Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi and welcome. Yes, you can either do as Kel suggested and write it in freehand, OR you can follow the I-129f instructions ... If extra space is needed to complete any item, attach a continuation sheet, indicate the item number, and date and sign each sheet. The example forms (link above) will help you a lot too. as an added note... be sure you tick the box part C, Q2. Many people miss this, and are RFE'd, as they believe it's related to the military question above.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-22 18:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (KimandRuss @ Aug 22 2008, 05:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Russ again P.s. i love you baby with all my heart SOON I love you too my love.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-22 16:40:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Russ again P.s. i love you baby with all my heart SOON	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-22 16:18:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	hi guys, this is russ, just figured i would post on the whole medical side of things, first off i can really recommend Dr Stone, he and his "peeps" made things very clear and very easy for me, and i would suspect all visa applicants, to go through the process with the minimal amount of fuss and bother. They usually can accomodate you within a week of calling, i called on a monday morning and got an appointment for friday, speed is good when you have been waiting so long now the actually medical itself took about 10 mins, weight, height, blood pressure, reflexes, a little listen here and there and that was about it, ran over old medical history (medication, surgeries, vacinations). i just required a booster shot and was all set, the whole thing cost 185 dollars which was 40 less then the recommended price and that was with the shot included, didn't end up paying extra for that which is also good. now the radiologist was actually 1.5kms down the road (~ 1 mile) so if you dont mind the walk it takes about 15-20 mins, if you do then take the car, the radiology was at 101 Remuera Rd and the Blood work place was around the corner at 12 St Marks, now the first place sticks out from the main street and is down a little driveway, was pretty painless and cost $80, the blood works place is tucked away behind a womans medical clinic and is call Diagnostics MedLab, the entrance is around the back side, that cost $31 so all up less than $300 and was pretty painless. The whole process took me about an hour and a half (i walked the mile.... good excercise ), but that could be as less then an hour and nearer two depending on waiting times at each of the places (the only drawback of medical being at three different places), so if you go for your medical book it before 3 to give you ample time to get to all the places in one go. all and all it was pretty painless, a couple jabs in the arm and all done, i hope this helps those yet to go through it oh one last thing, make sure you have your forms, two passport photos, and your passport (need it at all three places as they each have to sign the verification sheet, make sure they sign it or you will be going back to them to get them to sign it), and they dont take credit cards cheers Russ	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-22 16:15:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Good morning folks Ana, this is what Russell told me.... QUOTE if you need an australian police certificate (i.e. you have lived in australia for more then a year) you need to apply for an australia police certificate yourself, they dont get one for you as it costs about 150 australian i think. Michelle, you're welcome. In all my time here i've not heard of NZ not accepting co-sponsors soooo my assumption would be that you will be ok. Yes, Grant, I also want to know if you're tempted to open the brown envelope. Russell's medical went very well yesterday and he was done in no time at all. He also paid for his visa and overnighted his p3 back to the Embassy. They should have everything they need on Monday. My packet to him should arrive the same time so he'll be all ready for an interview any time after that. Yes, we are quite excited!!! We had to wait all these years just to file... 7 months at VJ just waiting for my divorce decree ... and it's been 5 months since we filed now... hard to believe we're almost finally there! Takes my breath away.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-22 09:32:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Ana, this is the reply that we got from the Consulate when we asked about the Australian police report... QUOTE You require a Police Clearance from your country of Nationality, and Residence, when you have resided there (ie NZ) for 6 months or more. And from any other country you have resided in for 12 months or more. So if you only lived in Australia for 9 months, and are not an Australian citizen, you won’t need to obtain one from there. (of course, if there was any conviction, you would have to obtain the court records!) This office obtains the NZLD one for you, once we receive your approved petition/case file.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-21 19:46:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	ana, Russell did live in Australia for 7 months in 2006 but, even tho everything else says 6 months, the Embassy told him he only needed a police report if he had been there over a year. I am double checking with him and will let you know. Yes, we are extremely excited! thanks! Michelle, glad you got your NOA1 and are on your way now! Some Consulates do not allow a co-sponser to be used but as far as I know you can in NZ. You can email them at AucklandIV@state.gov to be certain. They are really great at getting back to you with good information. I can tell you that they did ask that we also bring Russell's Resume/CV as well so they seem to be all about what you, the NZ citizen, will bring to the table too. Also just fyi.. I'm also pretty certain social security for disability (I think that is what Rob counts on as he is sick?) counts toward income for the I-134. Tiara, thanks for the info. My love is on his way to Auk right now to see Dr. Stone! Sounds like a good plan to move after the start of the year and after your second anniversary.. makes perfect sense. Congratulations Grant! How exciting for you! As I mentioned... Russell is on his way to his medical right now... 4 hour drive! His dad and brother went along with him to make a day of it just for the boys. The Consulate has been more than helpful. Our case has not even left NVC yet (even tho they got it last friday) but Russell emailed them and asked that they send package 3 anyway, which they agreed to do since he already had his new case number. They overnighted it to him and he got it yesterday! Finally...efficiency! He should have everything he needs by the beginning of next week so we're hoping for an interview the week after and a flight home on Monday the 8th. Best case scenerio really. btw.. if you fly NZ to US through Tahiti on a Monday or a Friday the costs is quite a bit cheaper. I know the wait for those of us who are not together is tough but you'll get through it..and you'll be even better because of it. I do hope it starts to speed up for you all! Edited by KimandRuss, 21 August 2008 - 07:04 PM.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-21 19:01:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Amy & Nic... welcome home!!!! cdneh... ummmmm being patient! Kel... you can get your medical appoinment with your new case number from NVC (although they didn't even ask him for it when he made the apt). Anyway, as long as the Embassy knows who to apply it to when it gets to them from the doc's office you're good to go. You need to at least wait until the petition is approved and you know it's going to be on it's way to AUK soon. He does not have his interview yet. He emailed them and noted his new case number and that the approved petition (I-797) is on it's way to them. They told him they would send out P3 now since he had his case number. He'll have my package very soon as well so he'll be sorted for his apt in a week's time... hopefully they'll be able to accomodate him soon after that. oh and the only place he needs a police certificate from is New Zealand and the Embassy takes care of it. They send you a form in the P3 to fill out. Edited by KimandRuss, 20 August 2008 - 11:52 AM.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-20 11:44:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Grant & Tiara, Congratulations to you both. Thank you for taking the time to explain your experience in detail. It really does help settle the mind to know Auckland is so helpful. cdneh, congratulations on your immunities! One more thing down! Kelly.. Congrats! You're on your way! Well I got my affidavit and mound of supporting paperwork off to Russell yesterday. He will have it in just a few days. He has his medical with Dr. Stone on Friday as well so it seems by next week he'll be as set as he can be for his interview. Hopefully they'll have the approved petition by then! Still feels so good to know how much closer we are to being together again!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-19 07:32:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Ooooo tiara and grant... GOOD LUCK!!!!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-18 08:15:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	wooohooo we're at nvc already!!!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-15 22:28:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Grant... sounds like really good news on the job front! Good for you! Keep us posted. Thanks for the info! Kel, thank you for the info! It's good to know. He wants to get it as quickly as possilble and fly out the same day if possible (cute no? :lol) ...not sure we want to risk it getting lost in the post or not but it would save him another long drive. Something to think about. Awwww a long weekend in smelly Rotorua! What a nice place to visit.. been to both Te Puia and Whakarewarewa, where I guess some of Russell's 'peeps' are from. Very nice. I hope you have a wonderful time with your son. I'm sure you're going to miss him a lot but he will be well cared for and getting the education you'd like him to have. Have a great time with your loved ones. Very soon for you!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-14 19:09:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Michelle, I dont know if you're talking to me or amaciar but thanks anyhow I'm sorry you're missing Rob so much. It sure is not easy being apart for so long, I know. We've had just 3 weeks together in the last year and I ache every single day to have his arms wrapped around me. Unlike some folks, we can't just hop in the car or onto a plane for a few days so all we can do is wait.. and hope. Do try to stay as busy as you can. Get as much time together as you can. Prepare all you can for the next steps. Above all else..dont lose focus on the prize!! What has kept me going is that glorious moment he walks through the doors at Logan and I leap into his arms again. That thought alone has carried me through the toughest of times.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-14 16:51:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Justine, i'm so happy you have that. There is nothing better in this world! Thank you Kel! Tiara, thanks for the great info! Hopefully I can get the new case number by late Friday night and Russell can call (nz) Monday to make his appointment for later in the week. It's a 4 hour drive for him from Opotiki so his father and brother will join him for a mini-golf championship game in Auckland! He's quite looking forward to it! Thank you cdneh... your turn!!! Thank you Grant. Amy, Thank you for the detailed description of your interview! Congratulations! Soooooo excited for you! So you gave the Consualte a courier bag to deliver the visa??? I ask because it's such a drive for Russell. He was just going to drive in 2 days later to pick up his visa because he lives in a rural location but he will pay for overnight shipping if they will send it! As long as it doesn't take more than a couple days! btw.. did you know your timeline lists your Consulate as Armenia??? Oh.. and I am stateside. My kiwi's coming to me. Thank you Kelly! Ooo thank you for the animated congrats C&M! Finally got to talk to Russell at 5:30am est... 9:30pm nz... almost 12 full hours after our approval! Someone stole his cell phone this week so i'm unable to just contact him when I want. Ironic, no? Anyway... we are both riding so high right now! In just a matter of weeks he'll be back home where he belongs! thanks again!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-14 15:15:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Michelle.S @ Aug 26 2008, 03:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I know, i actually had a wee cry, it was very emotional seeing him again, i forgot about all those expressions i love, those little smiles and that look on his face he gets when he's teasing me, telling me i should do what the man says, just everything really awww...we've had ours since Thanksgiving...and I don't know where we'd be without it. I'm watching Himself working at the moment..lol....he may not realize that he mutters as he does...	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-25 22:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Michelle.S @ Aug 26 2008, 03:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> No Kate, I'm confused also, but i've deciding i'm going to take my cv, my bank statement, a completed I-134 from Rob and a completed I-134 from our friend, if they don't need all of that, great but i'd rather have it with me then be turned away and asked to come back with something. Seems the safest way to me Sounds a scheme..take the lot.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-25 22:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Michelle.S @ Aug 26 2008, 03:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> oooh and we now have a web cam, I'm sooooooo happy Aren't they a wonderful invention	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-25 22:22:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Am I the only one that doesn't get this? Sorry...I'm a bit confused still.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-25 21:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Michelle.S @ Aug 22 2008, 07:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks Kate, I guess now there'll be no reply before Monday and I'm working Monday so we'll both have to wait til Monday night, hope you're not working then Hehe thanks Kelly, i guess we were both posting at the same time Monday...lol...what torture! I am off though....so you know where I'll be...right here...waiting to hear!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-22 02:24:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Michelle....congratulations!!! I've been watching for this!!! And let me know what you hear back about the co-sponser...we are using one as well, Himself being retired...	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-22 02:13:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Michelle.S @ Aug 21 2008, 07:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Aug 21 2008, 07:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (kiwiana @ Aug 21 2008, 11:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> cdneh: Thats great your immunities are all in check. Now you can relax and sit back I dunno how ... I need to get me some patience pills...and double whatever the prescribed dose on those is... heh.. Hmm sign me up for some of those pills too pls, i've been driving Rob nuts asking if he's got the NOA1 - tho i'm not so worried now, now that i know the cheque's been cashed I'll let you know Michelle If no one has invented these yet they better get on to it...there is a fortune to be made, on VJ alone!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-21 02:56:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Aug 21 2008, 11:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> cdneh: Thats great your immunities are all in check. Now you can relax and sit back I dunno how ... I need to get me some patience pills...and double whatever the prescribed dose on those is... heh..	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-21 02:29:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (KimandRuss @ Aug 20 2008, 12:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> cdneh, congratulations on your immunities! One more thing down! It is Now I think all my ducks are lined up...so I'm wondering what I ought to be occupying myself with next	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-19 21:23:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Glad to hear it all went well! Good they didn't tow you either I think if my interview ever rolls around, I will park up at Pitt street ambulance station and hike down. Probably only the one perk we get I have my titer test results today, and I show antibodies for the lot! Excellent, I haven't got to be a pin cushion. The only one I need is tetanus, and I'll get that tomorrow when I uplift my results. Brief flurry of activity ended...back to patiently waiting	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-19 01:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Good luck for tomorrow!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-18 01:38:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Kim!!! Congratulations !!! Happy happy news!!!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-14 02:12:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	MichelleS: Thanks for letting us know what the consulate said. I too, am confused over what they mean. Maybe Kim would know what it is all about. The way things are at the moment, my fiance would need a co-sponser too, so i am very worried about this part of the process. Why do they want to see a CV? What does that have to do with having enough income? So if the beneficiary has sufficent funds (whatever that amount may be). Does it mean that the fiance doesn't need to fill in a 1-134. I hope someone cam answer these questions for us. It is all so confusing. Once again, thanks for finding these details out. Just hope someone can explain it to us all. sorry it's been a crappy day for you but hopefully things will look brighter once it is all explained	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-25 03:49:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thanks Kim!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-23 18:11:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Welcome ShawnandLu! MichelleS: I wasn't aware of this but apparently for the 1-134 form, ones fiance has to earn 100% above the poverty line and not 125% as I had always thought. Apparently the 125% applies when one fills in the 1-864 form later on the US. Here's the site: http://travel.state....types_2994.html Grant: Don't get me started on transferring money from here to US A few weeks ago i went to my bank here (who shall remain nameless) and asked them if i could send some money from my bank account to one in the US. The teller said .'Oh we don't send money to the US" I was like' what??' I tried to explain it to her again and she said 'how about a bank money order?" i said, no i want to transfer money directly. She ummed and arrred and then said, well i will make a phone call and see if we deal with any banks in america. she came back and said we do but not with the bank you want to use over there. To cut a LONG story short. she said she would send it to another bank in the US they deal with and they in turn will pass it on to the bank i wanted the money to go into. It cost $25 to do the transaction and i left there feeling very frustrated and angry with the whole episode. Later on I decided to look online for banks here in nz and found that westpac are pretty good with sending money overseas (telegraphic transfer) so i went and opened an account with them. The woman there was very helpful and said there would be no problem sending money to banks in the USA. They also have affilation with the Bank Of America, so that is good. There is still the standard $25 fee for transferring the money over. As kelzm mentioned, you can also get a bank draft, which sounds like a good idea to do, when one leaves new zealand. thanks kelzm for mentioning that!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-23 17:31:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thanks Russ for giving us the account of the medical and xrays etc. I have written it all down and will know where to go when the time comes, instead of stressing out even more so than normal on the day (worrying about where the medlab etc is) and..... Kim and Russ: Thanks for the info on the Australian police certificate. I may ask at the Aussie Regional forum and see if they may know where i go to file for the police certificate. Grant: I think that sealed envelope would drive me nuts with curiosity!! I would be holding it up to the light, picking at one corner, putting it down on the table and then picking it up again a few seconds later and placing it on another table, pacing up and down etc.. I would DEFINITELY put that envelope away somewhere. padlock it away in my suitcase or something, so that i wouldn't see it Dave_n_Genna: welcome to the regional forum! When we filled in the forms, I found the same trouble with trying to type in the information. So my partner hand wrote the 1-129f and we each hand wrote the G325's. He had the carbon copy ones he ordered from the USCIS (of the G325's) but i had printed my forms out so i had to hand write on all four pages. We then made two other copies of everything to keep as references so handwrote those too! I hadn't done so much handwriting in my life. One gets so used to just typing stuff that you don't realise just how shoddy ones handwriting becomes until you have to write very NEATLY into those itty bitty tiny boxes!! It was a challenge for sure! I think out of the 12 pages in total i wrote out(including extra copies) I actually wrote out probably 16 times, with the ones i made mistakes on and had to redo!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-23 02:33:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Wow! everything is certainly happening here for us kiwi folk! Michelle: Congrats on receiving your NOA1. You are not alone in worrying about the next step. I read the same conflicting information about 1-134. I hope that the embassy here allows co-sponsors. Hope you will let us know what they say when they email you back. Yankiwi: yes, it definitely makes sense to enjoy spring/summer here than have one continous winter (brrh!). Do you know of any good job hunting websites in the US? Grant: how cool to have the magic 'foil' in passport. Are you ever tempted to open the 'secret envelope'? jk Kim: thank you for the info about police report from aussie. I think i will email them at the addy you gave and see if they can tell me where i would have to go to get one from Australia as i was there for more than a year. hope it doesn't hold things up waiting for it (when the time comes) Hope the medical went all ok for Russ. The process is really moving along for you guys now. At long last! cdneh,michelleS, Kelvan: It is quite exciting as we all have our NOA1's close to each other (give or take a few weeks to 6 weeks at most) I must say that some days my brain seems to go into overload from trying to digest all the information and neccesary forms, vaccines needed and next steps of the process etc. Yet there are thousands and thousands of people who have gone through the whole process ok. So i have to keep telling myself to just take one step at a time and will eventually get there with my sanity and patience in tact And above all to know that one day i will be able to be with my partner.... whom i love and miss soooooo much!!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-22 04:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	A lot has been happening here in the last week! cdneh: Thats great your immunities are all in check. Now you can relax and sit back kelvan: congrats on getting your NOA1. Its always a relief when it comes in the mail. Now you know that they have well and truly received your package and the process begins. amaciar: welcome home! hope you are settling in, have everything unpacked etc. I would think the weather is pretty good over there at the moment as well. Send some sunshine this way Grant and yankiwi: It sounds like the embassy is pretty good in Auckland. It certainly puts my mind at ease a little for when the time comes. When do you plan to leave NZ? Kim: Things are moving along pretty quickly now for you and russ. you must be pretty excited! I wonder if you would know at all, if one has to get police certificates/checks if they spent some time in Australia? I was there many YEARS ago and wondered if one still has to get it done, if it has been soo long ago.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-20 18:28:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	yankiwi and Grant: All the best and good luck for tomorrow!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-18 01:52:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	amaciar: Congratulations! And thank you for the details of the interview.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-15 02:33:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	KIM...All Mashroom VJ Member are Happy and Always With YOu ...	Crazy & Mad	Female	India	2008-08-14 09:02:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Kim!!! Congratulations !!! Waht a Wonderfult Happy news This Morning!!! Woooohoo...After Long time u Got ur Destination Edited by Crazy & Mad, 14 August 2008 - 08:50 AM.	Crazy & Mad	Female	India	2008-08-14 08:49:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Gosh look at us all online I'm tired of my chair too, mostly because I'm frantic to get 3 assignments done this week. These are the times I regret the amount of procrastination I did in previous years, trying to finish up my degree as fast as possible isn't the greatest way to spend all my weekends!	kelzm	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-23 18:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi all, big welcome to our new kiwi couples! It's heartening to see there are so many of us going through this (not that I wish the stress and confusion of applying on people!), but it's nice to have company on the trip. Grant I looked at different ways to transfer my money, some people recommend using commercial transfer places such as XE. I decided in the end it was easiest to talk to my bank about it. There are two options through most NZ banks (I use Westpac), telegraphic transfer or money draft. For both of these they charge a flat fee ($25) but unlike cash there is no currency commission so that's the only fee on this end. Like Michelle said there may be charges from banks on the other end, but for most it seems to be around $10 - $15. To do a direct transfer you'll need Brook's parents bank info which they should be able to obtain from their bank. I decided to go with a bank draft to take my money with me, which is made out to me and I'll use it to open my own bank account in the US. Here's the info from Westpac: http://www.westpac.c...aphic transfers	kelzm	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-23 17:04:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Wow, lots of good news all round! Congrats to Grant and Tiara, glad both of your interviews went so well, I think we are very lucky to have the Auckland consulate to go through, excellent service and friendly people make the whole thing a lot easier. Kelly - yay on the NOA1 hopefully your wait will be quick. Kim, I'm sure that your interview is just around the corner, good luck for that happening asap.	kelzm	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-19 17:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Kim - Make sure you have Russ buy an A4 sized (large) courier bag. I had a smaller one and had to run back down stairs to get the bigger size. From what I've seen they're pretty speedy about getting it out to you and you can track and trace to see when it's left the consulate. Today I'm handing in my resignation at work - 1 more month to go. The house has been settled and money is on its way to my bank. I'm about to take my son for long weekend in Rotorua and have weekends full of family dinners and meeting up with friends. Time's flying! It's great to see things progressing along for so many of our Kiwi couples.	kelzm	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-14 18:39:00