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 (Lisaandtim @ Feb 20 2009, 12:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 18 2009, 09:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oh not to worry! Who here hasn't had a freak-out I've had mine for sure! Glad to hear it's on their end, and that they have heard from the Police. Yay! Just got news that he is picking up his visa today! Omg I'm so excited I don't know what to do first! Exciting !!!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-19 19:59:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Oh not to worry! Who here hasn't had a freak-out I've had mine for sure! Glad to hear it's on their end, and that they have heard from the Police.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-19 00:27:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Lisaandtim @ Feb 19 2009, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (rubyred @ Feb 17 2009, 10:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> thanks for all the info! i guess we'll just ask the county clerk about the nationality of the witness. re: the ceremony - we won't be having anything till next year, when my family comes over. this will be strictly a walk in and sign papers kind of situation. i want to pretend we're NOT married until the ceremony next year, so that the day will feel 'completely' special, if that makes sense. i already have my wedding band (we got my engagement ring/wedding ring as a set) but i don't think i'll wear it till the ceremony! I'm going crazy here on this dumb police report thing. No one emails us back and the phone says 'not taking calls'. Can we just go get one ourselves and hand it to them? It's been over a week. Idk what's going on. Any advice? Is it the New Zealand police clearance you are waiting for? They won't accept one you get yourself, if that's it.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-18 21:11:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Feb 18 2009, 04:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 15 2009, 11:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm flying in what used to be Business on Air New Zealand. Premier Economy, bigger seats, just behind First Class. Not my idea, heh, my SO thinks I'll arrive better rested if I don't fly cattle class. Once I get to SFO I still have a nearly 5.5 hour flight onwards. He's also booked us in for 2 nights at a lovely hotel we've been at before. He..is a keeper that's lovely that he booked a hotel!! I received my eticket info and baggage labels etc in the mail today from travel agency with the passenger departure card and usually i just fill out the departure card without so much as a blink of an eye, but now that i am leaving nz, i was looking over it today and was wondering: in the part that says 'occupation or job' do i write unemployed? or shall i still state what kind of work i do? And below that question. it says: "full contact or residential address in NZ" do i write 'none'? It felt strange writing out the baggage address labels and writing a USA addy instead of a NZ one.. 16 days to go. I would write what sort of work you do. That's what I'll put. As far as the address...I dunno...I mean after I leave here I won't be here, but the flatmate will, so I could do either.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-17 22:23:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I'm flying in what used to be Business on Air New Zealand. Premier Economy, bigger seats, just behind First Class. Not my idea, heh, my SO thinks I'll arrive better rested if I don't fly cattle class. Once I get to SFO I still have a nearly 5.5 hour flight onwards. He's also booked us in for 2 nights at a lovely hotel we've been at before. He..is a keeper	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-15 22:22:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Just checking in. Everyone has gone very quiet! I've had my last day at work...Saturday. They were very good to me, did a big breakfast I didn't know they were organzing, and some of the roadstaff were able to come in for it. Got cards, and flowers, faxes, visits, and the other team members got together and bought me a lovely piece of greenstone. I had lots of calls from people who had no idea it was my last day...or why Funny how you never know they liked you so much, particularly the road staff, until they hear you are about to be history. Now it's about packing up, settling all the loose ends, and getting ready to go. 16 days...and yes... I am counting	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-15 16:21:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Congratulations! I knew you'd be fine!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-10 16:00:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I spent quite a bit of time, updating mine...and they didn't even ask for it.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-10 13:31:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Lisaandtim @ Feb 10 2009, 05:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 9 2009, 02:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks for that! I've moved back and forth a lot, but I've used movers, and I haven't got that much this time. It is still mostly all in storage in Vancouver. I'll go up this afternoon and get some boxes Ok I am freaking out. We have our interview on Feb 12 8:45am. Any advice? Take it easy...that's what I'd say....it's not as bad as we all worry about. Hard to believe ..but true. I was quite nervous as all get out, and I didn't need to be. Have a read of Kiwiana's thread on her interview, it tells you everything you need to know, and all about what happens. QUOTE (Lisaandtim @ Feb 10 2009, 05:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Lisaandtim @ Feb 9 2009, 08:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 9 2009, 02:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks for that! I've moved back and forth a lot, but I've used movers, and I haven't got that much this time. It is still mostly all in storage in Vancouver. I'll go up this afternoon and get some boxes Ok I am freaking out. We have our interview on Feb 12 8:45am. Any advice? Also for proof of funds, does he need statements for the whole year? Can they be online statements? He has some paystubs but not all. We had online statements. A lot of places have gone paperless now, and that's the usual.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-09 23:29:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thanks for that! I've moved back and forth a lot, but I've used movers, and I haven't got that much this time. It is still mostly all in storage in Vancouver. I'll go up this afternoon and get some boxes	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-09 17:44:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	She'll be sitting outside in the coffee place waiting to go up the lifts now ...sending you calming vibes!!!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-09 14:33:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I am starting to eye up Post Shop for sending now..but what do you put on the customs labels?	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-09 14:30:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I'm flying on a one way.. Air NZ to SFO and then on to Dulles ...BUSINESS class	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-08 03:23:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Kim & Chris...congratulations!!! May you have many many happy years together!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-06 02:37:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 20 2009, 01:33 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks for that! I am willing to offer mine up me too!! i don't even mind walking up and down the aisle to show everyone kim&chris:Thanks for the info about which card we ask for as i have been wondering about that, so now i will know what to do how's it going with the AOS? yankiwi: it's good to know that you arrived safe and sound with no hold ups etc. Hope nothing was damaged in the boxes that you mailed over beforehand. Lisaandtim: congrats on the visa! have you set a date on when he will leave nz? ivannaloveskiwi: wow! only 6 days to go! be sure to let us know how he gets on! cdneh: only like 11 days to go now!! (the countdown continues!) michelle and kelvan: how's it going?	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-20 03:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 15 2009, 11:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm flying in what used to be Business on Air New Zealand. Premier Economy, bigger seats, just behind First Class. Not my idea, heh, my SO thinks I'll arrive better rested if I don't fly cattle class. Once I get to SFO I still have a nearly 5.5 hour flight onwards. He's also booked us in for 2 nights at a lovely hotel we've been at before. He..is a keeper that's lovely that he booked a hotel!! I received my eticket info and baggage labels etc in the mail today from travel agency with the passenger departure card and usually i just fill out the departure card without so much as a blink of an eye, but now that i am leaving nz, i was looking over it today and was wondering: in the part that says 'occupation or job' do i write unemployed? or shall i still state what kind of work i do? And below that question. it says: "full contact or residential address in NZ" do i write 'none'? It felt strange writing out the baggage address labels and writing a USA addy instead of a NZ one.. 16 days to go.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-17 22:18:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	we are all very close with our leaving dates I paid for my ticket on saturday.Cdneh will leave 3rd March ?, I will be going 6th March and Michelle 9th March!! (three days between each others departing dates!! ) what airlines did you eventually go with? i just got a qantas flight one way. Almost cost the same as a return ticket (when on special). but oh well!! I am really starting to get excited . We have an unofficial wedding date of March 17th (st patricks day) at vegas My last day at work is Friday. Can't wait!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-15 20:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Congratulations Michelle and Lisa and Tim!! who else has interview coming up? kelvan? ivannaloveskiwi? anyone? yankiwi: Have a safe journey and best wishes!! i can hardly wait for tomorrow as i hand in my notice at work! I have been waiting sooo long for this moment!!!!! Haven't booked plane ticket yet but its looking like it may be march 6th (if all goes well) yay!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-12 01:53:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Michelle.S @ Feb 9 2009, 03:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> my interview is at 0845, the post shop next door opens at 0830 the courier bag is maybe an inch larger all around then the standard A4 sheet, but i think i'll buy a bigger one anyway, just to be safe yes may pay to play safe and get one. All the best tomorrow!!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-09 03:51:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Feb 7 2009, 07:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I looked at buying a return ticket vs a one way ticket. A one way ticket is usually more than simply dividing a return fare in half. I got a one way ticket for around $1600 nz, and a return ticket was around $2100 or thereabouts, maybe a bit more, I really can't remember, (bear in mind that I was travelling to LA and then on to Memphis). You can get an open ticket for a year, and I'm positive there's no penalties if you don't use it, but if you're not going to use it that's an extra $400 or more dollars you didn't need to spend. I opted for a one way ticket for a couple of reasons. 1st..... I felt at the time it was more important to have the extra money in my pocket as who knows how long it would be before i was either allowed to work or could actually find a job. 2nd......With waiting on EAD when you go through AOS, who knows when it'll be approved. If you use the return ticket for a trip home, then you've only got to face the same question again when you want to head back to the U.S. Swings and roundabouts probably....lol Anyway right or wrong that's what i ended up doing. Air Tahiti was the cheapest way to go then, not sure about now, but i'd def check them out. The service was fine, the food was no worse than anyone else, and if you have a connecting flight to anywhere else once you get to L.A., the Air Tahiti flight gets in earlier than Qantas....I found that out the hard way...lol From what you and cdneh have said, it seems that a one way ticket seems to be the way to go! Thanks! Michelle: forgot to say in previous post.. Good luck for tomorrow!!! hope you will let us know how you get on.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-09 03:49:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Michelle.S @ Feb 9 2009, 02:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> ok last minute freak out the pink letter from the consulate says to bring a large (foolscap/legal size) self addressed courier pack or registered envelope i bought an A4 courier pack, did i buy the wrong one? ok now don't freak out.. I got out the stuff the consulate sent to me and tried to put it in a plain A4 envelope (not a courier bag, so the courier bag may be a little bigger) and it wouldn't fit just trying to slide it in.. BUT maybe if they folded over the yellow/brown envelope a bit more it could fit! be a tight squeeze but they may be able to do it!! would you have time in the morning to get a foolscap size envelope at all? what time is your appointment? There is a post shop nearby the embassy i think!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-09 03:43:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Dave_n_Genna @ Feb 7 2009, 05:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> What would be a safe wait time to book a flight after the interview? I want to pre-book for the savings... but I dont want to book too far out, I'm so tired of the waiting game. Usually after the interview, it can take anywhere from 3 days to 7 for one to receive their passport back with visa. After my interview, my waiting time fell between a US public holiday and the weekend.I got approved on a friday and received the visa the following friday. Whereas others have received theirs much faster. So i don't think you would wait longer than a week for it at the most!! so i am sure you could pre-book a flight not too far into the future after the interview * * * * * * * * * * And speaking of flights, is it better to buy a one way ticket when you leave nz or is it more economical to buy a return ticket? If i got a return ticket, what is the maximum length of time you can have it for before you have to use the return? or can you get an 'open' ticket with no alloted return date or do you have to specifically name a date that you will return on it? And are there penalties if you get a return ticket but don't use the return part up when the time comes? (hope this all makes sense!! ) Edited by kiwiana, 07 February 2009 - 06:50 PM.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-07 18:49:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kelzm @ Feb 5 2009, 10:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kiwiana - I know it's not the same as having the original photo, but have you thought about getting some of the photos you can't bring and getting them scanned? Then you can save them on to a usb pen, or use an online storage/print site (I use shutterfly). They'll be there for you to access, or print them out when you get to the usa. I brought a lot of photos with me and I realised that my son had none of himself growing up, or any of the family events we'd been to so as part of his xmas present I spent time scanning the photo's and made up an album for him. With shutterfly it's very easy, you can get the prints mailed to you, or you can send them to your local target store for pick up in an hour. Also... if you don't have a scanner and don't want to pay a service to do it, check out your local library. We had scanners at all of our library branches and it was free to use and most internet sites are free also, so you can upload direct from there. Thanks Kelzm! that's a great idea!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-06 05:19:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Dave_n_Genna @ Feb 5 2009, 06:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Haha, I understand being a king of worry, believe me! I think I may drive Genna crazy before all this is done! =)	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-05 18:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Feb 5 2009, 06:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ana: I can relate to your dilemma, believe me. I got to the stage where I just wanted to pack a suitcase and leave everything else behind just as it was....just shut the door...lol I was very lucky, my son is 28 and he moved back into the house to take care of everything for me. I sold off some stuff but as he was moving back into the house, I could leave most of the furniture in it for him to use. That was a relief, believe me but i did feel bad coz i left a bit of a mess behind, I was still in a flap racing around doing things right up until I had to leave for the airport You wait soooo long to get the approval and you really don't want to get rid of too much stuff in case you're declined, then all of a sudden you get the big yes and it's all on, no time to do everything. I don't think people who haven't gone through it can truly understand the strain it puts on you. As you can see by my post above, every stage has it's problems...lol....but I'm sure we'll all look back on this in a couple of years and wonder what all the fuss was about ......chin up Yes!! you are soo right!! we wait so long for the approval and then when it is granted, it's like a mad rush is on to get everything that has taken your lifetime to acquire to now sort through and get rid of. I am a sentimentalist and the hardest thing i have found is to not be able to take things that mean so much to me. My SO and I met online 10 years ago through the love of music/a music list! and he sent me mixed tapes - hand written tracklists and then further through the years cdr's of mixed songs etc. The amount is huge and just simply can't take them all with me. I told him of my dilemma and he said to me that he has duplicates of what he sent me, so there is no need for me to take them but it was still very hard for me to let go of them!! And photographs too of my kids, growing up and now adults. Family pics.. Just too many to take, so last weekend, i was going through them and picking out ones to keep. very difficult to do!! The other things like furniture that i don't care too much about, is the biggest headache for me at the moment. i have now got to the stage, as you said, where i just want to pack my suitcase and just run away!!! LOL! i know everything will sort itself out and as you say , will look back in a few years and wonder what all the fuss is about	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-05 18:32:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Dave_n_Genna @ Feb 5 2009, 05:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kiwiana, thx for the reply =) Why are u freaking out about the AoS? Is there a large chance of being RFE and sent back to NZ or something? To be honest I have not researched it all terribly much, since the guides are a bit lacking once you are out of the K1 process. Right now, my only fear is of them frowning on the fact that Genna has not worked for about a year now. I have been supporting her through the past year, as we have been working on the Visa, and she has been over here for about 6 months of the past year, making employment difficult. I hope this doesnt affect the interview =( Otherwise, I just cant wait to get her over here. Nothing major will happen about AOS. Won't be sent back to NZ or anything drastic like that!! sorry, i didnt mean to give that impression at all!!! I am merely worried ( i am a champion worry wort )as i am not really understanding the whole AOS process with the new requirements. I guess i just want to send in the AOS and not have to worry that i MAY get a RFE because i didn't send this in or that. I have asked on vj forum about the tb skin test. One said they got approved without the skin test. While others say you need to get it done. so am just unsure of what is the RIGHT way to go about it. so hopefully someone here (ahem! kimandruss, Kim&chris ) may send away for it soon and be able to tell us exactly what they did and how they got on!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-05 18:12:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	LisaandTim: That's great news that your SO got his medical done too. Wonder if he and michelle were there around the same time? Dave_n_Genna: After the bright pink letter with the interview date, I never received anything else from the embassy, so everything should be ok if she moves now Kim & Chris: CONGRATULATIONS!!! on your wedding!! wonderful!!! mmm lobster and shrimps for lunch!! has got my mouth watering here!! Please let us know how you get on with the AOS. I have been freaking out about it big time since i received the k1 visa. I just wish i knew 100% what to do as to not get a RFE! I really don't want a tb skin test as i have heard that some that were vaccinated against it as a child now show positive when they get the tb skin test done, even though they don't have it!! I just want to get the whole process out of the way without any hassles.. As for moving soon, well i am feeling pressure big time at the moment. My son needs to find somewhere to live. I have to get rid of all my furniture (i just want to throw it away as it isn't new stuff. The people that do come and collect furniture for removal, don't come out to my area and i don't have a towbar on my car so can't take it to them ) My SO asked me when i will leave, i had no answer but have now told him the target is for 2nd week in March, if i am lucky!!. Have to hand notice in at work as well as give notice to landlady where i live too but until i know definitely when i will leave i can't do either.... so i am rather flustered at the moment as you can tell!! LOL!!! Anyway, it will all come right in the end, i am sure.. just got to stay focused!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-05 17:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Woohoo! ... Congrates to all the Kiwi cousins waiting for their departure dates ... Ill be thinking of you all and hope you all have a stress free trip ... Kiwiana you in particular, my birthday is 18th and thats the 17th in the US so Ill more then likely remember ... {{Hugz}}	AnnexoxShay	Female	Australia	2009-02-17 22:29:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Heya Justine, Getting married in California is pretty simple. You need to visit the County Clerk office for the County you're going to get married in. Both of you need to go there to fill in the marriage license and you need picture ID. You will get the license at the time you go there to fill it in. You then need to have someone officiate the wedding. You are required to have ONE witness, but you can have two. I am not sure if they have to be a US citizen but they do have to provide their address and state. Maybe you could have one US citizen as witness and your friend as the second one, since they're more 'added flavour' and it'll save any worries about legalities. I don't know what kind of ceremony you're planning but I can tell you how we did our California wedding. I flew in on a Thursday and we went straight to the recorders off at the County Clerk. My husband had already called the clerks office to ask for their list of offciates. They had a couple of people on the list that worked at the county office so he arranged to have one of them officiate our wedding. We got married on the Saturday, the officiate came to our house and we had my husbands best friend and his wife as our witnesses, ring bearer, best man, photographer - the works! The officiate gave us a nice ceremony in our back yard and we had to give vows etc. Then our witnesses signed the license and the officiate took it away. It's important to know that the officiate has to file the license with the county clerk office for the marriage to be official. It has to be done within 90 days of the wedding. You usually then have to wait a week or two before you can request a copy of your marriage certificate from the office. Because our officate was from the county clerk's office she took it and put it through the system that Monday so I could go in on the Tuesday and get copies of the certificate to send off to USCIS. Anyway, March isn't far away! I hope that you manage to sort everything out and have the ceremony you want	kelzm	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-18 01:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Congrats Michelle, and congrats also to Lisa and Tim.	kelzm	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-11 22:37:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Kiwiana - I know it's not the same as having the original photo, but have you thought about getting some of the photos you can't bring and getting them scanned? Then you can save them on to a usb pen, or use an online storage/print site (I use shutterfly). They'll be there for you to access, or print them out when you get to the usa. I brought a lot of photos with me and I realised that my son had none of himself growing up, or any of the family events we'd been to so as part of his xmas present I spent time scanning the photo's and made up an album for him. With shutterfly it's very easy, you can get the prints mailed to you, or you can send them to your local target store for pick up in an hour. Also... if you don't have a scanner and don't want to pay a service to do it, check out your local library. We had scanners at all of our library branches and it was free to use and most internet sites are free also, so you can upload direct from there.	kelzm	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-05 21:30:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Lisaandtim @ Feb 20 2009, 04:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 19 2009, 04:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Lisaandtim @ Feb 20 2009, 12:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 18 2009, 09:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oh not to worry! Who here hasn't had a freak-out I've had mine for sure! Glad to hear it's on their end, and that they have heard from the Police. Yay! Just got news that he is picking up his visa today! Omg I'm so excited I don't know what to do first! Exciting !!! Ok he has a question: The cards they hand out on board an airplane for customs and all that, which color one would I get or what do I ask for, obviously not the visa waiver one this time? When they hand out the cards you ask for the white I-94 and make sure you fill it in correctly and fully as this will have to last you all the way through to filing for AOS and the details you fill in on the card need to match what you fill in on the AOS forms. The steward on the plane might ask you to confirm what type of visa you have. These damn things take so long to get (the k-1's)....it's a joy to be able to offer them up when asked for	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-20 00:19:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (rubyred @ Feb 18 2009, 04:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> marriage question: when you do the legal part - the certificate - are there requirements for the witnesses? e.g. do they have to have known you for a certain amount of time, or be US citizens, etc.? we're thinking of getting (legally) married when my best friend and her husband are here at the end of march (they're kiwis, living in switzerland, on their way to nz, 2 night stopover in san francisco). it would be nice for my bf to be here for the actual marriage, since she probably won't make the ceremony. i can't seem to find any info relating to witnesses (i'm assuming it's 2?) online. Depends what state you're in I think, we didn't need any, but I found this for you, it says in CA you need one. http://gocalifornia....agetmarried.htm Sorry if it's not clickable	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-17 23:59:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Feb 8 2009, 11:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Dave_n_Genna @ Feb 7 2009, 05:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> What would be a safe wait time to book a flight after the interview? I want to pre-book for the savings... but I dont want to book too far out, I'm so tired of the waiting game. Usually after the interview, it can take anywhere from 3 days to 7 for one to receive their passport back with visa. After my interview, my waiting time fell between a US public holiday and the weekend.I got approved on a friday and received the visa the following friday. Whereas others have received theirs much faster. So i don't think you would wait longer than a week for it at the most!! so i am sure you could pre-book a flight not too far into the future after the interview * * * * * * * * * * And speaking of flights, is it better to buy a one way ticket when you leave nz or is it more economical to buy a return ticket? If i got a return ticket, what is the maximum length of time you can have it for before you have to use the return? or can you get an 'open' ticket with no alloted return date or do you have to specifically name a date that you will return on it? And are there penalties if you get a return ticket but don't use the return part up when the time comes? (hope this all makes sense!! ) I looked at buying a return ticket vs a one way ticket. A one way ticket is usually more than simply dividing a return fare in half. I got a one way ticket for around $1600 nz, and a return ticket was around $2100 or thereabouts, maybe a bit more, I really can't remember, (bear in mind that I was travelling to LA and then on to Memphis). You can get an open ticket for a year, and I'm positive there's no penalties if you don't use it, but if you're not going to use it that's an extra $400 or more dollars you didn't need to spend. I opted for a one way ticket for a couple of reasons. 1st..... I felt at the time it was more important to have the extra money in my pocket as who knows how long it would be before i was either allowed to work or could actually find a job. 2nd......With waiting on EAD when you go through AOS, who knows when it'll be approved. If you use the return ticket for a trip home, then you've only got to face the same question again when you want to head back to the U.S. Swings and roundabouts probably....lol Anyway right or wrong that's what i ended up doing. Air Tahiti was the cheapest way to go then, not sure about now, but i'd def check them out. The service was fine, the food was no worse than anyone else, and if you have a connecting flight to anywhere else once you get to L.A., the Air Tahiti flight gets in earlier than Qantas....I found that out the hard way...lol	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-07 19:31:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 6 2009, 08:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kim & Chris...congratulations!!! May you have many many happy years together! Thankyou Cdneh......	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-06 14:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (KimandRuss @ Feb 7 2009, 05:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kim, your A# is your Alien #. It is on your NOA2/I797 and should also be on your passport. It is not your I-94 or visa number. Everyone who deals with US Immigration is dealt an Alien #. Russell was 'lucky' enough to get his when he got 'das' boot! Congratulations on your marriage. No need to worry about AOS. Just more paperwork. Some people get through without having a CS sign off on the vacc. and some have gone through without the TB test. The problem is the Civil Surgeon will not sign off on the TB because it's not routinely done. The CDC just made it mandatory last summer. We just missed the cut off so Russell will most likely get an RFE for it but we're taking our chances. If anything is held up it will be the GC. If that's the case then he will just go to the health clinic here and have a free TB test done and we'll send the results in. Michelle, glad your medical went well. Thanks Kim.........we never recieved the I-797/NOA2 in the mail, we only recieved an email of acceptance which it wasn't on. Looking at my passport, on the Visa sticker it has an A# under the word annotation, so I'm picking it's that and not the red number further over. I'm usually quite onto it, but these processes make me feel like a right dunce sometimes ....lol	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-06 12:04:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Feb 6 2009, 11:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (kelzm @ Feb 5 2009, 10:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kiwiana - I know it's not the same as having the original photo, but have you thought about getting some of the photos you can't bring and getting them scanned? Then you can save them on to a usb pen, or use an online storage/print site (I use shutterfly). They'll be there for you to access, or print them out when you get to the usa. I brought a lot of photos with me and I realised that my son had none of himself growing up, or any of the family events we'd been to so as part of his xmas present I spent time scanning the photo's and made up an album for him. With shutterfly it's very easy, you can get the prints mailed to you, or you can send them to your local target store for pick up in an hour. Also... if you don't have a scanner and don't want to pay a service to do it, check out your local library. We had scanners at all of our library branches and it was free to use and most internet sites are free also, so you can upload direct from there. Thanks Kelzm! that's a great idea!! This is what I did with some of my photos a while back....I made collages of the family over the years and put them in photo frames for each of my brothers one christmas and luckily enough I'd left them on my computer, no way would I have had time to do it otherwise. I also copied them onto a USB flash drive to have a backup of them just in case....you could also use the little memory cards that fit in the cameras as a storage device. Tell you the best thing I brought with me though.......... I'd been at my place of employment for just over 12 years and one of the suppliers I'd been using that long bought me a digital photo frame. It's a very nice philips one, must have cost a bomb, so I wrapped it carefully in my hand luggage and with time on my hands here, set about loading up a memory card with various family photos from my hard drive and pics of Chris and I and his family. I have it on the bedside table, it flicks from one photo to the next and I have a constant reminder of family and friends to help stave off the home sickness It's one of my favourite things.	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-06 11:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Feb 6 2009, 11:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> LisaandTim: That's great news that your SO got his medical done too. Wonder if he and michelle were there around the same time? Dave_n_Genna: After the bright pink letter with the interview date, I never received anything else from the embassy, so everything should be ok if she moves now Kim & Chris: CONGRATULATIONS!!! on your wedding!! wonderful!!! mmm lobster and shrimps for lunch!! has got my mouth watering here!! Please let us know how you get on with the AOS. I have been freaking out about it big time since i received the k1 visa. I just wish i knew 100% what to do as to not get a RFE! I really don't want a tb skin test as i have heard that some that were vaccinated against it as a child now show positive when they get the tb skin test done, even though they don't have it!! I just want to get the whole process out of the way without any hassles.. As for moving soon, well i am feeling pressure big time at the moment. My son needs to find somewhere to live. I have to get rid of all my furniture (i just want to throw it away as it isn't new stuff. The people that do come and collect furniture for removal, don't come out to my area and i don't have a towbar on my car so can't take it to them ) My SO asked me when i will leave, i had no answer but have now told him the target is for 2nd week in March, if i am lucky!!. Have to hand notice in at work as well as give notice to landlady where i live too but until i know definitely when i will leave i can't do either.... so i am rather flustered at the moment as you can tell!! LOL!!! Anyway, it will all come right in the end, i am sure.. just got to stay focused!! Ana: I can relate to your dilemma, believe me. I got to the stage where I just wanted to pack a suitcase and leave everything else behind just as it was....just shut the door...lol I was very lucky, my son is 28 and he moved back into the house to take care of everything for me. I sold off some stuff but as he was moving back into the house, I could leave most of the furniture in it for him to use. That was a relief, believe me but i did feel bad coz i left a bit of a mess behind, I was still in a flap racing around doing things right up until I had to leave for the airport You wait soooo long to get the approval and you really don't want to get rid of too much stuff in case you're declined, then all of a sudden you get the big yes and it's all on, no time to do everything. I don't think people who haven't gone through it can truly understand the strain it puts on you. As you can see by my post above, every stage has it's problems...lol....but I'm sure we'll all look back on this in a couple of years and wonder what all the fuss was about ......chin up	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-05 18:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Kim if you're around can you (or anyone else who might know) help please...... I'm in the process of filling out AOS papers and they ask for my A#.........I've been searching through this site and have only managed to find conflicting info. So far people have said it's....the I-94 number....the A number on the visa.......or it should be on the I-797 NOA2 recieved in the mail. I'm sooooo confused....and I'm a bit worried.....we never recieved the hard copy of NOA2 in the mail with I-797 on the bottom, the official looking one (like NOA1) Chris recieved and email to say we'd been approved and approval notice had been sent. (didn't arrive) A few days later he received a letter with our case number and to say our paperwork would be on it's way to the consulate etc...... but still no official NOA2. Any light you can shed on this would be appreciated before the rest of my hair drops out from stressing....lol	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-05 17:53:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Feb 16 2009, 10:21 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Just checking in. Everyone has gone very quiet! I've had my last day at work...Saturday. They were very good to me, did a big breakfast I didn't know they were organzing, and some of the roadstaff were able to come in for it. Got cards, and flowers, faxes, visits, and the other team members got together and bought me a lovely piece of greenstone. I had lots of calls from people who had no idea it was my last day...or why Funny how you never know they liked you so much, particularly the road staff, until they hear you are about to be history. Now it's about packing up, settling all the loose ends, and getting ready to go. 16 days...and yes... I am counting i'm not looking forward to my farewell, i think there may be tears, possibly, maybe.... it's exciting isn't it? i'm counting days now too, hoping to fly out 9th march, so 21 days for me	Michelle Kauffman	Female	New Zealand	2009-02-15 20:05:00