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 (kiwiana @ Aug 14 2009, 05:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kelvan After you mentioned the radio station. I looked up The Edge online and found that they broadcast over the internet. It was cool to hear kiwi accents speaking and was funny to hear them say the time ( it was morning there- five hours earlier than here in cali) I was listening to The Edge as well! xD LOL good old Dom trying to get the McFlurry back at McDonalds in NZ I also like More FM's Kim & Corbett, they are funny! It's nice how whenever you feel homesick you can stream your fav NZ radio station online and listen to Kiwi accents. You can also view some NZ shows online, I was watching Rhys Darby Rock The Nation on C4 via YouTube the other day	Kelvan	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-08-14 10:24:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Without air-con I would die! lol Apparently we just had the hottest weekend of the year, what a time to arrive! Hey we bought two 'chicken pies' from the frozen section and tried them for lunch today. Nothing like a NZ pie I've made a few meat pies while I've been here in the past though so will stick to that! Anyone know if they sell puff pastry sheets? I have been using some but they are folded into three sections and I have to roll it out. I just realised my favourite Auckland radio station streams online so I'm listening to the Auckland traffic updates right now Edited by Kelvan, 13 August 2009 - 04:02 PM.	Kelvan	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-08-13 16:02:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hehe that shouldn't be a problem We are sooo busy with wedding stuff right now! Our wedding will be September 18th. Man is it HOT here	Kelvan	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-08-12 22:28:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hello guys! Now that I'm in the US, what exactly do I do now? I read that you should wait about 2 weeks before applying for a SSN. Is there anything else I need to do in terms of forms?	Kelvan	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-08-12 16:50:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I'm in Kansas now! Immigration at the airport went fine. The woman was a little scary though. I'm super tired and it's only my second day! So now I guess I need to apply for my SSN in two weeks. Woohoo I am here!!!	Kelvan	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-08-09 09:54:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 5 2009, 04:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ordinarily if you've not had a licence before, you go sit the written test, and if you pass they give you an instruction permit which means you're allowed to be behind the wheel with a fully licenced driver in the car and be taught to drive. You have to wait a minimum of 30 days before you can go back and do the driving part. However, if you already have a licence from another country that drives on the left, like us, you have to sit the written but not the driving part. You get a waiver for the 30 days of having to wait and they can issue it immediately. Awesome! I have my full NZ license! Does that mean I don't have to sit a practical test to get my license in Kansas? Do all US states go by this rule?	Kelvan	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-08-06 04:15:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (ivannnaloveskiwi @ Jul 31 2009, 04:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> soon to be a new kiwi in kansas city!! that's where i'm from .!!!! yeah!! OMG! For reals? We should so meet up, it'd be awesome having a Kiwi friend over there. We can help each other preserve our accents Edited by Kelvan, 31 July 2009 - 03:58 PM.	Kelvan	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-07-31 15:57:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kelzm @ Jul 30 2009, 01:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kelly - not sure what part of California you're in but there are a few different groups. http://www.sfkiwis.com/ is the San Francisco group and the LA group is http://www.kiwisinla.com/ You might also want to try meetup.com to do some searching, I joined a San Jose based kiwi group and have met everyone for lunch, they also had a bbq over summer that I wasn't able to get to. Thanks for those links kelzm! We were originally planning on moving to SF, but for now we will stay in Kansas cos Evan has his job there and it's the recession, and I won't be able to work until I get my work permit. But it's nice to know that Kiwis are actively getting together in parts of the US If we end up in SF I will definitely join the club QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Jul 29 2009, 11:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kelvan - The NZ Embassy in USA sight has a part for Kiwi's living in the U.S. where you can register I think. I'll put the link below. As for Kiwis in your area I'm not sure if there's anything on the Embassy site for it, but if you play around on google with the words Kiwi or NZ and your town or state, you may well find something. If you find a proper site for it let us all know http://www.nzembassy...7...p;l=86&s=nz Thanks, will definitely register there! I did a google search yesterday and actually found a few Kiwis in Kansas City! Couldn't believe it	Kelvan	Not Telling	New Zealand	2009-07-30 03:11:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kelvan @ Jul 30 2009, 04:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (kelzm @ Jul 30 2009, 01:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kelly - not sure what part of California you're in but there are a few different groups. http://www.sfkiwis.com/ is the San Francisco group and the LA group is http://www.kiwisinla.com/ You might also want to try meetup.com to do some searching, I joined a San Jose based kiwi group and have met everyone for lunch, they also had a bbq over summer that I wasn't able to get to. Thanks for those links kelzm! We were originally planning on moving to SF, but for now we will stay in Kansas cos Evan has his job there and it's the recession, and I won't be able to work until I get my work permit. But it's nice to know that Kiwis are actively getting together in parts of the US If we end up in SF I will definitely join the club QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Jul 29 2009, 11:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kelvan - The NZ Embassy in USA sight has a part for Kiwi's living in the U.S. where you can register I think. I'll put the link below. As for Kiwis in your area I'm not sure if there's anything on the Embassy site for it, but if you play around on google with the words Kiwi or NZ and your town or state, you may well find something. If you find a proper site for it let us all know http://www.nzembassy...7...p;l=86&s=nz soon to be a new kiwi in kansas city!! that's where i'm from .!!!! yeah!! Thanks, will definitely register there! I did a google search yesterday and actually found a few Kiwis in Kansas City! Couldn't believe it	ivannnaloveskiwi	Female	New Zealand	2009-07-31 01:43:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Cheers Kim, I would really liked him there for support but I've heard the interview is pretty easy anyway and probably not as scary as I imagine lol. Do they mind if you don't yet have an engagement ring as "evidence"? He's a college student so is finding it hard to pay for tuition, plane tickets as well as a ring He refuses to let me help though as I'm already saving up to move over there (arrghh!) Aww a little pink echo! I bet she loves it. That's really clever mailing yourself boxes, I never thought of that! Pretty sure I'll be able to fit everything into 2 suitcases though (touch wood!) because most of the things I have are small and compact, clothes will probably be the biggest concern I reckon.. I have a habit of "just in case"!	zeddess	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-11 23:09:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thanks for the advice I'm 22 so I don't really have too much to sort out, so I was thinking maybe once I have the visa in my hand then I'll give notice to my job and sell my car, etc (maybe leave about 6 weeks after)... but yeah I'll definitely start tying up loose ends while we're waiting and organizing things I'll have to take, luckily my mum will be able to keep the stuff that I don't want to sell/throw out but can't take over with me. YES! you're so right with stuff breeding overnight, I found that out too I when I was moving back home. It must have been so hard trying to pack your life into 2 suitcases! No matter how much I plan in advance I always seem to do things at the last minute, I'm an extreme planner yet an extreme procrastinator at the same time right now I'm just concentrating on saving up in case I don't get a job for a while but can still pay off my debt. does it matter if my SO isn't able to come to the interview with me? He'll probably miss out by a couple of weeks which is a shame	zeddess	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-11 17:14:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hey guys, just thought I'd say that we're officially waiting to be approved now, yay! I've just been reading and observing what's going on with everybody and trying to keep up lol, I'm really far behind so it's a bit hard to understand what happens later on in the process... Congrats to Kelly & Evan! you must be so happily exhausted!! lol. Sorry you lost your license Kim! but well done for getting your US one, hopefully your NZ one turns up soon, or if it doesn't at least you can get a replacement, although it's probably not quite the same as having the one you've been driving on for years... what an experience with the tornado though! glad it didn't come too close, although Portland sure would be safer tornado-wise.. when are you guys moving? Good luck with the parallel parking Ana! glad that you're enjoying driving don't worry I'm completely hopeless at parallel parking even here, I've driven a few times over there but parallel parking is definitely NOT my area of expertise lol, let us know how you get on! Did you end up getting the Geo? And thanks to Julie & Alan for your lovely note of support, I appreciate it heaps -Camille	zeddess	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-10 23:56:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Jul 30 2009, 10:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> AP...arggg...lol...Administrative Processing, or Additional Processing...we were told both. It just means that they started sujecting K1's to extra checks at the National Visa Center. They hadn't done it in the past that often although Kim and Russ were stuck there for three weeks last year. The trouble was that as it was pretty much a new thing for K1's, there really wasn't much to read here about it. We started a thread which is 'stuck' to the top in the Visa Centre forum, and at least now if people get stuck there there is more on it. We had our NOA2 November 18th last year, and Auckland were getting to interviews pretty quick so we had hope for Christmas. As it was, after 7 weeks that didn't happen. I was lucky though in many ways, after I emailed the Auckland people a few times, which I suppose was good as they had heard of us, they did send out packet 3 based on me having the ACK number, So that way I was able to get the medical and the rest done while we were still in AP. WHen we finally got out we were ready to go! More good news is that even if you get stuck there, times have come way way down, to weeks not months. The lady that interviewed me in Auckland did say that she could see we were in AP for random checks for quite a while. Random...talk about the short straw Oh geez, sounds frustrating! I really hope that doesn't happen, but if it does at least I'll know know where to go. It actually sounds pretty convenient to get all the medical etc done while you were still in AP and be all ready to go when the time for the interview rolled around. I'm really hoping my timeline ends up looking something like yours (minus the 7 weeks in AP of course lol). So it's basically just random extra checks they subject your petition to and does it happen to most of them? Glad your biometrics was a walk in the park QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Jul 30 2009, 10:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Lol......... I now have seven. California - Michigan - Tennessee - Arkansas - Oklahoma - Missouri - Illinois. We're moving to Portland Oregon either late this year or sometime early next year, (I can do another winter here but I refuse to do another summer ), so that will be a few more as we'll be driving there. Not sure which way we'll be going yet as it will depend on the weather at the time. Chris drove trucks across the country for years so he's been just about everywhere, I have a lot of catching up to do but the list doth groweth.....lol Which state will you be moving to when you get the go ahead from immigration? Wow, awesome! The Tri-Cities in southeast Washington state will be my home, so I'll be pretty close to Portland It'll be so much fun when you to drive to Oregon, one day I really want to drive all the way to the East Coast and then fly back to WA, but those midwest and southern summers must be unbearable! What's the temp gotten up to this summer? I just got back from the Tri-Cities a couple of weeks ago and it was about 100, it wasn't toooo bad because it's a dry desert heat. Seattle was a nice temp, but it's too similar to Auckland and I'm kinda over the big city living	zeddess	Female	New Zealand	2009-07-29 19:51:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Zeddess @ Jul 28 2009, 03:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey all! I'm really new at this and it's all quite daunting, but seems like you've all had amazing journeys that have worked out wonderfully. We've only just filed our petition last week so I'm right at the beginning of mine! I'd just appreciate any advice you have about how long we should expect it to take as I know it varies so much, he's coming to NZ in December so I'm thinking it would be awesome if I get my interview while he's here, I'd be too freaked out to go on my own!! Is 5 months from now a bit unrealistic for getting an interview? Thanks again!! Hi Zeddess, At times it can be frustrating just waiting for the next step in the process. Our journey started with our filing in June 2006 and has now finished with removal of conditions July 29, 2009. For us it took 6 months for 1st interview (since Alan lived in Austrailia, he went to the consulate in Sydney). After that, the longest we have had for the next step of the process is 4 months. The Key is to make sure you submit paperwork in order and submit timely. Alan arrived in the US in Dec, 2006 and was able to begin work within 90 days. We live in the Bay Area so weather sort of is similar to NZ and Australia. Wishing you the best on your journey and feel free to send me an email if you have any process questions. Best Julie & Alan	AJ and JJ	Male	New Zealand	2009-08-01 17:03:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kelvan @ Aug 27 2009, 04:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks so much guys! I understand it a lot better now I am slowly, slowly getting the forms completed. I just wanted to start filling them out before the wedding so I wasn't in a mad rush after our honeymoon! We are going to apply for our marriage certificate today!!! Congratulations!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-26 15:01:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kelvan @ Aug 25 2009, 09:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey guys, I am getting together my AOS forms. I am following the guide on VJ. However I realised I had received a 2-page document from the NZ consulate when they sent me the yellow package back in Auckland. Inside it read: "When you file your Application to Adjust Status Form I-485 you need to include your I-94, Arrival Record, a copy of the Fiance(e) Petition Approval Notice I-797, your marriage certificate, your I-9 and vaccination supplement form, not the entire medical report - which is in your visa package and taken by the inspecting officer at the Port of Entry." 1. What exactly is the Arrival Record? 2. I can't seem to find the form I-797 anywhere on the uscis website! Is there a chance these instructions for the consulate are outdated? Should I just follow the instruction guide on VJ? The I-94 is stapled to your passport. It's white. On the back written in pen is your Alien number, and you need to send them a copy of both sides. I also sent all the pages of my passport that had stamps on it, just to cover my bases I think that I-797 is a copy of your NOA2 from your K1. Hang on to the original. Auckland usually give you a copy of the vaccination report that has their raised seal on it.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-24 18:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 23 2009, 11:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (kiwiana @ Aug 20 2009, 04:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 20 2009, 12:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (kiwiana @ Aug 19 2009, 04:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kim&Chris and cdneh: Anything arrive in the mail today from uscis? I applied for a state ID over 5 weeks ago and still nothing in the mail yet. They do state on the receipt,(they gave me) that it can take up to 60 days!! Hope it arrives soon as I wanted to show it as ID at the interview next Friday. Hi Ana...... no nothing in the post today, but I did receive another email from CRIS to say that my I-485 was approved and something was mailed to me on Aug 18th to that effect. Could be the welcome letter I got a few days ago but I received that on the 16th so maybe something else is coming. Who knows.....lol Interview next Friday eh!!!! Not long now and it'll all be a distant memory for the next two years. uscis are funny. You don't hear anything from them for months and end up phoning them about EAD etc and now you keep getting emails from them!! Maybe they are making up for lost time! yes interview next Friday (28th). I have started to make photocopies of recent documents etc to take with me. I just hope i don't forget anything. To be on the safe side, I will take folders full of documentation from the I-129f era right up to now (even though they won't want them) The interviewers eyes will probably pop out of their heads when they see me arriving with arms full of folders We've only been married just under 6 months now and its hard to acquire evidence in both of our names in such a short space of time. So hopefully what we do have will be enough. My SO has been taking me out for driving practice almost everyday this week. He says I am ready to take the driving test NOW but I am not so confident. I think i will wait till after the interview.(get one nerve wracking thing out of the way before i venture onto another ) I got my Green Card in the mail today...........talk about knock me over with a feather, I wasn't expecting it for ages yet Ana - do those online tests I sent you, my confidence soared after I kept repeating those over and over till i got them all right. You'll be fine Congratulations!!!	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-22 21:28:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Nothing in the post yet, and today we had another CRIS email on the EAD...to say exactly what the one on the 13th said. Card production ordered. Thorough aren't they I have heard from Michelle..she's okay and doing fine.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-19 18:24:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (amaciar @ Aug 19 2009, 09:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Nic and I have been back in the states for a year tomorrow. I can't believe how time flies. We also have our two year anniversary on the 20th. It is nice to finally be settled in together in a place we know we will be for more than a year. Everyone seems to be moving right along and before you know it you will be in the same boat as us. Contemplating the process of removing conditions! Does it ever really end? I hope one day	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-18 16:32:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 17 2009, 11:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Aug 16 2009, 05:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I've heard from my NZ flatmate that her Mum died last night. At 103 years old. Feeling a bit bad that I can't be in two places at the one time Oh that's sad Cdneh............ I know how you feel........my Aunt, who has been more like my mum since my own mother died years ago, is in the later stages of cancer. It tears me up that I can't be in two places at once. We need a Tardis	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-16 20:19:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I've heard from my NZ flatmate that her Mum died last night. At 103 years old. Feeling a bit bad that I can't be in two places at the one time	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-16 17:45:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 15 2009, 01:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (kiwiana @ Aug 14 2009, 01:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kelvan After you mentioned the radio station. I looked up The Edge online and found that they broadcast over the internet. It was cool to hear kiwi accents speaking and was funny to hear them say the time ( it was morning there- five hours earlier than here in cali) cdneh: Congratulations on the EAD card production!! With the AP i was never able to track the case number online as it would say it didn't exist and I never received any emails. The AP approval letter etc was just waiting in our letter box one day. A total surprise!! Got an email from CRIS this morning stating on August 13th my GC production ordered.........should receive it within 30 days Was just talking to my brother on the phone a couple of hours ago saying that this is the last thing I'm waiting on (Friday night beers, him not me....lol), and I get in and turn on the pooter and there it is........ When I remember I like to tune in to MoreFM Auckland online and listen to Kim and Corbett and hear some familiar music and voices I'm noticing it's a bit darker in the mornings when we get up and I take Chris to work at 6am, and this morning was cooler and without much humidity, so I could actually sit outside and have a coffee, it reminded me alot of the weather at home. Made a nice change Congratulations!! At last!!! I had one today, this time the AP. So now we wait for the GC	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-14 19:12:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	JUST checked mailbox and my state ID has finally arrived!!! YAY!! only took 6 weeks and 5 days!!! Just looked at the ID card and they have my birthdate WRONG!!! can NOT believe it!! Will this be a problem do you think? They have me down as 28th instead of 23rd. The month and year is right. The day is wrong.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-29 15:45:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (ivannnaloveskiwi @ Aug 29 2009, 01:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> THANK YOU ANA MORE QUESTIONS..LOL.. i'm about to freak out again and i dont think this a question anyone of you can answer since it hasn't applied to you.. but you remember the reason why our visa denied to begin with? the criminal reason? on the AOS the questions you check yes or no..part 3,#1 question b. have you ever been cited, charged.. blab blab for breaking any law... in or outside the united states..after everything we went through over this and once again here it is staring us in the face again..so the problem..they want a court certified copy of the complete arest record..well we had one and sent it on the fiance visa but never got it back and never made a copy.. yeah that's right..WE NENER MADE A COPY!! #######! so now he's here in the US of freaking A and we have to get another copy of the court record..and do we have to do I864 and another G325A??? this isn't on the letter from the consulet in nz after he got his visa.. it just said the I485 and I765 was all that was needed...i thought this was going to be easier???HELP!! Can you contact the place that issued the court certified copy of the complete arrest record and ask for a copy of it? Was it issued in nz? yes you will have to fill out a sponsor form I-864 and a G325a form. If you deal with one form at a time. It is not so overwhelming. Before you do send out the AOS package. Give us all a run down of what you have etc and we will all help you to see that you have everything ready to go!! I know it seems like a difficult task but you guys have made it thus far with obstacles in your way. you can do it!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-29 13:35:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 29 2009, 07:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Ana I found myself in the same position....... my SO isn't a fan of credit cards or bank accounts either so I recently got a walmart visa debit card sharepak. https://www.walmartm...t/Products.aspx It's two cards, two names and one shared balance. I'm hoping the statement will have both names on it, I haven't got that far yet but it's worth a try. I guess it doesn't have to be a walmart one but you get the idea I don't know, some things are quite different back home. The whole banking culture is the norm there, I mean we had bank accounts opened for us when we started school, and took banking to school once a week. Don't know if they still do it now but I'm glad they did when we were younger, you grow up with the whole concept and to me opening and running a bank account is no big deal, it's just a part of everyday life. To come across so much anti bank talk here just seems plain wierd, I opened an account as soon as I could and believe me, I've been asked to cash quite a few cheques for family members here who don't have bank accounts. I received the "Card production ordered" email on the 13th, and the welcome letter was dated 13th Aug (received it by snail mail on the 17th), and the actual approval date was the day before (12th). So when you get the production ordered email it shouldn't be too long. The welcome letter said I should receive the GC within the next 3 weeks. It arrived on the 22nd Aug, and the date on the actual card is the 12th. So it took 10 days from approval to arrive in the mail. I think they just give you the 3-4 weeks to cover themselves. Thanks for the link Kim! I will look into it. I too, can't get my head around how anti -bank, credit card etc some people are here. As you say, in NZ its a way of life for everyone. I actually think the banking is a lot better here So far, we haven't incurred any fees on our bank account. In nz, everytime i used my eftpos card in shops etc, i would get charged. So i think it is way better here (until they start charging bank fees LOL!! ) We each have atm cards but my SO hasn't used his one yet. It just makes things whole much easier having one imo! i will keep an eye out in the mail for the welcome letter. I just hope they don't take as long as the DMV has with my state ID. (still waiting and going on 7 weeks now )	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-29 12:50:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (ivannnaloveskiwi @ Aug 29 2009, 10:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> HI EVERYONE ! question, do we need to wait for the social security number before we file the AOS? or can we do it with out it? ANA.. what is the AP FORMS? is that another from the AOS and the EAD?.. gosh i thought this was going to be easier..lol.. and more passport photos ..omg! As far as i am aware, you don't HAVE to wait for the ssn to apply for AOS. Kim or cdneh or others may know for sure if it is vital to write it down or not. At the interview she asked me to show her my ssn card regardless. But if you feel more relaxed about getting it first, then generally it should only take 2-3 weeks to arrive in the mail. The AP is Application for travel document (form I-131). If your SO wants to travel overseas (back to nz for a visit?) while you are still waiting for AOS to be approved then you will need the travel document to be able to re-enter the USA again. The AP form alone is around $300 but you can send it in with your AOS form and the EAD form for free!! so if you did want the document it would pay to send it now with the AOS package and save some $$$'s Here's the link to the immigration forms: http://www.uscis.gov...00045f3d6a1RCRD It does all seem a little daunting at first but if you take it one form at a time, it kinda works itself out! I lost count of the number of times i went over each form and making sure i filled out everything correctly and checking to see if i have the right documents to submit with it. Just remember to send in only photocopies of your legal documents. If they want to see the originals they will either ask you to send them or to show them at the interview. The non immigrant visa number is on the visa that is stuck in the passport (has photo of your SO on the left of it) If you look to the bottom right of the visa there are numbers in red (to the left of it is the Petitioners name) The red numbers is the non immigrant visa number.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-29 12:27:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 28 2009, 10:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> oh Ana well done & congratulations ........... I'm so pleased it went ok for you and it's all over and done with. She still sounds like a bit of a cow though. Fancy expecting all that stuff!!!!! I would have been well and truly stuffed as I have very little in the way of the evidence that they want. But I will make a mental note to gather as much stuff as possible over the next couple of years. God I bet you're relieved ...............now to the diving test Thanks Kim!!!! I am VERY relieved it is over!! I actually feel quite drained tonight after what has felt like a LONG day! She was most insistent about gathering as much in joint names as possible for the next round of immigration. So i definitely urge everyone to start collecting as much as you can from now until then. My SO isn't a fan of credit cards and bank accounts and asked her..... does it HAVE to be credit cards?. what about those who prefer not to have them?. She said that they just want to see lots of things in both names!! I looked online to see if i got any touches on the AOS file for today and it's still the same so i hope she remembered to put my approval notice in i was surprised too that she said that it will take 4-6 weeks to receive the GC. Are they really that swamped under in Cali? I went to hand her my EAD card back as i had read that some vjers handed them back and she said , no you keep it. you will need it for when you look for jobs until such time that you receive the GC. cdneh: it won't be long until you get approved too!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-28 22:59:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Well for some reason it has seemed to be the longest day ever today! We arrived for the interview 15 minutes early. We had to go through security check first by having bag etc put through xray machine and had to walk through the metal detector 'doorway' Cell phones weren't allowed so we left them at home beforehand knowing this. When we got to the second floor and walked into the waiting room, there was a security guy who looked over the interview letter then told me to place it in a tray by the front window and take a seat and wait. There were like 40 people in there waiting. I was like omg this is going to take forever!! people that came in after us were all called for an interview and we just sat there and sat there. About an hour and 15 minutes later with about one family left waiting, we were called to a room. The lady told us to raise our right hand and swear to tell the whole truth etc. She then asked for passport, marriage certificate, drivers licence etc. I told her i didn't have a US drivers licence yet. She looked at the marriage certificate and said.. Do you have the 'right' one. I looked at my SO puzzled and said to her.' That is the right one'. She said 'no no it isn't'. i said 'yes, yes it is'.. She said no, you need to give me the one that is fancy looking with a border, like a diploma. I said to her that we sent away for the marriage certificate and this is what they sent us. We had opened a bank account and got ssn with it with no problems. She said, well when you apply again to remove conditions in 2 years, you need to bring the 'right' one with you. (oooook! ) She asked to look at our wedding photos so she could choose a few to photocopy and keep. As she looked over them she saw the ones of us kissing after we got pronounced husband and wife and she said ' no, no kissing ones' (not sure why?) She ended up just taking two from of our wedding.(one of them was when my SO placed the ring on my finger) She then asked me how many times i had been to USA. Did my children (they are adults now) live in nz. How did we meet? She asked my SO if he had ever been to nz and where did he work. She asked me if i worked. All the time she was talking she was flipping through our rather large file she had infront of her. She got to the I-1693 and faltered. She said, 'i see that the civil surgeon you saw here did not fill in the form correctly. You will have to take it back to him and get him to fill out the one part he missed'. My heart SANK with a thud! She said 'once you get it done, you can sent it back to me and then i will approve the AOS'. I said to her "but i got it all done at the doctors. If i go back he will make me redo it all again" She cut me off kindly and said 'no he wont you just need him to fill out the part he missed'. I was NOT happy and could feel the tears well up in my eyes. She took the documents we gave her (marriage certificate etc) to another room to photocopy them. When she came back, she sat down and said.' I have just been talking to my supervisor about the medical form. I know you are not happy about this, so i asked her about it and she said that it will be ok. You won't have to go back to the doctor'. You have been approved and will take 4-6 weeks for the GC to arrive. She then said, 'But when you come back to me in 2 years time to remove conditions you will need a LOT more things in both of your names to show me. You have very little here. We will want to see joint health insurance, car insurance, life insurance, credit cards etc. You will need to show lots of things. I said to her. 'well it is hard to get evidence together when we haven't even been married 6 months'. She agreed but reiterated about evidence in 2 years time. And that was pretty much that. The interview wasn't an interrogation or anything like that. It was pretty casual and she seemed to just be going through the motions of what is required at the interviews. I am soo glad it is over though for two years!! yay!!!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-28 21:18:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (ivannnaloveskiwi @ Aug 23 2009, 02:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hey all! hope your all doing great..well he arrived on the 9th with no problems..but when he arrived in los angels he had filled out the wrong arrival card , so they had him fill out the right card, then they open the mysterious brown package, looked at a few pages, showed it to another officer and then took him into another room..they rechecked through everything and commented about being process through bangkok and said they were surpised it was approved? which we found very disturbing but couldn't keep him from entering being it was approoved.. maybe this was just there opion or we just got very lucky..i dont know which..lol..ok care.. he's here! we've been busy planning our wedding and being together and basking in the glory of not have the 90 day gloom hanging over our head..we were married at the courthouse yesterday short but very sweet..so now were all married up and ready to go go go ... YEAH AOS!!! waitng for that certified marriage licence to get the show on the road!.. kelvan - we are in missouri north of kansas city..how close are you? and i see your poe was 2 days before my fiance..or hehe my hubby.. ok everyone.. the queations on the AOS are starting..social security card.. can you do that when ever? and being transfered to california.. from reading the thread in the past pages.. how do you do that? is that something we wanna try to do? is it better to be transfered to california? could someone explain this please..and where do we mail the AOS? lol..were lost all over again.. Congratulations on your wedding!! The AOS looks confusing especially as their are the EAD and AP forms (if you wish to apply for those that is) aswell. But it seems that so far this part of the process goes much faster for most people than the I-129f saga. Either that or it just seems it is going faster, as this time around we all have our loved ones by our side It would be cool if we all got transferred to California but unfortunately, that is not the case. It is all the luck of the draw Remember we are all here to help you if you have any questions QUOTE (Kelvan @ Aug 26 2009, 10:50 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks so much guys! I understand it a lot better now I am slowly, slowly getting the forms completed. I just wanted to start filling them out before the wedding so I wasn't in a mad rush after our honeymoon! We are going to apply for our marriage certificate today!!! Congratulations on applying for the marriage certificate Our interview is on Friday morning and I have been getting everything ready for it. I'm not really sure on everything i have to take so i am just going to take like 4 folders of stuff with me (from I-129f to present) and hope for the best. We don't have a lot of things in joint names. I don't have a US drivers licence which means we don't have joint car insurance yet. All we can do is present them with what we have got. It has been like 6 weeks and three days now since i applied for state ID and still nothing!! After the trouble i had getting a ssn i thought the state ID would be a bit better (hassle free). How long did you guys have to wait to receive your state ID's?	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-26 16:10:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 22 2009, 07:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I got my Green Card in the mail today...........talk about knock me over with a feather, I wasn't expecting it for ages yet Ana - do those online tests I sent you, my confidence soared after I kept repeating those over and over till i got them all right. You'll be fine Congratulations!!! I'm not sure what the GC looks like yet but does it have an expiry date on it at all? That's wonderful that you don't have to worry about uscis till 2011!! yay!!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-23 01:17:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 20 2009, 12:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (kiwiana @ Aug 19 2009, 04:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Kim&Chris and cdneh: Anything arrive in the mail today from uscis? I applied for a state ID over 5 weeks ago and still nothing in the mail yet. They do state on the receipt,(they gave me) that it can take up to 60 days!! Hope it arrives soon as I wanted to show it as ID at the interview next Friday. Hi Ana...... no nothing in the post today, but I did receive another email from CRIS to say that my I-485 was approved and something was mailed to me on Aug 18th to that effect. Could be the welcome letter I got a few days ago but I received that on the 16th so maybe something else is coming. Who knows.....lol Interview next Friday eh!!!! Not long now and it'll all be a distant memory for the next two years. uscis are funny. You don't hear anything from them for months and end up phoning them about EAD etc and now you keep getting emails from them!! Maybe they are making up for lost time! yes interview next Friday (28th). I have started to make photocopies of recent documents etc to take with me. I just hope i don't forget anything. To be on the safe side, I will take folders full of documentation from the I-129f era right up to now (even though they won't want them) The interviewers eyes will probably pop out of their heads when they see me arriving with arms full of folders We've only been married just under 6 months now and its hard to acquire evidence in both of our names in such a short space of time. So hopefully what we do have will be enough. My SO has been taking me out for driving practice almost everyday this week. He says I am ready to take the driving test NOW but I am not so confident. I think i will wait till after the interview.(get one nerve wracking thing out of the way before i venture onto another )	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-20 16:48:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (amaciar @ Aug 18 2009, 04:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Nic and I have been back in the states for a year tomorrow. I can't believe how time flies. We also have our two year anniversary on the 20th. It is nice to finally be settled in together in a place we know we will be for more than a year. Everyone seems to be moving right along and before you know it you will be in the same boat as us. Contemplating the process of removing conditions! Does it ever really end? It's good to hear that all is well Wow! a year already eh? The time certainly does fly by I was wondering how others here are doing. We haven't heard from Michelle or KimandRuss in a while. Hope all is ok with them. Kim&Chris and cdneh: Anything arrive in the mail today from uscis? I applied for a state ID over 5 weeks ago and still nothing in the mail yet. They do state on the receipt,(they gave me) that it can take up to 60 days!! Hope it arrives soon as I wanted to show it as ID at the interview next Friday.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-19 16:04:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 17 2009, 09:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I got my Welcome To The United States Of America letter in the mail today It says my GC should arrive within 3 weeks...fingers crossed Kelvan ..... here's the link that Ana is referring to. Let us know how you get on. Ana did you find out if we go back to SSN once we get GC and have the conditions taken off it?? (Valid for work only with DHS autorization), I can't remember if it was you that was asking about that a while back. How fantastic!!! It won't be long till the GC arrives!! I read around on VJ here and i think that we do go back to SSA and get the conditions removed. Here is a link i found with someone asking about it. (post#4 onwards) http://www.visajourn...howtopic=207480 Edited by kiwiana, 18 August 2009 - 01:14 AM.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-18 01:13:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Aug 16 2009, 06:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I've heard from my NZ flatmate that her Mum died last night. At 103 years old. Feeling a bit bad that I can't be in two places at the one time That's very sad QUOTE (Kelvan @ Aug 17 2009, 11:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey guys, I'm going to apply for a SSN on Friday. Does anyone know what document I should bring? Birth Certificate, drivers license, passport with I-94...? Edit: I just read the SSN guide on VJ so I think I Have an idea of what to bring now Good luck at SSA! Let us know how you get on. yes you will need birth certificate,(any marriage/divorce certificates, if birth certificate is in different name to passport), passport with I-94. I also took along the SSA document "POMS section RM 00203.500" I don't have the website addy for the document but maybe Kim or cdneh can tell you or maybe google it. The document just says that you are allowed to get a SSN on a K1 visa (section C of the document) As you are applying for it in your maiden name you shouldn't have any problems Edited by kiwiana, 17 August 2009 - 03:02 PM.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-17 14:59:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Aug 14 2009, 07:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Congratulations!! At last!!! I had one today, this time the AP. So now we wait for the GC Congratulations on the AP!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-15 00:19:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Aug 14 2009, 08:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Got an email from CRIS this morning stating on August 13th my GC production ordered.........should receive it within 30 days Was just talking to my brother on the phone a couple of hours ago saying that this is the last thing I'm waiting on (Friday night beers, him not me....lol), and I get in and turn on the pooter and there it is........ When I remember I like to tune in to MoreFM Auckland online and listen to Kim and Corbett and hear some familiar music and voices I'm noticing it's a bit darker in the mornings when we get up and I take Chris to work at 6am, and this morning was cooler and without much humidity, so I could actually sit outside and have a coffee, it reminded me alot of the weather at home. Made a nice change YAY!!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!! You have waited quite a while. Thank goodness it has finally been approved!!!!!!!Time to celebrate!!! I have noticed too that last night was cooler in bed than usual though it is still very warm today!! My SO and I just got back from the cinema (he is on late afternoon shift at work today so we went to 11.45am screening) We saw the movie District 9, produced by Peter Jackson. The movie was VERY good!! The special effects stuff etc was done at the Weta workshop in nz! so you know it is going to be GOOD!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-14 16:37:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Aug 28 2009, 10:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks Kim!!!! I am VERY relieved it is over!! I actually feel quite drained tonight after what has felt like a LONG day! She was most insistent about gathering as much in joint names as possible for the next round of immigration. So i definitely urge everyone to start collecting as much as you can from now until then. My SO isn't a fan of credit cards and bank accounts and asked her..... does it HAVE to be credit cards?. what about those who prefer not to have them?. She said that they just want to see lots of things in both names!! I looked online to see if i got any touches on the AOS file for today and it's still the same so i hope she remembered to put my approval notice in i was surprised too that she said that it will take 4-6 weeks to receive the GC. Are they really that swamped under in Cali? I went to hand her my EAD card back as i had read that some vjers handed them back and she said , no you keep it. you will need it for when you look for jobs until such time that you receive the GC. cdneh: it won't be long until you get approved too! Ana I found myself in the same position....... my SO isn't a fan of credit cards or bank accounts either so I recently got a walmart visa debit card sharepak. https://www.walmartm...t/Products.aspx It's two cards, two names and one shared balance. I'm hoping the statement will have both names on it, I haven't got that far yet but it's worth a try. I guess it doesn't have to be a walmart one but you get the idea I don't know, some things are quite different back home. The whole banking culture is the norm there, I mean we had bank accounts opened for us when we started school, and took banking to school once a week. Don't know if they still do it now but I'm glad they did when we were younger, you grow up with the whole concept and to me opening and running a bank account is no big deal, it's just a part of everyday life. To come across so much anti bank talk here just seems plain wierd, I opened an account as soon as I could and believe me, I've been asked to cash quite a few cheques for family members here who don't have bank accounts. I received the "Card production ordered" email on the 13th, and the welcome letter was dated 13th Aug (received it by snail mail on the 17th), and the actual approval date was the day before (12th). So when you get the production ordered email it shouldn't be too long. The welcome letter said I should receive the GC within the next 3 weeks. It arrived on the 22nd Aug, and the date on the actual card is the 12th. So it took 10 days from approval to arrive in the mail. I think they just give you the 3-4 weeks to cover themselves.	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-29 07:18:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Aug 28 2009, 09:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well for some reason it has seemed to be the longest day ever today! We arrived for the interview 15 minutes early. We had to go through security check first by having bag etc put through xray machine and had to walk through the metal detector 'doorway' Cell phones weren't allowed so we left them at home beforehand knowing this. When we got to the second floor and walked into the waiting room, there was a security guy who looked over the interview letter then told me to place it in a tray by the front window and take a seat and wait. There were like 40 people in there waiting. I was like omg this is going to take forever!! people that came in after us were all called for an interview and we just sat there and sat there. About an hour and 15 minutes later with about one family left waiting, we were called to a room. The lady told us to raise our right hand and swear to tell the whole truth etc. She then asked for passport, marriage certificate, drivers licence etc. I told her i didn't have a US drivers licence yet. She looked at the marriage certificate and said.. Do you have the 'right' one. I looked at my SO puzzled and said to her.' That is the right one'. She said 'no no it isn't'. i said 'yes, yes it is'.. She said no, you need to give me the one that is fancy looking with a border, like a diploma. I said to her that we sent away for the marriage certificate and this is what they sent us. We had opened a bank account and got ssn with it with no problems. She said, well when you apply again to remove conditions in 2 years, you need to bring the 'right' one with you. (oooook! ) She asked to look at our wedding photos so she could choose a few to photocopy and keep. As she looked over them she saw the ones of us kissing after we got pronounced husband and wife and she said ' no, no kissing ones' (not sure why?) She ended up just taking two from of our wedding.(one of them was when my SO placed the ring on my finger) She then asked me how many times i had been to USA. Did my children (they are adults now) live in nz. How did we meet? She asked my SO if he had ever been to nz and where did he work. She asked me if i worked. All the time she was talking she was flipping through our rather large file she had infront of her. She got to the I-1693 and faltered. She said, 'i see that the civil surgeon you saw here did not fill in the form correctly. You will have to take it back to him and get him to fill out the one part he missed'. My heart SANK with a thud! She said 'once you get it done, you can sent it back to me and then i will approve the AOS'. I said to her "but i got it all done at the doctors. If i go back he will make me redo it all again" She cut me off kindly and said 'no he wont you just need him to fill out the part he missed'. I was NOT happy and could feel the tears well up in my eyes. She took the documents we gave her (marriage certificate etc) to another room to photocopy them. When she came back, she sat down and said.' I have just been talking to my supervisor about the medical form. I know you are not happy about this, so i asked her about it and she said that it will be ok. You won't have to go back to the doctor'. You have been approved and will take 4-6 weeks for the GC to arrive. She then said, 'But when you come back to me in 2 years time to remove conditions you will need a LOT more things in both of your names to show me. You have very little here. We will want to see joint health insurance, car insurance, life insurance, credit cards etc. You will need to show lots of things. I said to her. 'well it is hard to get evidence together when we haven't even been married 6 months'. She agreed but reiterated about evidence in 2 years time. And that was pretty much that. The interview wasn't an interrogation or anything like that. It was pretty casual and she seemed to just be going through the motions of what is required at the interviews. I am soo glad it is over though for two years!! yay!!!! oh Ana well done & congratulations ........... I'm so pleased it went ok for you and it's all over and done with. She still sounds like a bit of a cow though. Fancy expecting all that stuff!!!!! I would have been well and truly stuffed as I have very little in the way of the evidence that they want. But I will make a mental note to gather as much stuff as possible over the next couple of years. God I bet you're relieved ...............now to the diving test	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-28 22:05:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Aug 26 2009, 04:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Our interview is on Friday morning and I have been getting everything ready for it. I'm not really sure on everything i have to take so i am just going to take like 4 folders of stuff with me (from I-129f to present) and hope for the best. We don't have a lot of things in joint names. I don't have a US drivers licence which means we don't have joint car insurance yet. All we can do is present them with what we have got. It has been like 6 weeks and three days now since i applied for state ID and still nothing!! After the trouble i had getting a ssn i thought the state ID would be a bit better (hassle free). How long did you guys have to wait to receive your state ID's? Good luck with your interview on Friday Ana. I'm sure you'll be fine When I applied for the state ID here, they give it to you on the spot. I waited for all of about 5mins if that. Same with the drivers license. Maybe it's the difference between small and large town	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-26 20:54:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kelvan @ Aug 24 2009, 04:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey guys, I am getting together my AOS forms. I am following the guide on VJ. However I realised I had received a 2-page document from the NZ consulate when they sent me the yellow package back in Auckland. Inside it read: "When you file your Application to Adjust Status Form I-485 you need to include your I-94, Arrival Record, a copy of the Fiance(e) Petition Approval Notice I-797, your marriage certificate, your I-9 and vaccination supplement form, not the entire medical report - which is in your visa package and taken by the inspecting officer at the Port of Entry." 1. What exactly is the Arrival Record? 2. I can't seem to find the form I-797 anywhere on the uscis website! Is there a chance these instructions for the consulate are outdated? Should I just follow the instruction guide on VJ? From what I remember the consulate instructions are kind of right but the instructions on VJ are more comprehensive. I followed the VJ instructions but made sure to incorporate everything on the consulate papers. I didn't get my vaccination sheet transcribed and I didn't get the TB jab. They never knocked me back because of it.	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-08-24 23:44:00