Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Woohoo - I have my passport back with the magic "foil" in it, and my secret envelope. Now the real planning can begin!! My grandmother turns 80 in October and we are having a big family get together, so we will look at going over shortly after that. I still have not advanced any further on the job finding front, but have applied for a few in the last couple of days. Hope everyone else is progressing well as well - seems like it is all go for us Kiwi's. Cheers Grant	gshennen	Male	New Zealand	2008-08-21 17:58:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi All Firstly good to meet you Tiara and Chris, best of luck moving forward for you guys, seemed like it was all under control. Secondly - Our interview (will add to the Consulate review as well later). Bit of a frantic start, where I normally park was closed off, so I parked in the Foodtown carpark and hoped that I wouldn't get towed. Brook, Clay and I went through security (they seem very nice if you show up with a baby!!) and went straight to the window. The lady came and we progressed our paperwork bit by bit. One thing they asked for that I didn't have was a copy of my CV/Resume. I did however have a copy of my university degree, and my Project Management qualification, so that seemed to suffice. This was all very smooth and easy enough (except for the poor lady and I trying to complete some maths sums without a calculator). The lady was very pleasent and talkative and made me feel at ease. After the paperwork she ran through the process of the POE. We then sat down and waited to see the Comsulate officer. This was a bit of a long wait (but seemed a lot longer as I was worried my csr would be towed!!). Was great to chat to Tiara and Chris during the wait. Was a bit of a worry when Tiara and Chris were called up before us, but within a couple of minutes of them being called to a window we were ushed into a separate meeting room (also a bit of a worry). The Consulate officer was very nice, and all he wanted to know was how (logistically) we planned to get over there (as we have two young kids). We are planning on having Brook go first, me wrapping up the house, and following a week or two later. This is what he wanted to here rather than me go across with them and then come back to wrap everything up. He then ran though the paperwork and signed off everything as he went (a good sign I am thinking), chatted away about bits and pieces, took another fingerprint and sent us on our way saying that the passport with the "foil" attached, as well as the envelope inside would be back to us within a few days. All in all it was pretty painless, and the whole process was over in an hour and a half (with an hour of this at least just waiting between the paperwork section and the Consulate officer). Oh yeah, my car wasn't towed, so that was good. Cheers Grant	gshennen	Male	New Zealand	2008-08-18 18:32:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	We're all ready too, will see you tomorrow!! I got the cash out today to pay the fees tomorrow (the last job on the list). P.S. I just got an A4 Track and Trace Courier Envelope from the postshop. surely it is the right size. Cheers Grant	gshennen	Male	New Zealand	2008-08-18 01:56:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Woohoo - well done amaciar!! Thanks for the description of the interview, it seems that they pretty much all go well at the Consulate, so it bodes well for the rest of us. Kim - yes you take a courier bag with you to the interview, and they courier your (well Russ' passport and the other envelope back to you). I just got out the instructions (because we had forgotten all about the courier envelope - so I will zap out and buy one soon). I have seen three interviews in person while we have been at the consulate, two went very well, and seemed like a formality, and one went not so well. The one that went not so well was because the people were very unorganised and did not have a lot of the documentation that they were meant to have. The lady at the consulate was very nice to them and was trying to help, but the couple seemed to get angry (it was their fault). I guess they were just very frustrated, which is understandable. But it shows that it is important to have your paperwork all completed, logically labeled, and make sure that you have read the instructions very very carefully. Hope everyone else is making progress - it seems a positive week for us Kiwi's trying to get over there. As far as my job hunting is going, I am making slow progress. The best thing is that one company that I approached (probably in the top 3 desirable companies) is showing quite an interest. I was very cheeky, and approached the President of the company, who I have now traded a few emails with, and he has sent my resume and supporting documents to a number of his managers, with a nice note to them urging them to consider me. His email said that I had a very interesting background story and had very interesting experience. Thier HR manager has also been in touch with me a couple of times too, and has said that their are 4 potential positions that I may be suited for (3 in San Francisco, and one in Santa Clara). After the interview next week I'll start applying for actual jobs, and get in touch with recruitment agents (I have a list of them ready to approach). Cheers Grant Cheers	gshennen	Male	New Zealand	2008-08-14 17:40:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (KimandRuss @ Aug 14 2008, 11:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look out Auckland......... here we come!! Awesome - great news!!	gshennen	Male	New Zealand	2008-08-14 02:34:00
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
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	It was great meeting Grant, Brook and Clay today! They made what would have been a long, quiet wait much more enjoyable! We had to be up at 5:15 am in order to make it out the door and across the bridge by 6:30 am. It wasn't that hard to get up though, considering we hadn't slept much the night before (we were both worried we'd sleep through the alarm!). Once we were in the city we parked in the open air lot across from the train station (paid $15 to cover it for the day so we wouldn't have to worry about the time running out!) then went and sat at a cafe until it about 15-20 min before the scheduled time for the interview, then we went up. We wanted to make sure if there were any lines to get through security it wouldn't make us late. Thankfully it was pretty clear though. All our stuff had to go through the x-ray machine, keys, cell phones and such were taken and locked in a little locker by the guard and we were given a number card to claim them back with. The first woman we talked to at the Consulate was really helpful and seemed to have a good handle on things. She reviewed a whole file of paperwork filled with all the original forms and such we sent to the various places, as well as the original documents we had submitted to the NVC for the police checks. She then asked to see our passports and took the courier envelope we were told to bring with us. After that Chris was fingerprinted (using this interesting electronic scanner thing, way cleaner than the ink and stamp method! LOL). She asked how long we'd been married for and what are travel plans were, and said that as things are now, Chris' permanent resident card would be "conditional" since we haven't been married 2 years yet. I asked if we waited to enter the US until after our 2nd anniversary in December, would the permanent resident card then be without conditions and she said yes, we'd just need to remind the immigration officer at the POE. We talked about the procedure to apply to remove conditions and she said while it's entirely up to us what we want to do, it is a pain and can be a long process (which we've already read a lot about). Then she said that they didn't have to affix the foil in the passport today! Instead we could have the interview with the Consular Officer and have everything approved, then once we knew when we wanted to leave we could just call them up and let them know we're ready to have the passport processed. We could drop it off and it would be back to us in about 2 days, and we'd then have 6 months from that point to enter the US. So it gives us a bit of room, since if they had issued it today the 6 months would have been up in January, and our anniversary isn't until the 21st of December...so we'd be cutting it close. Then she explained what the envelope packet is (basically you are hand carrying your own records, they don't keep anything on file at the Consulate, which is why it is so important that the envelope not be opened and safely make it to the POE!). The Consular Officer that was scheduled to do our interview wasn't in the office yet, so we had a seat and enjoyed a long chat with Grant and Brook and got to see their little one (SUCH a cute baby, he stayed quiet the whole time!). It was kind of funny to chat with a fellow American after being out of the country so long! After a while passed (must have been about 45 minutes) we were called up to the window for the interview, which surprised us since we figured Grant and Brook would be before us! I swear the woman who conducted the interview must be the "long haired blonde" some of the reviews speak of because she was sooo friendly and cheerful! She checked Chris' fingerprints again, asked where we'd met, how long I'd been here, when we got married, if I liked living here, what Chris' profession is (we took a copy of the CV just in case, but she never asked for it), checked our passports, went through the stack of papers initialing them, asked to see proof of our finances since I didn't have to file taxes last year, and gave us back the originals of Chris' birth certificate and our marriage license. She asked if we'd happened to bring any pictures of our wedding (I don't think it would have been a problem if we didn't have them, but thankfully I thought to get some printed off yesterday just in case!). Then she had Chris swear an oath and sign some paperwork. After all that she closed the folder, told us that the medical check was good for a year and the police check was good for 6 months (although they can get it renewed if necessary), so to just let them know when we were ready to have the foil placed in Chris' passport....and we were done! We looked around for Grant and Brook to wave bye, but we didn't see them, so I thought maybe they had an even faster interview than us and then ran to save the car from the tow truck! Glad everything turned out well for you guys too, it was really nice meeting you, I hope your move to the States goes smoothly! Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. Of this whole process the interview was what I dreaded the most and it turned out to be the easiest part of all! Thanks in a huge part to the excellent staff at the Auckland Consulate, they really to go out of their way to help.	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-19 06:42:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Amaciar- Thank you SO MUCH for posting that! I've read it several times to try and convince my brain that all will be calm, easy, and drama-free tomorrow. I'm so glad things went smoothly for you guys, have a safe flight home! Kim- It's great things are starting to move quickly for you guys after so long (not fast enough though, I'm sure )Our paperwork from the Consulate said to bring a foolscap sized registered envelope, but after talking to the people at the post office Chris decided to get a foolscap Courier envelope. The difference being registered is signature required but doesn't have track and trace, where as the Courier one is trackable, overnight delivery and signature required. Perhaps that would work for Russell? Pace offers urgent courier service, same day delivery to most places in NZ so that could be an option too. Unless of course he's going to stay around Auckland until it's ready to pick up, in which case picking it up in person would be the quickest of all! Well, tomorrow is the day! According to what the Consulate sent us, most of our documentation is there and all our fees are paid. Since police checks and all the "original" documentation for them is being sent to NVC now, we had to go that route, so they should have it all. Just in case though I've found all the copies for everything we've ever received from them and ever had to send and it's all coming with me tomorrow, along with pictures. I don't think they'll need any of it, but at least I'll have it, kind of like a paperwork security blanket! I'll be so glad when tomorrow evening rolls around... Good luck Grant!! If things are moving at a leisurely pace I'm sure we'll see you there!	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-18 01:22:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (rubyred @ Aug 14 2008, 01:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> no homesickness, though, despite this! i think it's because - as corny as this sounds - i truly feel like jordan is my 'home', and that anywhere he is, is where i feel most at home. "Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk is my song for Chris, I can't hear it without tearing up. I bet you would identify with the lyrics too!	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-13 23:52:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (KimandRuss @ Aug 14 2008, 12:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Look out Auckland......... here we come!! YES!!!! I'm so excited for you guys! Definitely call Dr. Stone, Chris called on a Tuesday and got an appointment for Friday of the same week. They have certain time slots set aside for those appointments so hopefully he'll be able to get in quickly! YAY!	yankiwi	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-13 23:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi guys, I just had my medical today and thought I would reiterate what Russ said about it being pretty easy. I did it in Chch, so it was a little easier to get an appointment. When I called, the lady said: "when do you want it for?" So I gave myself one work day to make sure I didn't forget anything. The biggest hassle of the whole process was finding a place that took US-size passport photos!!!! In Chch, the consultation, blood work and vaccinations are all done at the doctor's office and it cost me $191 (I didn't need any vaccinations). They gave me a referral for the X-ray, which was about 5 blocks away, and I only had to wait about 10 min to be seen. The x-ray cost $84.40. Dr. Wilson, the lab tech and x-ray supervisor were all very good at remembering to sign the instruction sheet, in fact that's the first thing they all did. The x-ray supervisor also scanned my passport. I found it a little odd and was wondering if the same happened to Russ? I also got a tip from the doctor to take the signed medical instruction sheet and x-ray film to the interview in a separate bag and to not bring it out unless they ask for it. Apparently, they get annoyed if they don't ask for them and people want to show them thinking that the officers are forgetting to ask for them. The consulate did not include the vaccination form in my packet 3 (form DS-3025), so I downloaded it from the net, which was a good thing since the doctor's nurse filled it all out for me and now I'm done with my vaccinations and don't have to worry about it come AOS time. I guess that's it for me! Cheers, Lu	LandS	Not Telling	New Zealand	2008-08-26 05:29:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Michelle.S @ Aug 25 2008, 08:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> This is what i read in one of the reviews of the auckland consulate...... She also checked through the affidavit of support - I was getting Joanne's dad to co-sponsor as Jo is heading back to Grad School. But after looking at Jo's she asked if I had any saving and if I bought the bank statements with me - I had and showed that I had savings of around NZD13,000, and she said it would be find with just Jo's affidavit and my savings - we didn't need a co-sponsor. She said she wanted to make it as easy as possible for us to down it on our own. I'm thinking we are going to be ok, i just didn't want to be worried about that right up to and during the interview. I just spoke to the US consulate and they said that basically, what the officer wants to know is that you are not going to go on welfare. Considering it takes about 3 months for the work authorization to be processed, and depending on when you get married after you enter the US, they want to know you have enough funds for those initial months until you are able to find a job. It doesn't matter if they are your own savings or your fiance(e)'s income, or co-sponsor's income. I think US$13000.00 is enough. The CV is to see what kind of qualifications/work experience you have, your earning potential, and I guess your work history.	LandS	Not Telling	New Zealand	2008-08-25 18:59:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thanks for all the warm welcomes everyone! Thanks Kim, you are a lifesaver. My GP said she could write me a letter saying that I've had my vaccinations, but I guess I'll take the form to my medical just in case. It would be handy not to have to go through another medical for the vaccinations when AOS time comes. Wish I could help with the money transfer question, but the only thing I'm a little familiar with is Western Union... Good luck with the 3 assignments Kelzm!!! Edited by ShawnandLu, 24 August 2008 - 07:31 AM.	LandS	Not Telling	New Zealand	2008-08-24 07:28:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi guys, First off, thanks Kim for telling me about this thread, and thanks Russ for the info on the medical. I am really excited as I will have mine on Tuesday. Although I am in Christchurch it helps to know that it was pretty painless. Now, I thought by now I would be an expert on these forms but no such luck. Maybe someone can help me... Are we supposed to get the vaccination form (DS-3025) with Packet 3? I didn't get one, so I downloaded it from one of the websites they gave us (version 03/2008). Do we need to to include the visa fee receipt when we send back packet 3 or do we take it to the interview? Do we need to take passport-sized photos of our US citizen fiance(e) to the interview? In form I-134, if the US citizen sponsor (born in the US) has lived outside the US for a period, what should s/he put in #2 as the date since when s/he has resided in the US? Birth date or date s/he returned? Also, I am partially dependent on Shawn right now as I have just finished my Masters, so should he include my name in #8? Edited by ShawnandLu, 23 August 2008 - 06:33 AM.	LandS	Not Telling	New Zealand	2008-08-23 06:32:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!		KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-20 08:26:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	got the visa today, in the post, was waiting for me when i got home from work got home and my family was just sitting around, i said hi to them all, they were watching tv and hardly looked up. so i was standing there, and finally i ask, did any mail come for me today, they said yes its on the kitchen table...... i was like who do you think you are? (as a joke) was pretty, kim will post pictures tomorrow take care Russ p.s. will review the consulate soon i promise	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-19 03:29:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	recruiters are paid a fee or a percentage of the salary from a company looking to hire someone. You get your resume to them and they do the searching for you and the companys pay them to find you. It's win win.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-18 19:39:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thanks again everyone. We are counting down the minutes! Amy, what does nic do? Sometimes a job recruiter (aka headhunter) can help a lot. If you get close to Central MA you'll have to let us know.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-18 15:21:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	ShawnandLu, in my own selfish haste, I don't think I ever properly congratulated you on your approval! Congratulations and have a safe trip home Friday! Russell still hasn't had a moment to post but i'm sure he will share the few tidbits that he thinks you should know soon enough. Edited by KimandRuss, 17 September 2008 - 07:09 PM.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-17 14:12:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Approved! He's still on his way home from Auckland so I haven't really talked to him yet. He text me to let me know it was all good and that his visa will be delivered by Monday. I can hardly belive we are finally here! I'm sure he'll come tell you all about it.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-16 20:50:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thank you friends. Just 40 minutes now. I'm going to the pub! Will let you know in a bit. Welcome home Kel!!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-16 16:19:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Interveiw in 7 hours!!! I'm more anxious and excited than nervous. So is Russell. Send us your good vibes!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-16 10:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	shoe fairy! Yes, we'll blame her! I have yet to find a place for Russell's clothes. I know we had room for them all last year... it must have shrunk! Ana, try not to worry too much about not understanding every part of this process. It's confusing to say the least. When you receive your visa you will also get a 'mysterious' sealed envelope that you are NOT to open! This includes your medical information and is to be handed to the POE officer. You will also want to ask the panel physician for a signed vaccination form at your medical to send with your I693 at adjustment time. 9 days - 13.25 hours!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-15 08:40:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	cdneh.. I know where those clothes came from! I seem to have the same sickness... and don't even get me started on shoes! ana, people have mentioned parking everywhere but Russell found a 'carpark' (also known as a parking lot) on the same road as the Embassy...something about if you get there before 9am it's just $11 for the day... i'm quite sure he will post all about it in his review as he knows how much others have helped us..he'll want to do the same for those who come after us. The Embassy didn't specifically ask for a certified copy of my b/c but I sent in anyway as they did say all originals and I have a few copies. Regarding the vaccinations. The vaccinations are not actually required at the interveiw stage of the K1...they are actually needed for AOS. Most people do this in their own Country as it can be much cheaper and is often better to just get it done with. Anyway, at AOS you need to fill out a I693 (this is new form with new requirements as of 8/1/08) and have it signed by a civil surgeon. When you go for your medical in NZ you can have that doctor fill out a vaccination record and sign it for you. This is what you will submit with your AOS packet. Most people are perfectly fine with just this paper. If you do not have this from your medical then you can get a list of your vaccinations and have it signed by a civil surgeon here in the States. Hope that answers your questions. 10 days, 13 hours!!!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-14 07:53:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thanks Tiara I agree with you about the clothes although I have some favorites I picked up in NZ... of course, that could just be because they are from NZ! That merino wool keeps you real warm here in the Northeast! Russell sister lives in Dunedin and he went to University in Christchurch. He then worked in Westport on the West Coast for some time afterwards. There are some pictures in this slideshow of the west coast. Just beautiful! I think we will just have to add that train trip to our next NZ adventure!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-13 10:44:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thank you friends. Russell booked his flight last night and we booked a few days of 'away' in Boston as well. We're just so excited to be so close. I will talk to the JP tonight to make some final arrangements regarding our ceremonies. Our first will be a very intimate oceanside ceremony on October 18th, where we will exchange our personal vows to each other. Short, sweet, romantic... just what we both want. In the spring we are planning another short ceremony with the same JP and a huge party with hundreds of our family and friends..including Russell's family from NZ who will fly up for the occassion. That should be great fun too. No fuss... just celebration! Kel, how exciting for you! Have you tried those space bags? You know those ones that suck all the air out? You wouldn't believe the things you can fit in a tiny little space! The only problem is that then you must watch the weight of the suitcases. Your son is going to be just fine with your folks. Hopefully it wont be long before he joins you here as well. Have a safe trip HOME!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-10 12:37:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Good morning Kiwi friends. I come bearing good news! Russell called the Embassy yesterday and they told him they couldn't book k1's on the phone. Well, he emailed after he got off the phone and received an email back right away stating that they had received our petition from the NVC late afternoon the day before and had already sent out the appointment package to him and that his appointment was on the 17th...next Wednesday at 10am!!! That's 6pm Tuesday night for us in the U.S. What a difference from being in the U.S. ...thank goodness for the New Zealand Consulate and the wonderful people that work there! They've been so patient with us for a year now and have really done all they could to help us. NZ usually takes about two days to process the visa but that's without any issues...sadly, we almost expect issues. He plans on flying home the following Wednesday...the 24th. Just hours away from the very day he was denied entry in Dublin last year! Ironic, no? So, in just two weeks, we will have everything we have fought so hard for and waited soooo, soooo many years for! We are riding on a cloud! Just thrilled! Bob, where were you a year ago when I was gathering all this information and researching it on my own???? I hope you find your EAD very soon. Shouldn't be much longer. We have a unique medical situation as I am self employed and still covered under my ex husband. As soon as we're married, I wont be eligible any longer. Russell is planning on using this place only because we know other VJ'ers have used it but i'm sure there are many. It only comes to like $39/mo if you sign up for at least 3 months. We'll take it. Not sure what i'll do.. I suppose i'll have to get covered on my own. We'll have to work something else out very soon. Another reason for you all to get citizenship and vote... universal health care! Well I hope this day finds you all doing well and finding the patience to deal with this difficult process. just remember, there is another side to this and it's just lovely.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-09 08:45:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I think i've posted this before in this thread.... Insurance. It's probably much like the place Grant linked to. I did get this link from somewhere in VJ as others here have used it. I've also posted a link regarding the car insurance and who to contact to get it. It's not too far back. Our petition has arrived at the Consulate and been signed for by good ole 'Rona' yesterday ...errrr or today... at 3:10! It feels so good to be in NZ again! Will keep you posted as to what the Consulate has to say later today.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-08 06:01:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Michelle, there is no charge at NVC. You will need to pay for your medical (varies) and your visa ($131USD). There is no other charges until you go through Adjustment of status after you're married and that's $1010, it includes EAD (work) and AP (travel).	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-07 08:41:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thank you my friends. We're both wearing that silly little grin we had after NOA2! It's been so wonderful just being able to track the petition on it's way... there are scans at every turn... last night it went from NH to NY, then to Ohio and now it's on it's way to LAX! How sweet it is to have all the activity to watch after a year of basically nothing. Russell plans on calling first thing Tuesday morning (nz) to see if he can't schedule the interview. We're about out of patience! thanks again...means a lot to have your support.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-06 09:02:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	We're on our way to NZ folks!!! The lady on the phone from the NVC was so cute..."wooohooo'ing" for us twice! Finally! Feels like NOA2 all over again. The petition should arrive on Tuesday as they already have everything else they need we will request an interview date asap. Almost home!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-05 21:49:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi Bob, welcome. I'll bet you're glad to be done with this part of the process! Thanks for the advice. I think we've got all the bases covered over here. As far as the laptop...you need to be absolutely sure your power is adaptable(you can tell by looking at the bottom). Most new laptops in the US are now but some are still not. Voltage is everything...if a component fails it's the first thing we look at. Kel, so glad you're with your man. Try not to dread the leaving too much...concentrate on the fact that you have this time and that you'll be together again soon...and for good! Grant, glad things are moving along for you. I hope a the job you want comes soon! As far as I know we're still stuck at the NVC. I hope this is over soon. I miss him so much. hope everyone else is doing well. have a great weekend!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-05 07:20:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	NVC usually sends their approved k1's out within 2-3 days of receiving them...and they usually receive them within 2 days from Vermont. We've just got some sh!t luck! When you get a little closer i'll help you with it Michelle. There is a certain 'art' to getting it to work. I've stopped checking the DHL site for the most part..just serves to frustrate me. It's a good thing i've got so much work to do, new businesses starting up and, with the kids starting school this week, it's been extra busy. Russ and I seem to have this sense of déjà vu with all this waiting again...lots of heavy sighing going on. wishing you all well.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-04 06:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I have a crystal ball, remember? There is a way to track packages from the NVC to the Embassy's using DHL	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-03 15:27:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Isn't 'crickey' an Australian saying. Well two packages in the last two DHL shipments from NVC have gone to NZ - a lot to go in one weeks time - but neither ours.... they're just taunting us really. *sigh* Today is 3 weeks that we were approved. How depressing. We have tried to be so patient...for years really. It's just not fair. Ok that's my b!tch. I'm really not a poor me kinda person so that's all I got. It has to be soon... just has to be. Edited by KimandRuss, 03 September 2008 - 06:28 AM.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-03 06:27:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	dlopez.. you might find this link useful. As far as I know we're still at the NVC. We've heard nothing from the Embassy as of yet. Just hoping it's not much longer. I hope things are moving along for all of you. Justine, how are you?	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-02 08:24:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	welcome dlopez. well folks, we are stuck at NVC ....our petition has been there for two weeks (k1's usually stay there just 2-3 days) ...apparently we're in AP at NVC. They do security checks at every level of the process and some people are just held up a bit. Figures it would be us. There is nothing in either of our backgrounds to worry about so i'm not too concerned but, as you know, the Embassy has had all they need from our end for a while now...we're just waiting on a date. The NVC told me that if NZ wants to schedule the interview they can request the approved petition be sent so I've contacted the Embassy and asked if they would do that. I guess we'll see. So yeah, another bump in the road. We're pretty used to it. Hopefully it doens't hold us up too long. hope the rest of you are well Edited by KimandRuss, 29 August 2008 - 03:20 PM.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-29 07:44:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Ana, You do not need an international drivers permit to drive overseas (even tho he has one) as that's more for proof if there is any language problems. Driving laws depend on the State so you will need to check with the DMV where you're going to be. In MA, Russell can drive on his NZ license for up to 1 year. Sometime in there he'll take the test and get a Massachusetts license. One thing I would suggest is to get a driving record from NZ otherwise your insurance rates are going to be outrageous! I guess they charge you as if you had a new license. Not sure this is the case everywhere but after I heard of others paying what I do for my teenage daughter we started looking into it and asked my insurance company. They recommended a driving history from NZ. This is the email reply Russell got when he inquired about getting one... QUOTE Traffic Offence History You may apply for a list of traffic offences on your New Zealand driver licence record by either faxing 06 953 6267, by emailing toh@landtransport.govt.nz or writing to: Driver Licensing Administration Transport Registry Centre Private Bag 11777 Manawatu Mail Centre 4442 NEW ZEALAND The list of traffic offences includes offences up to seven years old, including Demerit Suspensions records. It also includes information on traffic convictions and sentencing from court appearances. All Requests must include the following information: driver licence number (if known) full name (as shown on your licence) date of birth postal address (to have the information sent) OR email address (to receive the information electronically) contact phone number Please allow 10 working days after the request is received. There is no fee for this service. Certificate of Particulars You can obtain details of your New Zealand driver licence by applying for a Certificate of Particulars (CoP), which is a document showing your driver licence number, issue date, classes, endorsements and conditions that appear on your licence. You can do this by either calling 0800 822 422 and speak to our driver licensing representatives or by writing to: Driver Licensing Administration Transport Registry Centre Private Bag Manawatu Mail Centre Palmerston North NEW ZEALAND 4442 Note: payment of $9.10 is required for a CoP. If applying for a CoP over the telephone, please ensure you have a credit card on hand to process the transaction. If applying for a CoP by writing, please include a cheque/bank cheque for $9.10. The cheque must be made out to Transport Registry Centre and payable in NZ dollars. When applying for a CoP, please provide the following: Driver licence number (if known) Full name (as shown on your licence) Date of birth Last address recorded Where to post/fax or email your certificate Payment of NZ$9.10 On 1 July 2007, a payment of $9.10 was introduced for a CoP. Land Transport NZ does not recommend that credit card details are sent by email or fax as there is no guarantee of the security of the details via these methods. For this reason there are only two options available to apply for a CoP. I hope this information is helpful. Kind Regards Senior Customer Service Representative NZ Transport Agency Your laptop will work with a converter but it's not very safe to do so as you could really do some damage to the components. If you wish to use your laptop to use in the States your best bet is to simply have your power supply replaced once you get here. It's not that expensive.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-27 07:39:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Grant, congratulations on booking your flights!!! We only paid an extra $40 to fly premium the last time we flew. It was just selected flights. Request the upstairs premium seats if you can. Michelle, congrats on your webcams. We've had ours for 10 years now but you're right, there is such bittersweetnes is seeing but not being able to touch. Kel, have a safe trip! Don't forget your ties to home. Lu, i'm not sure if the xray tech scanned Russell's passport. I'm sure he'll chime in with an answer for you. I didn't even know you were suppose to take the xrays to interview. I thought everything the Consulate would need from the doctor was either sent back with P3 or sent automatically and that xrays were just carried to the US. Hmmmm So what is it exactly you folks are confused by? Let me see if I can explain it differently... So you know that the US citizen must provide proof that their alien fiance will not be a public charge.... At the K1 interview stage the I134 is required. It does not have the same criteria as the I864 (filed at adjustment time) but because you will at some point need to file the I864, most Consulates will use the same standards (ask for the same proof) that is asked for with the I864. New Zealand Consulate isn't as strict in their interpretation of the I134. It seems that all you must really prove to them is that there is some income and that the NZ citizen can support him/herself and will not become a public charge on the US government. This is why they ask for the CV. So those of you who may require co-sponsors should be all set at this point. Especially if you have assets/savings (in liquid assets...things you can get money from easily...you'll need $3 or 5 for every $1. So if your income is short say 10,000...you need 30,000 in assets to make up for it. As I said, NZ isn't quite as concerned with these standards. However, after you are here and married you will file for adjustment of status and with that you will need to include another affidavit of support (I864) before the NZ citizen receives his/her 2 year conditional green card. It's likely the US government is going to ask for all the proof of support that the NZ consulate seems not to be so concerned about (eg; a co-sponsor). So, while you may not need a co-sponsor for the NZEM, it's likely you will at the adjustment stage if circumstances dont change. 2008 Poverty Guidelines I hope that explained it better.	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2008-08-26 08:16:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I've just read the review Russell has written...thanks so much for posting that! Those of us that are waiting still will find that very helpful. I for one feel a bit calmer about that part of the process.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-09-20 15:51:00