Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (amaciar @ Jan 4 2009, 10:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 4 2009, 06:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (amaciar @ Jan 4 2009, 05:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 3 2009, 03:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Still there as of right this minute. I dont think I'd worry Michelle...I mean in order to move countries you kind of have to quit right? cdneh- My husband and I also thought of the Canada route and just as I was getting frustrated enough to investigate it everything fell into place. We also thought about England but it seemed even more of a hassle then US immigration. For me not for him. I keep cheking and hoping to see that your package is in NZ. I can't imagine the frustration of finally hitting NVC and having this happen. Keep strong. It will be worth it when it is all said and done. Even though all said and done seems likes forever away! Well one thing at least with Canada....they have to take me Thanks for that, and I do appreciate all the support. It's just hard to keep your chin up now and then. < Oh yes. That one. With bells on.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-04 02:09:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (amaciar @ Jan 4 2009, 05:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 3 2009, 03:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Still there as of right this minute. I dont think I'd worry Michelle...I mean in order to move countries you kind of have to quit right? cdneh- My husband and I also thought of the Canada route and just as I was getting frustrated enough to investigate it everything fell into place. We also thought about England but it seemed even more of a hassle then US immigration. For me not for him. I keep cheking and hoping to see that your package is in NZ. I can't imagine the frustration of finally hitting NVC and having this happen. Keep strong. It will be worth it when it is all said and done. Even though all said and done seems likes forever away! Well one thing at least with Canada....they have to take me Thanks for that, and I do appreciate all the support. It's just hard to keep your chin up now and then.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-03 12:59:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Still there as of right this minute. I dont think I'd worry Michelle...I mean in order to move countries you kind of have to quit right?	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-02 21:41:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	It totally sucks the big one. We have done a lot of preparation, ducks lined up and quacking madly, and never for a second did we anticipate this. It's the total lack of information from their end that's maddening...I mean if they've some sort of issue... ask us! We've gone back and forth on this hundreds of times...is it me? Is it him? Is it anything? Is it a random whim? What! We're a couple of middle-aged boring people with quite ordinary names and backgrounds and from places that are in no way suss. It all seems so incredibly cruel and pointless. We are trying to formulate plan B now. I was going there because he lives in a flat at his daughter's house, and would prefer to remain close to his grandchildren, who are 7 and 10. We will most likely have to look at Canada now, it's a bit closer for him to visit than it would be from here.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-02 18:42:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (KimandRuss @ Jan 3 2009, 05:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You have to be so sick of hearing 'it will come' .... all I will say is that i'm still thinking of you every day and hoping you hear some good news soon. The one good thing is that you are already so prepared it's likely to be a VERY quick turnaround for interview... was less than a week for us once we knew it was heading over. In fact, he was told that the hardcopy reached NZ just the day before he was interviewed. heh...did you mean me? Oh we are sure tired of this game. He only rings now when I tell him there is something shipping with DHL, and he got quite excited the other night when I told him a heavy one (3lb compared to the usual 1) was on the way. It must be the others, one is Ivanna and I know there are at least two more waiting in here with recent approvals. Who knows how many others who are not VJ members... We are prepared Kim..and have been for ages. If they ever shake us loose we will be ready to go. I am not resigning at work until I know I've passed at the interview, so there will have to be a further 2 weeks wait after that. Given the way things have gone for us, that seemed sensible. I suppose the worst bit is there isn't a way of knowing why we are in AP or when it will end. On Igors list you can at least look at the people ahead and behind and get a bit of a feel time line wise...but this, as we were told last week, is an indefinite process. There aren't really any stats you can compare to. It's like waiting to be hung. I am starting to wonder if they will ever release the case to Auckland.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-02 16:00:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (ivannnaloveskiwi @ Jan 3 2009, 05:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> HOW DO YOU KNOW, I CALLED NVC THEY SAID MINE WAS SENT TO EMBASSEY END OF DEC, I DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHEN NVC RECIEVED IT...THEY GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER BEGINGING WITH ACK... WHAT NUMBER DOES HE CALL IN AUCKLAND TO CHECK ON IT...I HAVEN'T RECIEVED ANYHTING EXCEPT FOR THE NOA2, WILL I NOT? THANKS Congratulations Ivannaloveskiwi... he can email them on AucklandIV@state.gov and ask. If he emails with the ack# they should be able tell you if they have the electronic copy. They won't be open for a couple of days though, it is Saturday here at the moment.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-02 15:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Michelle.S @ Jan 1 2009, 06:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 1 2009, 05:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> DHL is shipping to NZ at the moment, a package weighing three pounds...so there might be more than one in there. If you are waiting for NVC to send yours... just a heads up. It isn't ours. i'm so very sorry *sigh* me too...	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-01 00:42:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	DHL is shipping to NZ at the moment, a package weighing three pounds...so there might be more than one in there. If you are waiting for NVC to send yours... just a heads up. It isn't ours.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-12-31 23:17:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Dave_n_Genna @ Dec 29 2008, 03:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> First of all let me say that we were Approved (NOA2) on Dec. 24th! Woot! I have a couple of questions now... 1) Does the Auckland embassy require 3 years tax returns with the Affidavit of Support? My last 3 years returns include my ex-wife. Also, I have last years, but have no idea how to get the 2 previous ones. 2) Does the Auckland embassy get the Police thing for you? I cant seem to find any info on getting hold of that myself for NZ. 3) I see the Auckland embassy has received very good ratings for the interviews... I feel pretty strong about our evidence of relationship and such (Genna has been with me for 6 months this year)... is this part basically a breeze, as long as everything is up front and honest? I haven't been to interview yet, but I have been sent packet three. They do the police certificate from NZ on your behalf, won't accept one you do yourself. You should have plenty of evidence at least.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-12-28 22:37:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	There's and end? Really? I don't see one	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2008-12-28 15:43:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (rubyred @ Jan 11 2009, 12:25 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> it's a stressful process, and so complicated. we all understand how you feel. i've been thinking about there's so much stuff on this thread that is useful, stuff i'm going to want to look back on when i'm applying in july for the K-1. i was thinking about reading through the whole thing and cutting and pasting all the useful bits of info into a word doc... and then it hit: i'm surely not the only one who could use a condensed version of this thread, so i've started a blog for all this: visahelper blog i will slowly go back through this thread and cut and paste all the useful information into blog posts, which will be tagged with individual and highly specific categories, in order to make searching for specific info much, much easier. if you guys are interested in contributing, let me know and i will add you as co-authors on the blog so that you can freely post. What a wonderful idea!!! This thread is around 67 pages now and it can take a while to wade through all the posts to find the information. I wrote down relevant things down on a writing pad from this thread and it was very helpful for me especially when i went for the medical ( best doctor to see, price of medical, where the lab and xray place was located from the doctors etc) Knowing these things beforehand makes the process a little less stressful! And reading the reviews of the interviews are a great help too! I will be going for mine this week and it's great to know where the parking is allocated and that there is a post shop and coffee place nearby the embassy etc. so your idea of putting useful information on a blog is just GREAT!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-10 23:49:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (ivannnaloveskiwi @ Jan 10 2009, 11:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i just want to say, i know i seem dumb in all this..we went about this backwards..but when he decided to come to the US we didnt know what to expect.. we fell in love and and just wanted to be together..thats it... not thinking about a job or money... and when we decided to file for the fiance visa we really didnt know what to expect...so i want to appologise for seeming dumb...if we had known what we know now..and if i found this site earlier.. we might of gone about it a different way..i feel like we're just hanging on by a finger nail waiting for it to break...and that big fat "no" to be said to us. This whole process is jumping into the great unknown. At times it can be intimidating, scary and very stressful!! you are in no way dumb, so please don't feel that way! We are all here to help each other out and believe me, i for one have felt pretty silly asking some of the q's i have asked but we want to get everything right with the forms etc, so it is necessary to ask the q's!! I'm not sure if most of us actually went about this process in a paint by numbers way. we fall in love and want to be with our SO. There isn't a right time that it happens. it just happens!! so we all kinda muddle through the process as best as we can and hope for the best!! I'm definitely no expert but i would think that as long as you have a co-sponsor, then there shouldn't be any problems at the interview. From what i have read from other kiwi's experience at the interview, the people at the embassy seem to be as nice and helpful as anything and want to see you get through this process more so than hinder it. But KimandRuss may be able to fill you in more on the matter Take a deep breath and breathe Everything will be ok. And remember to ask away!! we are all here to give support etc!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-10 23:38:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 10 2009, 01:59 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That was pretty much my reaction..once the shock wore off..and I got him to ring back to double check It should be plain sailing from here You have everything ready and have been for ages!!! Its just a matter of getting the appointment for interview which could be within days really from when the embassy recieves your file! You are almost there!! I bet your SO almost buckled at the knees in shock when they said that it was out of AP!! You guys have been waiting for sooo long!! Once you have the visa ,will you be heading there straight away or do you have to tie up loose ends etc ?? I know that around February/ March every year the two major airlines Qantas and Air New Zealand have specials on their air fares	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-10 01:11:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Jan 10 2009, 01:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 10 2009, 12:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> *ahem* It's over. They tell us tonight it has been sent to Auckland. I made him ring back and speak to someone else...just to double check WOO HOO!!!!! Yes! YeS! YES!!! I am just soooo happy for you!!!!!!!!! This is the best news ever!!! And about time too!!! You should get it by the end of this coming week hopefully!!! And then it will be all systems GO!!! yay!!!! I meant the embassy should get it by the end of this coming week!! i forgot to reread my post!! LOL!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-10 00:53:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Lisaandtim @ Jan 10 2009, 01:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hello everyone! Just wanted to share the good news of I just got noa2 online! Waiting for the paper copy now. Hope everyone is doing well. I haven't been on lately. My so is visiting =p Congratulations!!!! And so wonderful too to receive the news whilst SO is with you!! Celebration time!!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-10 00:50:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 10 2009, 12:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> *ahem* It's over. They tell us tonight it has been sent to Auckland. I made him ring back and speak to someone else...just to double check WOO HOO!!!!! Yes! YeS! YES!!! I am just soooo happy for you!!!!!!!!! This is the best news ever!!! And about time too!!! You should get it by the end of this coming week hopefully!!! And then it will be all systems GO!!! yay!!!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-10 00:45:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi all! So lovely to hear everyones news in USA and NZ. I am getting everything ready to take with me to interview this coming week and have a bucket full of butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. LOL! I mailed the DS-230 part 2 back with packet 3, so i guess i will have to fill out and print up another one to take with me to interview As kim & chris said, the visa fee has gone up and it cost $235.80 at the post office this past week. It's amazing how much the whole visa process costs. We kind of forget the very small things like the cost of A4 paper and ink to print out the forms, paper clips, envelopes, phone calls (for medical etc, if in area like myself where most calls are toll calls). Petrol costs going to places etc. As i say all rather miniscule things but the costs do mount up! Missing foods from NZ?......... Whenever i stayed over in usa for a month each year, i found that i missed our cheese a lot! The ones over there seem to be very pale in colour. But I do LOVE the bacon over there!! I found that it crisped up more, where the bacon here seems to have a lot of water in it nowadays. And i also love their bread pretzels too!! yum!! Apart from milo, i know i am going to miss De winkel's natural yoghurt. It comes in a litre carton here or 600ml. I don't suppose anyone in USA has happened to see any for sale?? cdneh: will you contact the embassy here in Auckland and see if they can get your file sent over from nvc? My thoughts are with you every day, hoping that this will all be resolved asap!! (Also, have you noticed that our banners have gone awry again? what on earth is going on with them? ) Michelle and Kelvan: how is everything going with you guys? Grant: hope you have settled and are doing ok. ivannaloveskiwi: As cdneh said, when your fiance receives packet 3 there is a form in it that he signs that gives permission for the police to do a police check on him for NZ. If he lived overseas at any time for 6 months or longer after the age of 16 then he has to get a police check done from those countries too. Rubyred: Good to hear that everything is ok over there! And many thanks for starting this thread!!! Hope everyone is doing well!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-09 21:39:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 2 2009, 04:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> heh...did you mean me? Oh we are sure tired of this game. He only rings now when I tell him there is something shipping with DHL, and he got quite excited the other night when I told him a heavy one (3lb compared to the usual 1) was on the way. It must be the others, one is Ivanna and I know there are at least two more waiting in here with recent approvals. Who knows how many others who are not VJ members... We are prepared Kim..and have been for ages. If they ever shake us loose we will be ready to go. I am not resigning at work until I know I've passed at the interview, so there will have to be a further 2 weeks wait after that. Given the way things have gone for us, that seemed sensible. I suppose the worst bit is there isn't a way of knowing why we are in AP or when it will end. On Igors list you can at least look at the people ahead and behind and get a bit of a feel time line wise...but this, as we were told last week, is an indefinite process. There aren't really any stats you can compare to. It's like waiting to be hung. I am starting to wonder if they will ever release the case to Auckland. This is just awful! You got approved a day after me and never thought for one moment that you would get held up like this for so long!! It just doesn't make sense. It's not like you are from a high risk country (unless Canada and NZ has suddenly become one ) there really isn't any rhyme or reason why they are keeping your file held up. And it makes it doubly frustrating that they can't or won't tell you exactly why they are holding onto it!! At least tell you something! anything, to put your mind at ease instead of having all these thoughts going through your head as to why they won't release it! Sorry that we can't do anything to help you! if we could we definitely would!! My thoughts are with you every day and hope that you will hear something very very soon!! KimandRuss: thanks for info about the tb test. I have been reading other threads concerning this, hoping that i will see someone that has been approved/RFE concerning the 1-693 form/aos and whether to test or not to test but so far i don't think anyone has any response from uscis. Hope you will let us all know how you get on when you do file for aos. Have you decided yet if you will just send in the form for aos with the vaccination sheet enclosed (from medical in Auckland) and not bother with getting a tb test done? KimandChris:That's great that you didn't have any hassles!!! did you get ssn in your passport name or in new married name? Michelle and Kelvan: Any word from embassy yet? Best wishes to everyone!!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-02 17:10:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! May 2009 be the BEST year ever for everyone!!! cdneh: My thoughts are with you and i am soo hoping you will get word very very soon. As soon as that package arrives in Auckland you will be almost there to the states KimandRuss: have you filed for AOS yet? If so, did you fill out the 1-693? Did you have to get the civil surgeon to fill out that form and did Russ have to have TB skin test? This part of the process is really worrying me as it doesn't seem very clear what one is suppose to do at that stage? And i really want to try and apply for AOS as soon as i arrive in USA to get it out of the way. Any one else that's applied for AOS on k1 after July 2008?	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2008-12-31 18:56:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (rubyred @ Jan 11 2009, 05:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> it's a stressful process, and so complicated. we all understand how you feel. i've been thinking about there's so much stuff on this thread that is useful, stuff i'm going to want to look back on when i'm applying in july for the K-1. i was thinking about reading through the whole thing and cutting and pasting all the useful bits of info into a word doc... and then it hit: i'm surely not the only one who could use a condensed version of this thread, so i've started a blog for all this: visahelper blog i will slowly go back through this thread and cut and paste all the useful information into blog posts, which will be tagged with individual and highly specific categories, in order to make searching for specific info much, much easier. if you guys are interested in contributing, let me know and i will add you as co-authors on the blog so that you can freely post. What an excellent idea This thread has been invaluable to me.......at each step of the process I've trawled back and forth, sometimes for a day or so to find the bits I know I'd read here somewhere. In the end I too started to copy and paste relavent things to word. My SO says I'm ####### when it comes to paper work, which I am, but it's paid off with everything up to now going through ok and no RFE's being issued. Tell you what else has been interesting on here, I know alot of you are just starting out, in you early 20's etc, and to be honest I thought at 46 I must be the granny of the thread, but from the odd thing I've read it sounds like there may be the odd other middle aged person or two on here, so that makes me feel a bit better....lol It's not just the journey either, once you're here in the U.S., it's nice to have people in the same boat to talk to about adjusting to a different way of life, sharing experiences, and most importantly ........ finding familiar food etc......lol But seriously,......... a big thanks to everyone on here who has contributed It's a kind of a "pay it forward thing" I guess...If I can help anyone else on here who's begining their journey, I'd be happy to do so, so sign me up....user name kimberleynz1.....I'll PM you with my email address. Cheers Kim	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-11 12:10:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 10 2009, 07:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> He rang them while we had the webcam going, and I must say the look on his face was priceless.. what...WHAT???? Once I have the visa, I have to give them two weeks notice at work. I am hoping that a chat with the boss may make it less...but that is the standard. I'm the only Level 4 on the watch, and the only acting TM...so at least someone will miss me 'round the place So.... once they can schedule an interview, and I can work out my notice...ASAP. Congratulations!!!!!!! I may not post alot but i keep up with what's going on....or rather what's not been going on in your case....lol ....and I'm sure there's alot of people on here who are breathing a huge sigh of relief for you, including myself Bet it was something to do with the Auckland Consulate giving them a rev up. They're a good lot in there. Now take a deep breath, the rest will just fly by quicker than you think How wonderful after all your waiting.....congrats again	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-10 08:34:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (rubyred @ Jan 9 2009, 06:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hi everyone! - yes kim&russ, i'm around, just got sidetracked the last few months... have just spent about the last 2 hours reading up the last few months of posts i missed. firstly, i have to say this: cdneh, it has been heartbreaking, really heartbreaking, reading your posts and sensing your frustration at the unexplained delays. fingers are crossed for you! ok, some complaints about america: if you're coming here from nz, be prepared to miss the bread, because about 99% of supermarket bread is SWEET arrrghh; someone mentioned tea - yes, regular brands of tea are not that good (think i'm gonna have to start splashing out on twinings english breakfast); no custard squares; hard to find meat pies; cilantro in everything! now for the positives: holy ####### this place is GREAT for people who love books, art, and book-art! we have started a small (i.e. miniscule lol!) press and our first project is due out by the end of month. we went to the alternative press expo in sf, which was amazing. we've purchased/gotten for free some truly amazing art work. and the biggest positive of all: i'm here with the one i love i got a job in early september, at a local clothing store. i got a pay raise my first day, and then another one with 3 months! so much for the shitty economy. had a wonderful thanksgiving in chicago with jordan's whole family - really can't believe how lucky i am! not only did i find the best guy ever, but he has the best family to boot! they have been unconditionally welcoming and supportive and loving. it snowed while we were there, which was wonderful. in other news: we formally announced our engagement on new year's day, my parents were pretty much in the dark about our relationship/history (or so i thought - turns out they had a pretty good idea, which i think kim had already advised me of ) so i felt it was time to 'come clean'. needless to say, they were utterly thrilled with the news and are determined to make here for the wedding. we've already decided it will be a small ceremony in chicago, just family. right now i'm hunting for an engagement ring - god, what a stress it is, more than i ever expected! however, we will be doing things the *legal* (and long, hard) way: i will return to new zealand when my visa expires in july and begin the K-1 process. i'm already feeling sick to my stomach about this - the whole process, combined with being apart from jordan for an indefinite amount of time, it's all very daunting. right now, i have a question for all you who have completed, or are nearing completion, K-1 visas: what is a rough estimate of the total cost? including all the visa/forms/processing fees from start to finish, the medical, all of that. i'm sure there's variations for every couple, but a rough estimate would be so helpful as we start financially planning. congratulations to everyone who is nearing the end, and good luck to those of you still waiting. and of course a HUGE HUGE congratulations to kim and russ for finally getting their day in the sun Hi There Back in May 2008 it cost us $455 U.S. to file the I-129f (plus the cost of passport size photos and other small misc things), then the next cost was after NOA2 when package 3 came out from the consulate....... $286 NZ for the medical & tetanus jab & $183 NZ for the visa, (i think that may have gone up to around $230 NZ now). Then there's your personal cost of the airfare and everything else that goes with moving to another hemisphere etc....... ....lol....oh and they kind of like to see that you have something in the bank to take with you as you won't be able to work for at least 3 months or so. (even though the SO has signed the affidavit of support, I like to know I can contribute if needed) Our next expense, apart from the wedding will be filing for AOS, $1010 US (that's the biggie ) At least filing for SSN was free......nearly fell over to find you got something for nothing.....lol I've found alot of things here are super sweet or super salty, but I've spent some time trawling the supermarkets to find same or similar products and replacement things for favourites I'd been using for years. Here in the mid west/south alot of the food choices are quite different to those on the west coast. But being a savoury lover, I'm really missing, sausage rolls, pies, quiche, bacon, cheese sizzlers, flakey and puff pastry etc, oh and NZ cheese, god I miss real cheese.....my hips aren't missing any of them but I am....lol.....I've found some places online for some of the things that are impossible to get here, plus I have my son and other family who have offered to send care packages when needed. It's hard, as you want to embrace a new way of life, but with the stress of the long road getting here and then adjusting to new things and surroundings, you kind of crave the old favourite comfort foods you've grown up with and taken for granted for so long I don't mean to b*tch too much as there's plenty of good things about here too, especially being with the loved one It's just nice to have somewhere to have the ocaisonal vent when needed	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-09 08:10:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (ivannnaloveskiwi @ Jan 9 2009, 12:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hi all, package three arrived, lol, a few questions......if he cant find proof of all his vacinations..does that mean he has to have them all over again? he called the medical center in nz and they told him it depends on his blood test from the medical. can they tell from that if he requires the vacinations. one more question...on the form DS230 part II ...what is done with this... you mail part I...cant find what you do with II.. on the DS 156 it askes.. do you plan on working in the us? well, of course...but there is not an empoyer he can put? he hasn'd found a job yet...and when do plan on arriving in the US... how does he know when we dont even know when the interview is or when the visa is granted... another... how long do you intend to stay int he us..well forever of course.... ... but...are these question to be answered like on a 90 day visa. help!! Hi there....is your man in Auckland?....if so i would recommend he goes to Dr Stone in Remuera, very reasonably priced and he takes your word about the vaccinations you've had He's on the list in your paperwork the consulate sent out, (if your SO is in Auckland). As far as I remember you fill in the DS230 II and take it to the interview with you, (or rather your SO in NZ does) someone else may confirm this, but from memory I'm certain that's right. When it asks about your intention to work you just put yes when authorised, you don't need to put an employer. Same goes for when you plan to arrive in the U.S. if you have a firm date put it but it's not necessary if you don't. For length of stay you just put permanently with authority. If you click on the "example forms" at the top of any visa journey page there are a whole lot of sample forms already filled out which I found extremely helpful. I'm about to go through the whole AOS process in a few weeks so I'll be digging back into those forms again ....lol Hope this helps	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-08 19:39:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Happy New Year to everyone I went to the social security office on Tuesday just gone.....armed to the back teeth with paperwork, ID and printouts to prove why I qualified for a SSN........ There was a couple sitting at the window when we got there and that was it so we took a seat and I was seen within a minute. (one of the perks of being in a small town I guess ) I gave the girl my form and passport and then she asked for my birth cert and that was it. I was out of there in about 10mins from walking through the door. Just gotta wait for the card in the mail now	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-02 11:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Just a quick question for anyone who might know........ I was just looking at my passport and there's a visa stamp on the I-94 with my arrival date and K-1 on it and then on the passport page beneath it there's a visa stamp with the arrival date and K-1 and then under that the date May 1 2009, which I presume to be the departure date. That's just over 5 months from my arrival date. Is this normal or has the officer at POE just made a muck up.	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2008-12-28 22:18:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 11 2009, 09:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thank you so much everyone, I felt as though I ought just to stop posting until something happened, until I could post good news instead of being all worried. I just hope we've hit the last of the hitches...sheesh...we've been plotting and planning 15 months now...it only seems like forever! The funny thing is, the AKL consulate said remind us Monday. I spent part of yesterday afternoon putting an email together to send them, to ask for them to try and find out what on earth was going on. Don't have to send it now. All I am sending is ..NVC said this, can you comfirm that please Congratulations i'm still smiling for you, and i might do what you're doing and see if they'll take less notice, you're such a smart cookie	Michelle Kauffman	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-10 20:20:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 3 2009, 12:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It totally sucks the big one. We have done a lot of preparation, ducks lined up and quacking madly, and never for a second did we anticipate this. It's the total lack of information from their end that's maddening...I mean if they've some sort of issue... ask us! We've gone back and forth on this hundreds of times...is it me? Is it him? Is it anything? Is it a random whim? What! We're a couple of middle-aged boring people with quite ordinary names and backgrounds and from places that are in no way suss. It all seems so incredibly cruel and pointless. We are trying to formulate plan B now. I was going there because he lives in a flat at his daughter's house, and would prefer to remain close to his grandchildren, who are 7 and 10. We will most likely have to look at Canada now, it's a bit closer for him to visit than it would be from here. poohs bums and wees is all i have to say now as for me, we're just waiting for the house to sell, as soon as contracts are signed i'll be sending packet 3 back to the consulate i do have a question tho, any opinion on whether it would be better for me to take leave without pay from the police or just quit outright, the thinking behind taking leave without pay is that future employers would hopefully think i was a good employee as the police were willing to keep me on. do us employers think this way? i think my only concern now apart from the house selling is that they may think i will become a public charge and not let me in as Rob is on disability, I hope that they will be able to see that with me there working i'm will alleviate some of the burden not add to it.	Michelle Kauffman	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-02 20:43:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 1 2009, 05:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> DHL is shipping to NZ at the moment, a package weighing three pounds...so there might be more than one in there. If you are waiting for NVC to send yours... just a heads up. It isn't ours. i'm so very sorry	Michelle Kauffman	Female	New Zealand	2009-01-01 00:40:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (KimandRuss @ Dec 30 2008, 06:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Michelle, just to reiterate, it's the I-134 he needs to fill out for the Embassy not the I-864. The I-864 will come at adjustment time. yeah thanks Kim, but as i am hoping to get over to the states as soon as possible and getting married in that first week i wanted to make sure i have everything i need for the next step. Rob has completed an I-134 and is sending that to me soon	Michelle Kauffman	Female	New Zealand	2008-12-29 21:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 11 2009, 06:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm in! Name is the same as I use here hmm i thought i just needed a username to add you, but it seems i need the email address you signed up with. PM me with yours and then i'll add you! Edited by rubyred, 11 January 2009 - 01:06 AM.	rubyred	Male	New Zealand	2009-01-11 01:05:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	thanks guys! so if you'd like to be a co-author just sign up here: sign up it only takes half a minute. at the bottom of the page, click the 'just a username, please'. then post your username here and i will add you as a co-author.	rubyred	Male	New Zealand	2009-01-11 00:30:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	it's a stressful process, and so complicated. we all understand how you feel. i've been thinking about there's so much stuff on this thread that is useful, stuff i'm going to want to look back on when i'm applying in july for the K-1. i was thinking about reading through the whole thing and cutting and pasting all the useful bits of info into a word doc... and then it hit: i'm surely not the only one who could use a condensed version of this thread, so i've started a blog for all this: visahelper blog i will slowly go back through this thread and cut and paste all the useful information into blog posts, which will be tagged with individual and highly specific categories, in order to make searching for specific info much, much easier. if you guys are interested in contributing, let me know and i will add you as co-authors on the blog so that you can freely post.	rubyred	Male	New Zealand	2009-01-10 23:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	hi everyone! - yes kim&russ, i'm around, just got sidetracked the last few months... have just spent about the last 2 hours reading up the last few months of posts i missed. firstly, i have to say this: cdneh, it has been heartbreaking, really heartbreaking, reading your posts and sensing your frustration at the unexplained delays. fingers are crossed for you! ok, some complaints about america: if you're coming here from nz, be prepared to miss the bread, because about 99% of supermarket bread is SWEET arrrghh; someone mentioned tea - yes, regular brands of tea are not that good (think i'm gonna have to start splashing out on twinings english breakfast); no custard squares; hard to find meat pies; cilantro in everything! now for the positives: holy ####### this place is GREAT for people who love books, art, and book-art! we have started a small (i.e. miniscule lol!) press and our first project is due out by the end of month. we went to the alternative press expo in sf, which was amazing. we've purchased/gotten for free some truly amazing art work. and the biggest positive of all: i'm here with the one i love i got a job in early september, at a local clothing store. i got a pay raise my first day, and then another one with 3 months! so much for the shitty economy. had a wonderful thanksgiving in chicago with jordan's whole family - really can't believe how lucky i am! not only did i find the best guy ever, but he has the best family to boot! they have been unconditionally welcoming and supportive and loving. it snowed while we were there, which was wonderful. in other news: we formally announced our engagement on new year's day, my parents were pretty much in the dark about our relationship/history (or so i thought - turns out they had a pretty good idea, which i think kim had already advised me of ) so i felt it was time to 'come clean'. needless to say, they were utterly thrilled with the news and are determined to make here for the wedding. we've already decided it will be a small ceremony in chicago, just family. right now i'm hunting for an engagement ring - god, what a stress it is, more than i ever expected! however, we will be doing things the *legal* (and long, hard) way: i will return to new zealand when my visa expires in july and begin the K-1 process. i'm already feeling sick to my stomach about this - the whole process, combined with being apart from jordan for an indefinite amount of time, it's all very daunting. right now, i have a question for all you who have completed, or are nearing completion, K-1 visas: what is a rough estimate of the total cost? including all the visa/forms/processing fees from start to finish, the medical, all of that. i'm sure there's variations for every couple, but a rough estimate would be so helpful as we start financially planning. congratulations to everyone who is nearing the end, and good luck to those of you still waiting. and of course a HUGE HUGE congratulations to kim and russ for finally getting their day in the sun	rubyred	Male	New Zealand	2009-01-09 00:22:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (ivannnaloveskiwi @ Dec 29 2008, 08:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i was aprroved on the 18th but didnt recieve it till the 24th of dec that was about a week and with christmas and the mail you should recieve it soon Ah good. I'll give it a couple more days before freaking out then. =)	Dave_n_Genna	Not Telling	New Zealand	2008-12-30 01:14:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thanks for all the helpful replies! Will call IRS and get those transcripts on the way. Okay, one more question. We got approved on the 23rd or 24th... 23rd it seems after more checking. Our snail mail NOA2 hasnt arrived yet. Should I be worried? I seem to remember the NOA1 arriving nearly immediately.	Dave_n_Genna	Not Telling	New Zealand	2008-12-29 21:23:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	First of all let me say that we were Approved (NOA2) on Dec. 24th! Woot! I have a couple of questions now... 1) Does the Auckland embassy require 3 years tax returns with the Affidavit of Support? My last 3 years returns include my ex-wife. Also, I have last years, but have no idea how to get the 2 previous ones. 2) Does the Auckland embassy get the Police thing for you? I cant seem to find any info on getting hold of that myself for NZ. 3) I see the Auckland embassy has received very good ratings for the interviews... I feel pretty strong about our evidence of relationship and such (Genna has been with me for 6 months this year)... is this part basically a breeze, as long as everything is up front and honest?	Dave_n_Genna	Not Telling	New Zealand	2008-12-28 21:05:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 9 2009, 08:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> *ahem* It's over. They tell us tonight it has been sent to Auckland. I made him ring back and speak to someone else...just to double check Hello everyone! Just wanted to share the good news of I just got noa2 online! Waiting for the paper copy now. Hope everyone is doing well. I haven't been on lately. My so is visiting =p	Lisaandtim	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-01-10 00:17:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jan 10 2009, 04:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> *ahem* It's over. They tell us tonight it has been sent to Auckland. I made him ring back and speak to someone else...just to double check Wooo Hooo! Glad it has finally happened. Not long now til you are all done and with the one you love!	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-01-10 12:32:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Seven weeks! That is just mean. Hopefully the AKL embassy will be able to move things along. They are very helpful so I if they can do something I am sure they will. Funny story about the Auckland embassy or well my husbands interview. We showed up and they were chatting with my husband and the lady said "You know you almost didn't make it to this point" we were like WHAT! Apparently when they did his police check his report came back with all sorts of convictions and not just little ones. The lovely lady said she called the police back as she was writing the "Yeah right what are you thinking applying for immigration letter" and there was a letter or number off. So long story short thankfully they checked back with the police or else I would have had a hear attack when the rejection letter came. My husbands record was clean and all was smooth after that. Yep snow sleet ice and rain in one day are the norm. Ha ha ha but you are right about the other three seasons.	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-01-08 09:33:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (KimandRuss @ Jan 8 2009, 05:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE Silly question time Kim...nothing seems to be going out of DHL at the moment...and now that it's the new year, I have to change what I enter under reference right? 2008A becomes 2009A? right! Hopefully they're not 'on' to us and changing how they do things! Otherwise, we'll have some work to do to figure out how they track them now. It sounds like the Embassy in AUK is as helpful as always. I know they can issue an inquiry to NVC and specifically ask for the file to be sent. That is what someone from one of my 'many' phone calls to NVC stated. Perhaps that's what they're saying... I certainly hope so! Enough is enough. Do something kind for YOU and try your best to keep your spirits up until then. Ivanna, I'm not really clear on what you're asking. As long as you each filled out a I-134 with employment info and anual income, and both included supporting evidence of income (tax papers, paystubs, letter from employers) you should be all set. If your uncle meets the minimum requirement for supporting your fiance he will not need bank statements or proof of assets. Another ice storm going on outside right now. Oui, winter in New England! You have to be semi insane to live in the Northeast really. Luckily up here in Burlington VT it is supposed to be all snow and it actually looks like it has stopped. The summer make it worth it though. Warm and there are so many rivers and lakes to swim in. Plus the scenery isn't too bad.	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-01-07 15:08:00