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 (cdneh @ Mar 1 2009, 07:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Dave_n_Genna @ Mar 2 2009, 01:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Can someone please for the love of god tell us EXACTLY what this Divorce Decree that they ask for is??? None of the paperwork form the Divorce is actually titled DECREE. My lawyer consultant told me that the decree is the "Judgement." so this is what I sent to Genna. Is this correct??? After seeing the rejection becuz of divorce papers, I am completely freaking. Also, should Genna take a pre-paid envelope with her or something for them to mail her Visa and Passport? Or is this the courier bag you are talking about? If someone could PLEASE give me a detailed description of the paperwork they used for the Divorce for the interview, it would help immensely! Yes, she does need a pre-paid courier bag. Get a legal size one (big) Write down the number from it so you can track it. My papers for my divorce didn't say DECREE anywhere. Mine said judgement on it. I was also divorced in 1970's and that one says certificate. The one I sent to Genna says "Judgement" also. It has the Judges name "Stamp" on it, and the court certified stamps and signatures. It doesnt contain my Ex-Wifes or mine signatures. By the way, thank you so much for the quick reply =) Kim and Russ, I noticed your reply after this =P I wrote to the Consulate last week to see if there was any last minute stuff... and they asked that Genna bring the "original Divorce Decree, not a copy"... it was a copy that I sent in wit hthe original K-1 application. Edited by Dave_n_Genna, 01 March 2009 - 08:11 PM.	Dave_n_Genna	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-03-01 20:08:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Can someone please for the love of god tell us EXACTLY what this Divorce Decree that they ask for is??? None of the paperwork form the Divorce is actually titled DECREE. My lawyer consultant told me that the decree is the "Judgement." so this is what I sent to Genna. Is this correct??? After seeing the rejection becuz of divorce papers, I am completely freaking. Also, should Genna take a pre-paid envelope with her or something for them to mail her Visa and Passport? Or is this the courier bag you are talking about? If someone could PLEASE give me a detailed description of the paperwork they used for the Divorce for the interview, it would help immensely!	Dave_n_Genna	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-03-01 19:59:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hey guys! Been busy lately and have not had much time to stop in here. Genna's interview is this week. I'm nervous as all hell. Is there ANYTHING we should be doing last minute? Does anyone in the NZ process get rejected at the interview??? That would just kill us. I'm a severe worrier.. and this last minute wait is killing me. We have all the forms they asked for... her medical and Police thing are in... I make enuff money for the Affidavit... Anything anyone can give would help... almost there... deep breaths...	Dave_n_Genna	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-03-01 17:26:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kelvan @ Mar 18 2009, 04:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> APPROVED!!! Well, actually only partially because I had to take home my passport as we are going to Australia on Monday! So as soon as I return it I will get my visa!!! The consulate also advised me that I might want to renew my passport while I'm still in NZ as it expires next year so I will have to do that as well. Congrats! Have fun in Australia too!	Lisaandtim	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-03-19 15:50:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (rubyred @ Mar 15 2009, 10:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> dave: IL county clerks office Hey again all! I have a dumb question. On the I-485 it asks for the Nonimmigrant Visa Number. I forgot which of the billions of numbers they have given us this is and I can't find it on any of the forms. Anyone know which one it is?	Lisaandtim	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-03-17 18:04:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Mar 10 2009, 05:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Lisaandtim @ Mar 10 2009, 07:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hello everyone! Just getting back from the honeymoon we had in Santa Cruz. Wedding went great. It was simple and private, at the county clerk's office, where you get the marriage certificate . Only set off was my mom forgot to put the handicap placard up when she parked so we came out to see a policewoman writing a ticket. Luckily she only got off with a warning hehe. We had a week long honeymoon in Santa Cruz, California where we mainly went to the beach and got to watch movies indoors since it was raining most of the time Today we went to Social Security...for 3 hours. First we go to one office and they are like you have to go to the card place. So we drove there and they said to go back around to the other side of the building, that that was where they do cards. Great lol. An hour later, we saw a human and applied for a couple cards. I had to get one too since I changed my name. Then she says since I am getting benefits I have to notify the people at the front of the building we got married. So we walk there, go through a security check, and get a number just to see a person to tell us to wait another bit. Then after all of that, she says she can't do anything because my husband doesn't have a social security number, even though I told her we just applied for one. So we have to wait 2 weeks for the cards now..great. So I am looking at these AOS papers and am trying the I-765 one first haha and am not sure what to put for questions 14 and 15 which ask manner of last entry and current immigration status. He's not a visitor or student. Should I just put K1 Visa holder? Bah! I hate more forms. These seem worse than the first set of forms. But if anyone has any advice/input on that, it'd be greatly appreciated. Congratulations you guys, sounds like you had a great time. If your SO entered on a K-1 Fiance Visa then that's the correct answer to put down for both questions 14 and 15. Check out the example forms on here. That's what I did and it was a big help I didn't see example ones when I looked before but I was in a rush so I'll be sure to check it out again or google it. Thanks!	Lisaandtim	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-03-10 22:27:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Mar 10 2009, 07:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well I sent the AOS package off on Feb 23 and it was received by them on Feb 26. I received NOA1 for EAD & AP on March 7 and NOA1 for I-485 & the Biometrics apt on March 9th....a nice birthday prezzie it was too. The AP's a biggie for me as my Dad is in good health, (touch wood), but he's still 78 and my 2nd Mum (my Aunt) is steady for now but terminal so I really want to be able to travel at the drop of a hat if I need to. Hopefully it won't take too long to be approved. I have my biometrics apt on March 20th in Memphis. It's a 2hr drive but I've already google mapped it so I know where we're going.....lol Hopefully there will be no RFE's and it'll be transfered straight through to CA, I'm crossing my fingers on that one Still things are moving along so I can't complain. Hello everyone! Just getting back from the honeymoon we had in Santa Cruz. Wedding went great. It was simple and private, at the county clerk's office, where you get the marriage certificate . Only set off was my mom forgot to put the handicap placard up when she parked so we came out to see a policewoman writing a ticket. Luckily she only got off with a warning hehe. We had a week long honeymoon in Santa Cruz, California where we mainly went to the beach and got to watch movies indoors since it was raining most of the time Today we went to Social Security...for 3 hours. First we go to one office and they are like you have to go to the card place. So we drove there and they said to go back around to the other side of the building, that that was where they do cards. Great lol. An hour later, we saw a human and applied for a couple cards. I had to get one too since I changed my name. Then she says since I am getting benefits I have to notify the people at the front of the building we got married. So we walk there, go through a security check, and get a number just to see a person to tell us to wait another bit. Then after all of that, she says she can't do anything because my husband doesn't have a social security number, even though I told her we just applied for one. So we have to wait 2 weeks for the cards now..great. So I am looking at these AOS papers and am trying the I-765 one first haha and am not sure what to put for questions 14 and 15 which ask manner of last entry and current immigration status. He's not a visitor or student. Should I just put K1 Visa holder? Bah! I hate more forms. These seem worse than the first set of forms. But if anyone has any advice/input on that, it'd be greatly appreciated.	Lisaandtim	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-03-10 19:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi Ivanna. I am not sure if you are looking for a lawyer but we consulted one in Auckland and she was very helpful. Her name is Barbaara J Johnson and her auckland number is 64 9 915 0891. She ended up telling us our case was easy and told us what we needed to do and who to contact. Plus she called the US embassy for us and had them call us back which i thought was good of her since she didn't make any money off of us. Good luck! I hope if you cantact her she can help you. I am sure she can.	amaciar	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-03-01 19:44:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	hi everyone, i'm so happy for everyone that mde it throught and the ones in america...WELCOME! i'm leaving the 28th for nz, i'm so excited.. just to be with him again takes my breath away..LOL now i get to see what it feels like in different country.. learning new money.. and being the person that talks funny.. HA HA. Its still makes me sad that we aare not one of the lucky ones to finially be able to actually live our lives together..and once again our happiness depending on a date on the calender when you have to leave each other again. I HATE THAT..the 90 day count down ...BUT.. i'm hanging in there..taking it one day at a time..an hopefully we will be able to be together soon! wishing everyone well and happiness!	ivannnaloveskiwi	Female	New Zealand	2009-03-14 20:42:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi everyone, thank -you so much for your support.. makes us feel so much better.. i called the consulet and spoke with "Bea", a very, very nice lady! She was so wonderful and put me to easy..first, we were not denied..yes becasue of his conviction we were .. so to say.. pushed back some.. ( and Dave and geena,not becasue of the divorce papers..they would wait till you had the right ones...) They are going with the fact that his convictions were more than 15+ years ago, she said all we needed to file was the I601, she said i didnt even need to write a letter , but would help if i could..( which i am) her words were " we have 2 aces we can use - the hardship waiver and the fact that the convictions are 15+ years..said we are putting that packet together and all we need is the I601 + the fees..the divorce paper can wait till the final approval." she told me not to worry that everyhing would be fine and that my SO was " a lovely man" lol!!! I have made arrangement to go to NZ the end of march and will stay my 90 days..I'm so excited to see him again. she also said that it could take 2-4 months..So keep your fingers crossed and maybe we will be able to come home together.. amaciar... wrote that number down.. ty once again, thank you everyone for your support..it has made me feel so much better , you are a great bunch.. WE couldn't of made it this far without you all !	ivannnaloveskiwi	Female	New Zealand	2009-03-02 02:49:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	awww Kate, you look beautiful! Congratulations! Justine, huge congratulations to you! It's hard to believe where we both were one short year ago, eh? I'm very happy for you both! Yes, Michelle...what's been up with you and yours? How is Rob feeling? Kelly, yup, yet another process (and another $1010) to go through once you're here. I can't tell you how much I resented putting together AOS after all we had already been through! I simply did not want to bother to do it and since we were in no rush we waited until just a couple of weeks ago to file. Probably not such a good idea to wait so long but no regrets... it's there now and hopefully we wont have much more to do until we need to apply for the 10 year. Congratulations to everyone else with good news! I don't have enough time to read through all the posts i've missed so forgive me if i've missed something. My brother lived in SF bay/Menlo Park area for years. It's actually where he went missing 6 years ago. Beautiful weather and the coastline is just breathtaking! I've been so busy with work that i've had little time to get on VJ. When I do I have to put my moderator duties ahead of my posting. Can't say I like that much! Things are still going very well with us. Now that AOS is sent out Russell is putting together an updated CV/Resume. Not sure how many engineering geology jobs are in MA but hopefully he finds something he loves!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-22 13:28:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Sorry you got an rfe but it seems simple enough and i'm sure it will be painless. The EAD is just until you get the green card (thats why it's free with the aos filing). It's likely you'll still get your ead even if your green card is held up. russell told me to tell you folks that your local walmart may very likely have bread that you will like if you buy it from the bakery. I know...walmart! but, he's right. It tastes most like the bread I had in AUS and NZ in all my times there. I actually think it's because it's shipped to the bakeries as dough and they make it in the stores. It has less preservatives than the packaged bread you find on the shelves, therefore, it doesn't last as long but we dont care. We love the rolls and buns there. We have loads of bakery shops and such around here anyway but I think walmart is everywhere!	KimandRuss	Female	New Zealand	2009-03-22 09:21:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Apr 16 2009, 02:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Apr 15 2009, 08:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Back again...we drove to Arkansas (Searcy) and back in an SUV with two kids under ten. Heaven help me my ears are still ringing. And I hate Hannah Montana. Things went well otherwise, his father, who is 95 and has memory issues, got through the ceremony without a hitch, other than calling me by 2 different names at various times. We had a nice small reception back at their quite lovely home, and stayed a few days to catch up with them all and relax a bit. We are back in VA now, and back working on the flat. I see more of Lowe's and Home Depot than anyone should have to do ..heh..but we are painting this week and putting down the new floors and then I get to to what he calls the frou-frou bits. I am good at frou-frou Here's a pic for you to have a look at...not bad for a couple of old folks who scrub up okay Prezzies! Cake cutting After match with the Mother in law Kate you look lovely and your dress is gorgeous......congrats to you both....looks like you had a wonderful day...............I can't believe you were in Searcy. That's where I live !!!! ...and where i got married...so snap!! Chris' flatmate moved out in early March, taking all of his stuff with him as you would expect, so we've had to buy up large on many things....so I also know Lowes well....lol After living in Auckland my whole life, and having to suffer through peak hour traffic for many years, I was looking forward to the slower pace of Searcy, (about the size of Pukekohe), and as nice as it is, (and the people are lovely), I'm glad Chris has said it's time to start organising the move west to San Francisco, it won't be till towards the end of the year, but he knows I like a project. He's lived in many places throughout the states, but he's a Californian boy and SF is his favourite. Good heavens..imagine we were in the same town and didn't know it! I wish I'd seen your post before we came back here...we could have met up. We will be back there yet, Chases's parents live there, and his brother is near by, so if I'm coming again I will let you know!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-16 18:07:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Back again...we drove to Arkansas (Searcy) and back in an SUV with two kids under ten. Heaven help me my ears are still ringing. And I hate Hannah Montana. Things went well otherwise, his father, who is 95 and has memory issues, got through the ceremony without a hitch, other than calling me by 2 different names at various times. We had a nice small reception back at their quite lovely home, and stayed a few days to catch up with them all and relax a bit. We are back in VA now, and back working on the flat. I see more of Lowe's and Home Depot than anyone should have to do ..heh..but we are painting this week and putting down the new floors and then I get to to what he calls the frou-frou bits. I am good at frou-frou Here's a pic for you to have a look at...not bad for a couple of old folks who scrub up okay Prezzies! Cake cutting After match with the Mother in law	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-15 20:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Dave_n_Genna @ Apr 4 2009, 08:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thx Ruby! One more question... how does the Social Security # fit in with this whole process? Is it required for the AoS? We are getting married on the 25th... have we already screwed up by not getting the SS# yet? Genna didnt pick up one of those Work Authorization forms at PoE, becuz we dont really have any desire for her to work just yet. They say it's best to get the SSN first, and then do a name change later. That's what I did, and I had the card in 1 week. We are off tomorrow to Arkansas for the wedding, which is April 8th.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-03 21:42:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Apr 28 2009, 12:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Sent the parcel in on 23rd Feb and I got the little card thing back about a week later to say the parcel had been delivered and signed for . The first NOA1 letter arrived on 7th March 12 days after I sent AOS off. And so the waiting continues....... 12 days is pretty good! It's a bit like deja vu. In the waiting room again There was so much to remember to put into the package. I hope I never left anything out	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-28 01:00:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	We managed to send off the AOS package today(sent it via express mail. It is suppose to arrive there tomorrow) Back in the waiting room again How long approximately did it take before the NOA1 was received after mailing out the package?? hope everyone is doing well	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-27 23:26:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	KimandRuss and Kelvan: It's lovely to hear from you guys!!! Ed+Cindy: I think there are a few of us that are still in nz. As for myself,on Monday i phoned SSA and tried to make an appointment to get my SSN into my married name and was told they don't make appointments for that. Just walk ins only. So yesterday, my SO took me to a different SSA office to get my ssn in my married name (recap: the last office i went to.. at first the lady was going to deny me a ssn and then her supervisor said i could have one but NOT in my married name) When we arrived, I was surprised to find the waiting room completely empty!! This time my SO came inside with me and i was so glad of that as my experience the first time around was very stressful and upsetting. I handed the guy the required documents and he began to question my wanting it in my married name. I showed him the document that i had downloaded from their website that says that i am able to get it in my married name. He was a bit hesitant. I thought oh no! here we go again!! My SO pointed to the form that i had produced and asked the guy to explain what it meant? Did it not mean that i was able to get it in my married name? There was a bit of a debate as we were clearly showing frustration by it all. My SO then turned to the security guard (who was sitting calmly at his desk just listening to what was going on)and said to him that we werent wanting to make trouble but we know we can have ssn in married name. The guard understood our frustration and we all agreed to get the supervisor and he came out and my SO asked him to explain the section on their policy about getting it in married name. The supervisor said i can have it in married name but they have to clear it with DHS first. He then went on to say that with the k-1 visa and the 1-94 i CAN work! I said to him, i am not allowed to work until i get work permit.. but he kept saying you CAN work as you have DHS authorization and on your ssn it says valid for work only with DHS authorization and you have that in your passport. I said to him I think only JFK POE gives a temporary work permit with the k-1 nowadays.. but he was adamant that I can work... Anyway, as far as getting ssn in my married name. the supervisor says they have to clear it with DHS first and it could take up to 6 weeks but hopefully will not take more than four. whew! I am so glad that is over with. It's like hitting your head against a brick wall dealing with SSA. I'm hoping to send in the AOS package the first week of May if all goes well. Just waiting on employer letter from my SO and his mum (household member)	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-23 13:26:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	cdneh: wonderful wedding pics! your wedding dress is gorgeous! congrats to both of you! hope all goes well with the painting this week Michelle: How's everything going? Kim&Chris: SF is on my list of places i want to visit! My SO says its lovely there! so hopefully by the end of the year we may be able to take a vacation there for a few days Ed+Cindy: hope you have success with your feijoa seeds. If they take, they will certainly be a talking point with friends etc as i don't think they have them here at all do they? kelzm: lovely to hear that all is going well!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-17 23:26:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	[quote name='Kim & Chris' date='Apr 12 2009, 04:57 PM' post='2832106'] Ana......You don't need to supply a copy of the sponsors birth cert, just all the other guff you mentioned. Glad you heard something about your SSN. Shouldn't take too much longer to get there, then you can march straight back and have it changed to your married name. Rediculous the extra lengths you have to go to just coz they don't know their stuff!! One thing I'm looking forward to when we finally get out west is the different foods in the supermarkets .....we have no Trader Joes in Arkansas which to be honest, doesn't surprise me..... I could tell I'd arrived back in the south the minute I stepped off the plane and into the terminal at Memphis.......the smell of fried food hit me like a brick......seriously......lol Happy Easter to you all too........ [quote] Kim&Chris: I can't wait to get all the forms together and send the package off. I honestly don't know what we would have done if vj wasn't around. The whole process can be quite confusing and frustrating at times One thing that i find the MOST frustrating is that the right hand doesn't seem to know what the left one is doing (as far as the different departments go) as to their knowledge on the rules of the whole k-1 process (like ssa for example) Why can't they all be on the same page? yet when you try to tell them that they are not correct with their information AND show them proof, they still won't listen rubyred: I totally know where you are coming from with finding a doctor you are comfortable with. It's a pity we can't choose the doctor we want to see for the medical. It would at least make that part of the process a little less stressful. One thing that i am everso thankful for is at least I can go through this next stage with my SO by my side	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-14 12:58:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Happy Easter everyone!! Dave_n_Genna: Glad that all went well at the SSA! I got a letter from them yesterday to say that i should get my ssn in two weeks or if not then to contact them. I'm not sure where you can buy V but my SO took me to a store called Trader Joes (not sure if i have already mentioned this) and they sell organic and imported goods. They had a wonderful array of different cheeses and i found some NZ cheese!! I was in heaven!!! A block that was (at a guess) around 500g cost $5 which i thought was very reasonable considering it is imported!! They also sell meat and some of it is either from Australia, Canada, NZ or Mexico. Their mince was around $2 for about 500g. They also sold nz beer. I think it was 'steinlager' but not sure as i don't know much about beer but it said NZ next to the beverage. And they had wines from around the world. I am pretty sure they have these stores right around USA. I love it there! cdneh: how was the wedding? kim&chris: I'll let you know if i can find any more websites ok another quick question: With the 1864 and 1864A form (affadavit of support). Do the sponsor(s) have to supply a copy of their birth certificate with the form or do they just have to give copies of their tax returns, pay stubs and letter from employer and that is all?? hope everyone is well!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-12 16:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Apr 8 2009, 07:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I would say it would be before you send in the AOS, I think it's the only way you can get the vaccination sheet that has to be sent in with the AOS paperwork. At least it'll all be done then and out the way.... Don't ya just love the paperwork ....lol yes the paperwork is soo much fun!! i went to the civil surgeon today and gave the receptionist my vaccination record. she looked over it and said that the doctor in nz did not write a date that i had the measles and rubella vaccine done.(the doc had put a tick on all the vaccines that was listed, so that would indicate that they were completed, wouldnt you think? ) I said to her that generally we get most vaccines done when we are babies. she said that i would have to have a blood test done to check for my immunity against measles etc. I told her that i was not going to have any more vaccines done as it wasn't neccesary. she said no i probably won't need any but still need to take a blood test to be sure. so i said ok and had it done. The doctor transcribed the vaccination record onto the 1693 and put it all in envelope and sealed it etc and handed it to me. It cost $40 for him to transcribe the record and $40 for blood test. soo i am glad that is all over with. i did not get a tb skin test done. I want to try and get all the forms sent away in a few weeks and get it all out of the way and will then wait and see if i get an RFE for the tb skin test. rubyred: congratulations on your wedding!! As kim&chris said, i think you would do the medical before AOS. kim&chris: when do you think you will move out west? have you looked at monster and careerbuilder.com for jobs? Good luck with everything!! I will look out for the malted milk chocolate when i head to the supermarket!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-08 20:23:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	hi all! quick question: when i file for AOS as well as for a work permit and 1-131. Do i have to include a copy of my divorce decree too? or is it not neccesary for these? I managed to get an appointment with a civil surgeon for tomorrow. so will see if i can just get the vaccination record transcribed or if he will insist i have a full medical again (which i will refuse to do) I told the receptionist when i made the appointment that i just want the form transcribed and she said something about a full medical and i said to her NO i dont need one and read out the piece on page 4 of the uscis instructions about k1s not needing one. she quoted $40 for the transcribe only..... so we will see what happens tomorrow.... I also found some milo in the 'food for less' supermarket here. I was like OMG!! it was a 400g tin but i see that it was made in columbia and not nz. It is distributed by nestle. i tried some yesterday and it doesnt taste like milo but more like ovaltine imo	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-07 17:09:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Kim&chris: Thanks everso for your help it's very frustrating dealing with folks at ssa when you know you are right and they are wrong but you can't seem to get through to them, so i just give up *sigh*. I will definitely go to a different ss office when the ssn arrives and try and get it changed into my married name. And this time i will try and make an appointment first instead of waiting an hour and half This week i will start phoning around the civil surgeons in my area and see what joy i have with them. If they try to say that i have to have a full medical again or charge outrageous fees then i will do what you have done and just send in the vaccination sheet and see if i get an RFE. Dave_N_Genna: Good luck tuesday or wednesday at ss office cdneh: congratulations on your upcoming wedding. hope you will fill us in with all the details how's everyone else doing?	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-05 11:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I have read on vj about hassles some people have at the SSA office and yesterday was my turn to have FUN there. Had to wait about an hour and a half until my number was called. when i got to the front desk/window, i said to the woman are you familiar with the k1 visa. she hesitantly said yes. i then handed her my form, marriage certificate and passport. (I dont have a ssn and wanted to get one in my new married name) she looked over my things and looked perplexed. I then pulled out the POMS information that i downloaded online from their website. I showed her it and she said, "i know i am looking at it now on my computer screen". she then started to shake her head and mumble, "i'm sorry, there is nothing here"..... and then her words trailed off.. I said to her i CAN get a SSN but am not allowed to work till i get my work permit. she ummed and arrrhed then called her supervisor over. he looked over my passport and said. "We CANT give you the ssn in your married name as your i-94 doesnt expire till May". I looked at him like WTH???? I said to him something like "k1 visa is used when you come here to get married.. i am NOW married". He shook his head.. "no we cant issue you one in your married name until you have a green card". I have to admit i was at boiling point at this stage but they wouldnt budge on the issue. She had me look over my details on a form she had printed out to make sure it was right. i then signed it. She then handed me a letter and said they have to check with DHS to make sure everything is right first before issuing a number. On the letter it said it could take up to 6 weeks before i get a number. I have to admit i was pretty desponded when i left that place. just totally deflated. So now that the ssn is going to be in my old name and not new married name, will that affect me opening a bank account in my married name at all? If the ssn number comes in the next week or two, Is it ok to put the ssn down on the next lot of immigration forms that i have to fill in (1765,1485 etc) or will it confuse the matter with it being in my old name? Or would it be ok to leave that part of the forms blank especially if it takes 6 weeks to get the ssn as i would like to get the forms filled out pretty soonish. I dread the next stage where i have to starting phoning around looking for a civil surgeon to sign my vaccination sheet off and get a tb skin test done..and not have them demand that i get a full medical done again. I'm finding this part of the process a nightmare already and i have only gone to the ssn office so far	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-04 11:43:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	amaciar: thats good to hear that nic has found a job not sure where you would find pies here... and speaking of food......... i looked in my local supermarket early this morning for baked beans and found a couple of brands and they had bacon and brown sugar flavour???(or something like that) i bought a can by a brand B&M? but haven't tried them yet. All the brand names are very foreign to me. Can anyone recommend a brand that i could try? kim&chris: wow that is a bit pricey for some weetabix eh? The organic ones i got (made in canada) are very similar to the ones in nz. can't remember exactly how much they were but pretty sure for a box of 12 wasn't over $4. More expensive than the popular cereals here but it was nice to have something that isn't all sugary At the biometrics appointment,do they just take your fingerprints and that is all? did you mail the evidence they needed for the RFE? It's a gorgeous day outside today here. It's like it is summer already! Hows everyone doing?	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-03-26 13:45:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	hi everyone! finally got internet connected this morning. Trying to catch up on reading this thread.. so much has happened since i last checked in. congratulations to all who have been approved or joined their loved ones!! Like michelle, my plane to LA was delayed for over 2 hours at auckland airport. Luckily i didnt have any connecting flights. At POE at LAX the lady was so nice.. she opened the mystery envelope and went through it all. didnt ask me any questions at all. she went back and forth for a minute looking for a particular document. After she stapled the 1-94 in my passport etc. she said welcome to united states of america!! My SO and I went to vegas on 15th march. we went to the county clerks office the next day to get the marriage licence.. when we opened the doors to walk in the whole place was packed with other couples waiting to get one too. i knew vegas was popular place but didnt realise it was THAT popular. it took us an hour in line before we got to the front desk. We got married on st patricks day in this cute chapel! The 'green' theme was quite predominent in vegas. people wearing green hats and shirts etc. A lady that got married after us wore a silk dress that had a white bodice and the rest was green! We had a wonderful time in vegas!! It's just over two weeks since i have been here and I havent applied for ssn yet. I sent away for the marriage certificate yesterday so hope that will arrive next week so i can take that along to the ssa office. hope there wont be any problems getting the ssn with my new married name as i have read that some people on vj have trouble getting it into their married name when their passport has a different name. Still trying to catch my breath a bit as the last two weeks have been full on. Some of you mentioned the bread and how it is different here.. i have just started to notice small differences too. The cereal here seems soo sugary!! i found some weetabix in the supermarket which came from canada so will try that. And i miss vogel but am looking forward to try new foods too. i am sure i will find replacements for the foods i miss. its just a matter of looking around i guess. But apart from those small things, i am just over the moon to finally be here with my SO. still pinch myself every morning to make sure its not all a dream. I know the next stage AOS will probably be stressful with all the forms etc but will come to that bridge in a few weeks time hope everyone is doing well!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-03-24 13:39:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hey congrats to all of you who's now happily living with your SO in the US. Ed and I are still waiting for my visa to pass the name check.... Just wondering, does any one of you live in NZ now? I'm in Auckland. It would be nice if I could meet another kiwi who shares something in common . Cindy	Ed+Cindy	Male	New Zealand	2009-04-22 19:22:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Dave_n_Genna @ Apr 9 2009, 11:30 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Speaking of NZ foodz and drinks... Has anyone found "V" or a similar tasting drink here in the States? You could try Amp or Rockstar. They are popular energy drinks, but I haven't tried them, so I can't compare to "V" My current project is getting some feijoa seeds to grow	Ed+Cindy	Male	New Zealand	2009-04-16 13:32:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Though it took me a little longer, reading all these stories I'm glad that I went with the I-130, once I was through POE I didn't have to do anything but wait for the greencard and ssn to turn up in the mail. Then again, I do have to remove my conditions once two years are up, so not sure what kind of trial that will turn out to be Here's hoping that AOS doesnt bring you all too many more trials.	kelzm	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-25 01:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Lovely pics cdneh! A big congrats on the wedding and here's hoping that all the renovating goes well. Glad to see people are still trekking along on here. It's been a busy few weeks for me so had a few posts to catch up on. I'm off next Saturday to an ANZAC day celebration which will be the first time that I've met up with other kiwis since I arrived here in September. Looking forward to driving up to San Jose and hearing some familiar accents!	kelzm	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-17 22:25:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Apr 27 2009, 11:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We managed to send off the AOS package today(sent it via express mail. It is suppose to arrive there tomorrow) Back in the waiting room again How long approximately did it take before the NOA1 was received after mailing out the package?? hope everyone is doing well Sent the parcel in on 23rd Feb and I got the little card thing back about a week later to say the parcel had been delivered and signed for . The first NOA1 letter arrived on 7th March 12 days after I sent AOS off. And so the waiting continues.......	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-27 23:57:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Apr 23 2009, 01:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> KimandRuss and Kelvan: It's lovely to hear from you guys!!! Ed+Cindy: I think there are a few of us that are still in nz. As for myself,on Monday i phoned SSA and tried to make an appointment to get my SSN into my married name and was told they don't make appointments for that. Just walk ins only. So yesterday, my SO took me to a different SSA office to get my ssn in my married name (recap: the last office i went to.. at first the lady was going to deny me a ssn and then her supervisor said i could have one but NOT in my married name) When we arrived, I was surprised to find the waiting room completely empty!! This time my SO came inside with me and i was so glad of that as my experience the first time around was very stressful and upsetting. I handed the guy the required documents and he began to question my wanting it in my married name. I showed him the document that i had downloaded from their website that says that i am able to get it in my married name. He was a bit hesitant. I thought oh no! here we go again!! My SO pointed to the form that i had produced and asked the guy to explain what it meant? Did it not mean that i was able to get it in my married name? There was a bit of a debate as we were clearly showing frustration by it all. My SO then turned to the security guard (who was sitting calmly at his desk just listening to what was going on)and said to him that we werent wanting to make trouble but we know we can have ssn in married name. The guard understood our frustration and we all agreed to get the supervisor and he came out and my SO asked him to explain the section on their policy about getting it in married name. The supervisor said i can have it in married name but they have to clear it with DHS first. He then went on to say that with the k-1 visa and the 1-94 i CAN work! I said to him, i am not allowed to work until i get work permit.. but he kept saying you CAN work as you have DHS authorization and on your ssn it says valid for work only with DHS authorization and you have that in your passport. I said to him I think only JFK POE gives a temporary work permit with the k-1 nowadays.. but he was adamant that I can work... Anyway, as far as getting ssn in my married name. the supervisor says they have to clear it with DHS first and it could take up to 6 weeks but hopefully will not take more than four. whew! I am so glad that is over with. It's like hitting your head against a brick wall dealing with SSA. I'm hoping to send in the AOS package the first week of May if all goes well. Just waiting on employer letter from my SO and his mum (household member) Ana that sux!!! I feel for you, I truly do. You shoulda come on down to Searcy Arkansas and applied where I did, I was in and out and off to walmart quicker than a quick thing. But seriously, it's hard coz you don't want to rock the boat too much in case there's a big black tick goes against your name somewhere, but honestly, when you know you're right and you've got to deal with uninformed incompetence it's enough to make you want to sit down and cry Your still valid I-94, the apropriate ID, and your Marriage Cert is all that should be required and it should only take 2 weeks max to turn up in the mail. We know it, it's a pity some of them don't. Never mind, get your AOS in and then just sit back and join the rest of us waiting, it'll all be over soon	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-23 21:47:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Apr 15 2009, 08:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Back again...we drove to Arkansas (Searcy) and back in an SUV with two kids under ten. Heaven help me my ears are still ringing. And I hate Hannah Montana. Things went well otherwise, his father, who is 95 and has memory issues, got through the ceremony without a hitch, other than calling me by 2 different names at various times. We had a nice small reception back at their quite lovely home, and stayed a few days to catch up with them all and relax a bit. We are back in VA now, and back working on the flat. I see more of Lowe's and Home Depot than anyone should have to do ..heh..but we are painting this week and putting down the new floors and then I get to to what he calls the frou-frou bits. I am good at frou-frou Here's a pic for you to have a look at...not bad for a couple of old folks who scrub up okay Prezzies! Cake cutting After match with the Mother in law Kate you look lovely and your dress is gorgeous......congrats to you both....looks like you had a wonderful day...............I can't believe you were in Searcy. That's where I live !!!! ...and where i got married...so snap!! Chris' flatmate moved out in early March, taking all of his stuff with him as you would expect, so we've had to buy up large on many things....so I also know Lowes well....lol After living in Auckland my whole life, and having to suffer through peak hour traffic for many years, I was looking forward to the slower pace of Searcy, (about the size of Pukekohe), and as nice as it is, (and the people are lovely), I'm glad Chris has said it's time to start organising the move west to San Francisco, it won't be till towards the end of the year, but he knows I like a project. He's lived in many places throughout the states, but he's a Californian boy and SF is his favourite.	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-15 21:16:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (rubyred @ Apr 14 2009, 01:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i don't have a k-1 visa - i'm adjusting straight from my work visa so i need an I-130 (petition) and that's the $355 fee. i think i'd been reading this thread too much, so i had the single $1010 fee stuck in brain! silly me :/ i emailed my mum and asked her to contact our family dr and have my vacc records faxed here asap, my exam is on friday morning at 8am, but we have an hour drive to get there... the USCIS civil surgeon locator is a PIECE OF ######! my hubby spent all morning calling one after another, and 90% of those on the list were a)no longer doing immigration exams or b)or accepted asian/australian/canadian/not-newzealanders #######??? plus, i specifically wanted a female dr, since docs in general make me feel extremely anxious. gahhhhhhhhhhhh! hopefully it will all go okay. Sorry, don't know why I had it in my head you were on a student visa..... Yes it's very easy to forget there's life outside this thread........ the whole process sucks, especially when we're doing it the right way and you hear about how some want to let all the illegals stay, without having to go through the hassles we've had. A week or so and it'll be done.....then you can join us in the waiting line	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-14 09:27:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (rubyred @ Apr 12 2009, 07:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> well, it's been a rough weekend here... for all my research and daily reading of VJ i have made two huge errors: we were ready to organise our package to send off this weekend, and while doing the last few bits i realised i still wasn't sure about a couple of things... i totally missed the $355 filing fee - somehow i thought the law change last year had erased that fee and that all the forms were covered under the $1010, but that is not the case. THEN i found out that the medical has to be completed BEFORE the AOS package is sent off. somehow i'd been under the impression all along that the medical had to be done any time before the actual interview. so you can imagine how stressful this has been! now we have to get the medical organised next week (have to get the AOS sent off immediately so that there'll be more of a chance of my EAD arriving before my visa expires), and i don't have vaccine transcripts, no idea how to get them here, so i'm expecting the medical to run to about $500, which obviously is $500 than we have, especially considering the extra $355 we weren't prepared for. so yeah: good times all round :/ Rubyred......what's the extra $355 filing fee for?? $1010 includes all the forms (I-485 AOS, I-765 EAD, I-131 AP) if all are filed at the same time as AOS.......are you filing something extra? Sorry, I'm not sure of the in's and out's of Student Visa. I would assume the civil surgeon who does your medical will provide you with the correct transcript form, if not, I read on here that alot of people don't get them transcribed, they just send in the vac form they get from their medical. That's all i did and didn't get pinged for it.	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-12 21:07:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Apr 12 2009, 04:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Happy Easter everyone!! Dave_n_Genna: Glad that all went well at the SSA! I got a letter from them yesterday to say that i should get my ssn in two weeks or if not then to contact them. I'm not sure where you can buy V but my SO took me to a store called Trader Joes (not sure if i have already mentioned this) and they sell organic and imported goods. They had a wonderful array of different cheeses and i found some NZ cheese!! I was in heaven!!! A block that was (at a guess) around 500g cost $5 which i thought was very reasonable considering it is imported!! They also sell meat and some of it is either from Australia, Canada, NZ or Mexico. Their mince was around $2 for about 500g. They also sold nz beer. I think it was 'steinlager' but not sure as i don't know much about beer but it said NZ next to the beverage. And they had wines from around the world. I am pretty sure they have these stores right around USA. I love it there! cdneh: how was the wedding? kim&chris: I'll let you know if i can find any more websites ok another quick question: With the 1864 and 1864A form (affadavit of support). Do the sponsor(s) have to supply a copy of their birth certificate with the form or do they just have to give copies of their tax returns, pay stubs and letter from employer and that is all?? hope everyone is well! Ana......You don't need to supply a copy of the sponsors birth cert, just all the other guff you mentioned. Glad you heard something about your SSN. Shouldn't take too much longer to get there, then you can march straight back and have it changed to your married name. Rediculous the extra lengths you have to go to just coz they don't know their stuff!! One thing I'm looking forward to when we finally get out west is the different foods in the supermarkets .....we have no Trader Joes in Arkansas which to be honest, doesn't surprise me..... I could tell I'd arrived back in the south the minute I stepped off the plane and into the terminal at Memphis.......the smell of fried food hit me like a brick......seriously......lol Happy Easter to you all too........	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-12 16:57:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Apr 8 2009, 08:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Apr 8 2009, 07:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I would say it would be before you send in the AOS, I think it's the only way you can get the vaccination sheet that has to be sent in with the AOS paperwork. At least it'll all be done then and out the way.... Don't ya just love the paperwork ....lol yes the paperwork is soo much fun!! i went to the civil surgeon today and gave the receptionist my vaccination record. she looked over it and said that the doctor in nz did not write a date that i had the measles and rubella vaccine done.(the doc had put a tick on all the vaccines that was listed, so that would indicate that they were completed, wouldnt you think? ) I said to her that generally we get most vaccines done when we are babies. she said that i would have to have a blood test done to check for my immunity against measles etc. I told her that i was not going to have any more vaccines done as it wasn't neccesary. she said no i probably won't need any but still need to take a blood test to be sure. so i said ok and had it done. The doctor transcribed the vaccination record onto the 1693 and put it all in envelope and sealed it etc and handed it to me. It cost $40 for him to transcribe the record and $40 for blood test. soo i am glad that is all over with. i did not get a tb skin test done. I want to try and get all the forms sent away in a few weeks and get it all out of the way and will then wait and see if i get an RFE for the tb skin test. rubyred: congratulations on your wedding!! As kim&chris said, i think you would do the medical before AOS. kim&chris: when do you think you will move out west? have you looked at monster and careerbuilder.com for jobs? Good luck with everything!! I will look out for the malted milk chocolate when i head to the supermarket!! Glad your civil surgeon visit is over and done with. At least it's another thing to cross off the list. Not sure when we will head out west, but we're starting the groundwork now. I had absolutely no idea where to start so thanks for the websites. If there's any others you can think of please feel free to throw them in the pot	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-08 23:48:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (rubyred @ Apr 8 2009, 05:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> i know i have to get a full medical, i'm just not sure when i have to get it - do i need to get it now, before i send in the AOS, or do i need to wait to be notified? jordan tried calling the CIS office in san francisco (the link to a list of civil surgeons in your local area is broken on VJ) and got an answering machine. i doubt they'll return his call. the checklist doesn't really say much, except to get specific info from your local office. i know i have to get a full medical, i'm just not sure when i have to get it - do i need to get it now, before i send in the AOS, or do i need to wait to be notified? jordan tried calling the CIS office in san francisco (the link to a list of civil surgeons in your local area is broken on VJ) and got an answering machine. i doubt they'll return his call. the checklist doesn't really say much, except to get specific info from your local office. I would say it would be before you send in the AOS, I think it's the only way you can get the vaccination sheet that has to be sent in with the AOS paperwork. At least it'll all be done then and out the way.... Don't ya just love the paperwork ....lol	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-08 19:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (rubyred @ Apr 8 2009, 09:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> thanks kim! i'm also confused about when i get the medical - it doesn't state in the guide that i need to have before sending in the AOS package. any ideas? I know they want a copy of your vaccination record for AOS, (the one all K-1's get when they have their medical back in NZ). You're on a student visa aren't you? Did you have any kind of medical etc for that? I know if you had the medical at home and just need the vaccination sheet signed off here, even though they may tell you you do, you don't have to redo the full medical, (see Kiwiana's post above about that). However if you didn't have to have any medical for your visa, in order to get the vaccination sheet, you'll have to find a civil surgeon here to do it and they'll probably make you have the full medical to get it. Hope that makes sense. It did in my head anyway....lol	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-04-08 10:12:00