't want that extra hassle if isn't not required, but what do you think? Also, sidenote, domicile in NZ... The USC is here in NZ on temp visas, clearly continuing to work for US clients while over here, keeping bank accounts in the US, all his stuff is in storage in the US, we are hoping this is enough to prove that he is actually only here temporarily and we won't have to prove the 'intent to re-establish domicile'. ...does that sound ok? Thanks for the advice!	sophielas	Female	New Zealand	2013-01-20 16:45:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	USC petitioner living abroad	1. Country USC resides in: New Zealand 2. Is there a USCIS field office in this country / Is DCF still possible? No 3. When did you file the I-130: Jan 3, 2013 4. How long had you been living abroad: 4.5 months 5. Do you reside in the country legally? Yes 6. What is the reason for your residence: work permit/student/tourist/other - Extended tourist visa (not even an actual resident visa, although since filing we changed NZ visa status) 7. Did you list your foreign address on all forms in I-130 package? Yes. 8. Did you send I-130 package from abroad? Yes 9. Did you include evidence of your residence abroad in the I-130 package? Yes, joint lease, utilities etc. 10. Did you mention the fact you reside abroad in the cover letter or write a letter describing your current situation and the evolution of your relationship with your spouse (mentioning your residence abroad)? Yes, explained USC in NZ on extended visitors visa and would stay in NZ until we could both go back to USA together 11. Has your case been "auto-expedited"? How long between NOA1 and NOA2? Yes, 28 days, insane! Edited by sophielas, 01 February 2013 - 03:37 PM.	sophielas	Female	New Zealand	2013-02-01 15:37:00
Philippines	Why do you want to bring your spouse to the USA?	This is an issue Kate and I have struggled with significantly and it almost got to the point where I wanted to throw in the towel and forget the entire idea of moving. I have had some experience living and working in the USA during the past few years and here are my thoughts ... - New Zealand has a much more "stress free" state of living, - We get free healthcare - We get heavily subsidised higher education (NZD12-15000 for a Bachelors Degree here) - We get four weeks of guaranteed annual leave per year (my current job has five) - We get five sick days per year (most employers offer ten) - We have generous social security (welfare) and pension (KiwiSaver) - We have paid parental leave (up to one year I think, should check on that) - Our salaries are generally much higher than in the US But ... in saying all of this, I have to say the US will be a change for a few years, I can go back to school and do some graduate study, Kate's family have welcomed me in a way that makes me teary eyed I am really amazed .... and I can become a citizen in three years then we can choose where we want to live. She has said we will consider moving back here once I am done with school. It is also harder for her to immigrate here before we marry, Immigration New Zealand want us to be living together for a year beforehand and its gotten quite hard to get as there are several categories of domestic partnership here that do not exist elsewhere (incl in the US) so you really have to prove your case to them. Once we have been married for a year or so she can become an instant permanent resident however must wait two years to get access to student loans which is a bummer. You would be right in saying I am concerned about job prospects and things like that but we'll try it for a bit and see what happens, at worst it will be something different. Will it be better? Sure damn hope so!	Kiwifruit	Male	New Zealand	2011-06-22 13:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	CR1 or K1?	Hello VJ! Kiwifruit here, long time scroller-througher, first time poster and even longer-time owner of a strange sense of humour ... well seeing as how I am fuzzy foreign fruit would you expect any less? Long story short my American girlfriend and I have decided to get married and start a fruit salad, however it's proving a bit difficult and the big question is which visa route do we choose? We met online in June 2010, met face-to-face in Jan 11 (spent two weeks together) and got engaged. I have been doing lots of research and feel that both the K1 and CR1 visas are good options each with thier positives and negatives. Unless I am advised otherwise, we plan to do the process ourselves, we're both fairly educated and think its DYIable. Given recent policy changes by Immigration New Zealand its easier for me to go to the US and sponsor her for NZ permanent residence rather than doing it here. Anyway, here is what we have come up with ..... K1 plan: The good - Do not have to be seperated after marrying as I can apply for AOS straight away The bad - Requires costly adjustment of status and application for EAD/AP which would be nice to have up my sleeve without waiting - Means we cannot take our planned European or Carribean honeymoon as I would need to wait for AP CR1 plan The good - Less expensive as no AOS/ED/AP required - We can take our honeymoon anywhere we like (would be on VWP and not have filed I-130 yet) The bad - Would have to come back to NZ after getting married Either way I have one more trip to the US (at least) in the middle of the year and Kate (Mrs Kiwifruit) is planning to come visit NZ later in the year which means we would have more airline receipts, photos etc. The big sticking points for us are that we don't want to take our honeymoon IN the US (K1) and that if we went the CR1 route I am concerned we would be held to a higher standard of evidence (bonafide marriage vs ongoing relationship) and we would have to spend the first 5-8 months apart of our marriage apart. Whichever route we choose, we are going to submit the following as evidence: - Photos of us together - Copies of our Carnival cruise cards that have the same room number and cruise date on them with both our names (on seperate cards) - Copies of airline itineries, some boarding passes and statement from the airlines saying the tickets were flown on - Two credit card statements with some misc charges eg hotel we both stayed at and ATM withdrawls - My life insurance showing her as beneficiary - My credit card showing her as an additional cardholder - Engagement ring receipt - Skype logs - Phone bills - Copies of cards and envelopes sent to each othes - Statement from her parents that we were together for both trips - Letters from each of us stating we are free and intend to marry (if we choose K1) I might have one or two other bits and pieces I can throw in for good measure that I am not thinking of. So, if you could have a look at my plan and help a strange piece of down under fruit decide which y'all think is better it would make for awesome fruit salad! Thanks Ben	Kiwifruit	Male	New Zealand	2011-02-08 17:34:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	When to file	Thanks all!	Kiwifruit	Male	New Zealand	2011-03-04 02:17:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	When to file	Greetings VJ funny foreign fruit here again. So the future Mrs Kiwifruit is getting a bit ripe and going off on a tangent about wedding planning and such while I haven't even fallen off the tree yet, do Kiwifruit grow on trees; ####### me I dno? I am a bit more realistic and trying to gently say to her we have not even filed yet but girls will be girls and such when it comes to this stuff. My plan was to file when I went back over in June/July because we would gather more evidence (photos, boarding passes, receipts etc) and fill everything out in person before I left. Now I am not so sure and have talked to her tonight about just doing everything now. Because I do not like mushy fruit, I am a very risk adverse person and am concerned that we do not have enough evidence so if we get an RFE for more, well we don't have any! Here is what we have to prove we met in person - Airline receipts, two boarding passes and coupons from Southwest saying I flew on the tickets (I work in the airline industry, the ONLY way a ticket can show as "used" is if it the passenger was actually uplifted on it) - Passport stamps - Several photos together in the Bahamas and at the Kennedy Space Centre - Copies of both our onboard cruise account cards showing the same ship, sail date and room number - Bank statements for ATM withdrawls when we were driving from Indy to Florida - Credit card statement for a hotel I paid for (no receipt from them unfortunately) and from the Kennedy Space Centre (to fit the photos) - Carnival baggage tags for both of us showing same date, room number and ship I intended to do a bit of front loading (even tho it would be dangerous to let foreign fruit drive such a heavy peice of machinery like a front end loader ) with ring receipts, skype logs, a couple of emails (we're not big emailers) and one or two affadivits. What do you think VJers? Do it now or later? We have over a year (we want to get married in the spring of 2012) Thanks peoples! Ben	Kiwifruit	Male	New Zealand	2011-03-03 21:53:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Just a thought =O	You need to look at the conditions of the ticket. Tickets are valid for one year from date of booking for departure and may, subject to the fare conditions, incur a change fee plus difference in fare or taxes. If you need to change two or three times it may very well be cheaper just to wait.	Kiwifruit	Male	New Zealand	2011-03-15 22:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Employment visa affect on a K-1 visa	If you want a fruity perspective, Kiwifruit says go with that and do an I-130 AOS off the employment visa.	Kiwifruit	Male	New Zealand	2011-03-16 02:13:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Filing Myself or Professional help	Guys with the passport photo. What is the sizing they require? the same as the US passport and visa guidelines? 2 Inches (50mm X 50mm) ? http://www.path2usa....nts-for-us-visa It seems larger than a Australi passport photo.. You should read the K1 guide mate, all the info is there, yes its bigger than what we in AU/NZ consider a standard passport photo.	Kiwifruit	Male	New Zealand	2011-02-21 00:28:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Filing Myself or Professional help	Hey Guys I have a question Do i need to send my Passport photo with a Form DS-156? I was reading it online for the photo requirements but not sure if its needed for this visa... Help please Thanks DS-156 you fill out online and send/take to Consulate for your interview. I had to do it for my J visa back in 2008. Seems this foreign fruit is upgrading in the world, J to K LOL! Hope you are staying dry mate	Kiwifruit	Male	New Zealand	2011-02-20 08:29:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	k-1 beneficiary costs?	Who actually pays the fees is between you and your fiance That is between the two of you as to who provides the money	Kiwifruit	Male	New Zealand	2011-07-13 00:24:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	NZ Police Clearance Authorisation	Now that I've had my case completed at NVC and my paperwork is on it's way to the US Consulate in Auckland, I know that I need to submit my authorisation for my Police Clearance. As there's only a few weeks between getting my interview appointment and the interview itself, I'm trying to get everything sorted quickly. I have printed out the form but am not 100% sure where to send it. I know it gets sent to the Consulate, but is it the physical address (Citibank building) or the private bag address? Also, for any Kiwis who have been through this process recently, are there any fees to pay on the day of the interview (CR1 visa)? I keep reading conflicting stories in regards to this. And do you have to take a prepaid courier bag with you? Thanks!	littleichiban	Female	New Zealand	2013-02-15 03:26:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	DHL Tracking From NVC to US Embassy	Some shipments picked up on: Thursday - February 14, 2013: Waybill: 8905866185 - AUCKLAND - AUCKLAND CENTRAL –NEW ZEALAND Think this must be mine. Thank you so much for doing this, I couldn't get the DHL tracking website to work so this has been really helpful for me.	littleichiban	Female	New Zealand	2013-02-15 02:52:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - January 2013	Thanks Saylin. I woke up to an email this morning acknowledging my DS3032 so I'm very happy. Every bit of progress is a reason to celebrate at this stage.	littleichiban	Female	New Zealand	2013-01-24 15:15:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - January 2013	Hi everyone. Was wondering how long other people have had to wait for acknowledgement of their DS3032 'choice of agent' form? It's my understanding that once they've received it and processed the information, we should get an invoice for the immigrant visa application. I emailed it off on the 11th of January, and re-sent it the other day just to be sure. Not very keen on sending a hard copy as it's taking an age for things to travel from NZ to USA at the moment, even via courier. Thanks.	littleichiban	Female	New Zealand	2013-01-24 03:14:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	NVC Filers - January 2013	Finally received NVC case number today by email, along with the AOS invoice and the DS-3032 'Choice of agent' form. We received our NOA2 on the 5th of December, our case was received on the 17th of December and case number finally generated on the 10th of January. Have already emailed off the Choice of Agent email I had prepared, hopefully my husband (USC) will pay the AOS bill and send off the paper work in the next couple of days and then we'll receive the other invoice we are waiting on.	littleichiban	Female	New Zealand	2013-01-11 01:12:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	September 2012 I-130 filers	Hi everyone. Just sharing that we got our NOA2 today, via email. We filed near the beginning of September, were sent to California then re-routed to Missouri. As far as I am aware, we never moved from there. If we had, it would have been the Albuquerque Field office as my husband (USC) lives in NM. Quite overwhelmed when reading about the next part of the process, hoping to get most of it sorted before Christmas. Would be nice to get a February interview, though luckily we have no deadlines and aren't in any particular rush. Good luck to everyone still waiting on their NOAs.	littleichiban	Female	New Zealand	2012-12-06 04:10:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Case Filing and Progress Reports	Interview in NZ	Once you get your NOA2, your file gets sent to the NVC. How quickly you move through the NVC mostly depends on you and when you submit your paperwork. It can be 6 weeks or much longer than that. Once your case is completed at NVC, that is when you receive your interview date. I got my NOA2 at the start of December, and had case complete and an interview date around early to mid February. My interview is March 7th. The NVC schedule your interview, this happens before they send your paperwork to the US Consulate in Auckland. I received an email with my interview appointment letter, I imagine the same would happen for you if they have your email address on file. If the date doesn't work for you, you can reschedule with the Consulate in Auckland but they have limited spots, usually quite far in the future.	littleichiban	Female	New Zealand	2013-03-01 04:05:00
IR-1 / CR-1 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures	US taxes while in I130/IR1/CR1 proceedings	I recently went through this with my husband. I had to send him my driver license and my birth certificate plus a W7 form so we could obtain an ITIN for his taxes this year. We looked into filing married but separate so I wouldn't have to submit anything but apparently for either Federal or State taxes, we needed an ITIN regardless. Unfortunately for me the list of accepted identifications is limited as NZ doesn't have a couple of the forms of ID mentioned (I imagine this is true for many countries) and as far as I am aware my government doesn't issue certified copies of licenses or passports. I don't understand how someone could feel comfortable sending off their passport to the IRS, it's the single most important personal document I own and they may not return it for months. Plus I need it for immigrating! I was far too paranoid for that. Legally, some countries won't allow you to even post your passport offshore. Luckily I don't actually drive and need my license, or I would have been very stuck. We have one or two acceptance agents here in NZ but they are all in Auckland, which is over a thousand kilometres from where I live. We thought about getting an extension then filing in a few months time once I have entered and obtained an SSN which may be an option for some (as long as you don't have to worry about owing any tax). I am not sure on the legalities of this though, from all the reading I did it didn't seem too problematic. I know this seems like a lot of whinging but for a supposedly simple process it has caused a lot of worry. My husband assures me once I am there it will be simple.	littleichiban	Female	New Zealand	2013-02-22 02:40:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Visiting US while K1 is processing	Hi and thanks for the replies, One thing that caught my eye while researching, reading forms etc, is on the I-129F it says this at the bottom of page 2: Note: (Designation of a U.S. embassy or consulate outside of the country if your fiance(e)'s last residence does not guarantee acceptance for processing by that foreign post. Acceptance is at the discretion of the designated embassy or consulate.) I'm (the beneficiary) in Canada at the moment, and will be for another two or three months, then spending some time in the US, then going home to NZ in June. It'll be the consulate in Auckland New Zealand that I want it processed of course. I wonder if I should contact them to find out if they are likely to accept it or not? The other thing I noticed, the VJ guides say to include photos and other evidence that we've met with the I-129F. But officially on the USCIS site (that I can find) and on the form, and their guide for filling in the form, it makes no mention of including this.	Lonney	Male	New Zealand	2011-01-27 17:44:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Visiting US while K1 is processing	Probably would be easier to File the I-129F after you visited Alaska. But this is a FAQ: http://www.visajourn...cation.html#4.6 Thanks for the link, I hadn't found that FAQ on this site, however I had found another one with less detail. I already have a B1/B2 visa so it's looking promising with what another person here has said about visiting. Thanks	Lonney	Male	New Zealand	2011-01-27 11:06:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Visiting US while K1 is processing	A return ticket has been enough proof for me the last two times ive visited. Hi, thanks for that, I'll take it into consideration	Lonney	Male	New Zealand	2011-01-27 11:00:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	Visiting US while K1 is processing	Hi all, Just wondering if anyone has had experience with visiting the US while their K1 is being processed. I know you can visit so long as you have good evidence you'll just be visiting and leaving again. I'm a New Zealander currently in Canada with a working holiday visa. Cut a long story short, I met a girl from Alaska, spent quite a bit of time together. She's about to go back home to Alaska, and I'm planning on visiting in April/May this year when my working holiday visa for Canada ends. I then plan on going back home to New Zealand via LA (where my flight leaves from). I already have a return ticket home etc, is that in it self enough evidence to allow me to visit and (leave again via the US) if we file for a K1 now? Or would it be better to wait until I'm back in NZ before we file a K1? I'm aware of the DCF and other options, but those are not practical, nor is there any cost/time advantage in the end when all said and done. Thanks	Lonney	Male	New Zealand	2011-01-26 14:55:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	starting the immigration process with added complications...	Hey there Guys....Our hearfelt thanks to you all for your replies... a decision has been reached... hiring an attorney and going for it..... Beacuse if there is one consistant thing I have learnt through all the hours spent on researching the immigration sites is that the biggest hold up comes from not giving enough information and having your application sent back.... so all I can say is that is in your best interest in the long run to pay for an attorney... and let them get on with what they know best..... Unfortunately we can overcomplicate this process because of our emotional investment and I know that this is going to seem trite but have patience..... I suppose I am lucky because I have no other choice but to have patience as my man does not demob until Decmeber. At least we can use this time to get the attorney onto the case and get a bit of a head start for us and in the meantime we can concentrate on our relationship..... So again if you can GET AN ATTORNEY TO DO IT FOR YOU...... everything comes with a cost and sacrafice it just depends on what you are willing to pay and do.... The Warmest of Blessings and Good Luck to everyone who is in the immigration system and thanks for this brilliant website... its been a God Send Doris. XxX	doris	Not Telling	0	2006-04-24 18:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	starting the immigration process with added complications...	Thanks linababe.... as soon as I saw your reply I slapped myself in the head in realisation that you were correct... duhh to me Anyway I think it may be a better investment to hire an immigration attorney to do all the legwork so if anyone has any reccomendations they would be most welcome.... Thanks again for this website... its a great thing you have going here... I have been able to source so much just from the home page... Keep up the good work Doris XxX	doris	Not Telling	0	2006-04-23 04:07:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Procedures	starting the immigration process with added complications...	I'm a Nzer, and my Fiance is a US Citizen. It is nto a matter of when we get married but just which way we go... there are so many options and I just want the one of least resistance..... our biggest problem is that I have 2 historic criminal convictions that may have an input into my visa being accepted or declined. From the information of various sites I have been sourcing all I know is that there are a number of ways to do this, but we are more interested in getting myself into the States and then getting married. I read that this is possible if I apply for a visitors visa. What I want to know is this correct and how do I go about applying for the waiver so that it is acepted at the same time as my visa?? We would prefer that either the K1 or K3 visa is processed vias the states. Currently he is of no assistance at the moment as he is deployed overseas.... Basically I am just overwhelmed by everything and am looking for some advise from the been there, done that, got the T Shirt brigade... Thanks... Doris	doris	Not Telling	0	2006-04-23 00:10:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	help on the affidavit of support I-134	my fiance is about to file I-129F, she is wondering if she can come to new zealand in the meantime while the petition is processing. anyone know if she can and if she needs to have a job for the affidavit of support?? she has good work history, is this enough? many thanks	joelandeden	Male	New Zealand	2009-10-19 20:25:00
US Embassy and Consulate Discussion	I-134 help	my fiance is about to file I-129F, she is wondering if she can come to new zealand in the meantime while the petition is processing. anyone know if she can and if she needs to have a job for the affidavit of support?? she has good work history, is this enough? many thanks	joelandeden	Male	New Zealand	2009-10-20 19:02:00
Philippines	Why use TB SPUTUM test and not the TB Skin test?	Am i to understand that the blood test is not a compulsory part of the medical exam? I have been stressing and stressing over that part as I have a severe phobia to needles and injections. Can someone clarify if the blood test is always done? If it is... i guess i'll have to psych myself up for it	Tracie1227	Female	New Zealand	2010-02-06 01:34:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Congrats RubyRed and welcome to all the new faces! We are headed back to NZ for our first family trip since adding a new addition and Nic's removal of conditions! I can't believe it has been so long since I was in the middle of the immigration process. Here is hoping the process of getting Sage's (my sons) New Zealand passport is easier than acquiring residency for my husband. All I have to say is as stressful as the process is it is so worth the final outcome.	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2012-02-15 17:29:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Zeddess- We also plan to move back to NZed eventually. Not for at least 5 years though so we plan on having my husband apply for dual citizenship. That way we can come and go from the US as we please. It seems worth it to wait it out til the citizenship process is finished to not have to deal with residency again. Except on the other end that is :-) Does it ever end? Dave n Genna- The removal process wasn't to bad. We sent in about 5-10 different proofs of joint finances/living and didn't even need an interview. It was pretty convenient since we were in the process of bringing our own little KiwiAmerican into the world. We sent in joint insurance info (life and health), our deed (but I am sure a rental agreement is fine), joint bank account info, bills with both our names on it (phone,electric, gas etc). Basically anything we had on hand with both our names on it. It may have been overkill but it did the job. The waiting was the worst part.	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2011-03-23 11:50:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	We received our Biometrics appointment letter on Friday. We will head to St Albans on Thursday. They didn't give much time to arrange schedules if we needed to but we are only 45 minutes or so from the location and well not much you can't change when it comes to getting immigration one step closer to done. I thought I would make a list of what we sent in our packet, since most people will be going through this in the next year or so! Deed to the house we bought in November Copy of life insurance policies Copy of health insurance cards through Nic Copy of marriage certificate Bills in both our names (cable,power,gas...) Bank statements in both our names (one from a while ago and a more recent one) We have several accounts for various things credit card statements in both our names Most of the info we sent was finance based but it seems to have done the trick. We keep everything so it was much easier than the first application to put together.. We just kept putting random bits and bobs in a folder once we realized we would have to do this soon. It made the whole gathering process easier. Not sure I have to go to the Bio appointment with Nic but I figure why not. Not sure how long it will take to get to the interview stage but we are happy to at least feel like we are getting somewhere.	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2010-08-03 17:15:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Kelzm we recently sent in our removal of conditions packet too. We sent it to VT. We sent in a few bank statements, insurance and life insurance policies with both our names and the deed to our house. I think Nic threw in a few other things but it did feel like a much smaller packet than the first time around. Nic wanted to send in my ultra sound ( I am 5 months pregnant) just to be cheeky but held off the urge. The next big concern is that they schedule our interview around my due date. Crossing our fingers on that one!	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2010-06-30 07:43:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Nic and I did go the CR1 route. We went about it in a bit of a backwards way and in the end I think we ended up going the DCF route. The Embassy in New Zealand kind of took over for use and said don't worry about NVC. Long story but happy to help with any questions. I will have a look at what we were planning to send in to NVC. I think the most complicated bit for us was the tax information but shouldn't be too big a worry if the USC is actually living in the US, which I hadn't been for a few years.	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2010-02-17 11:51:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kelvan @ Aug 27 2009, 03:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks so much guys! I understand it a lot better now I am slowly, slowly getting the forms completed. I just wanted to start filling them out before the wedding so I wasn't in a mad rush after our honeymoon! We are going to apply for our marriage certificate today!!! Congrats!	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-08-26 15:11:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Nic and I have been back in the states for a year tomorrow. I can't believe how time flies. We also have our two year anniversary on the 20th. It is nice to finally be settled in together in a place we know we will be for more than a year. Everyone seems to be moving right along and before you know it you will be in the same boat as us. Contemplating the process of removing conditions! Does it ever really end?	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-08-18 15:07:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	As for the mayo I do know that in the Price chopper near me they have a new English food section. There is salad cream and english baked beans. Not that it is completely the same but probably closer than American stuff.	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-05-09 08:38:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi Everyone. It's great to see that everyone is moving forward and that so many of us are now here in the US. Nic and I have been here since August and he has finally found work in his field. Some days I think the job search was as stressful as immigration! But luckily he is a town planner and municipality always need employees even if it is hard times. So we are extremely excited because we love the city we are living in and our seasonal jobs were coming to an end and we were afraid we were going to have to move. As for the bread I never noticed it was sweet growing up but after living in NZ for three years I can really taste it now. Yuck. I try to get fresh bread when possible because it doesn't taste sweet. I think our next investment may be a bread maker. Luckily here on the east cost every grocery store seems to have a bakery though. Nic has been missing pies though so if anyone has any tips on that it would be great. Healthwise he probabably better off without them but it would still be great to find a decent substitute to suprise him.	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-03-26 10:36:00