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 (Zeddess @ Nov 10 2009, 08:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> OMG so packet 3 was waiting for me as I got home from work tonight! I'm reading over it and it sounds fairly straightforward, just the medical that sounds confusing! I'm sure I'll be alright, I might go to the one in CityMed (near my work) as I've been there before and I'm pretty sure they have lab/x-ray facilities there too. geez I'm going to feel like I've had a warrant of fitness after all that poking and prodding! How soon after you send back the forms do they schedule you an interview? Also, what sort of amount of funds are they looking for me to have? I've barely started saving up! and I don't necessarily have any recent photos of us together... just some from when I was there in July and even then I think we're only together in one or two. It's actually kind of a relief to hear the interview is conducted so casually, I have this scary image of a small and dingy interrogation room with a bright light LOL. If they take your bag from you though does that leave you with nothing to entertain yourself (not even a book?) while you wait for the second part of the interview...? think that's all the questions for now! thanks for all the advice, I'd be lost without you guys I am trying to remember why we didn't go to City Med, it had something to do with it being more expensive or something? Anyone else remember? Yay on getting packet three!!! It won't take long at all to get the interview date, once they have the parts of packet three back. Fill in and send back the Police clearance thing for them, that is probably the one thing that might take a week to ten days. If your fiancee can meet the requirements for support don't worry too much about your own funds. They just want to make certain you will not be a public charge. My SO was retired, and we had planned on his daughter being the sponsor, but I had enough fund on my own, having just sold my car I think your pictures sound fine, it's hard to get pictures together when you aren't even in the same country Take the ones you have, and copies of the ones you used to file for the K1. LOL on the bright light interrogation...no nothing so harsh as all that. The lady that interviewed me was a young American lady, and very nice. She went through the file and asked the odd question here and there. As Kiwiana said, it seems a strange way to conduct an interview! No bag, no cellphone...but really there isn't that long between the two. The first person takes the parts she wants, and tells you to take a seat, and I went up to the next window in not time. Any questions just ask Any of us will be glad to help QUOTE (kiwiana @ Nov 10 2009, 06:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> cdneh: what on earth is going on with your AOS?? still no word eh?? I wish I knew! Coming up 4 months since the transfer to CSC..	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-10 12:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Zeddess @ Nov 10 2009, 04:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thank you so much for digging those out cdneh! that's really nice of you I work a little bit further up Queen Street from the Embassy in Auckland, which is pretty handy, and I'm not too far a drive from the doctors in Remuera either. I'm trying to compile a whole bunch of evidence for the interview (emails, IMs, text messages, phonecalls etc) but I'm still terrified that it's not going to be sufficient as he can't come to the interview and I don't have a ring yet. Did any of you guys go to the interview by yourself?? Don't worry about not having a ring...quite a lot of people didn't including me I know how stressful it is, and how worrying too, but we are all here to help Most of us went on our own. I had heaps of emails and texts and IM's and all that, and they didn't even ask for it. They wanted to see the originals of things we had sent in, birth certificates, and the like. We didn't have any pics to send with our K1 that showed us together, we had some of me that he took and some I took of him, but not a one together. I started to take webcam shots that showed picture in picture, and she spent a while looking at those For sure Dr Stone is the one to go to. It's not hard to find if you read what Kiwana wrote and she really nailed it very well. It was a pretty simple exam too. Edited to add, the email address for the consulate is.. AucklandIV@state.gov and they do get back to you quite quickly. I emailed and gave them my AKL number and the told me my case had arrived there in the form of the electronic copy. I was able to email back and forth and get an interview date that suited, and it all started to go pretty quickly from there! Have you had a look at the NZ consulate info on here? It's quite good...this link shows you a lot about the consulate and about what is in packet 3 and 4 http://www.visajourn...mp;cty=Auckland This link takes you to some reviews.. http://www.visajourn...views/index.php Edited by cdneh, 10 November 2009 - 12:02 AM.	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-09 23:58:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Couple of links for you ..the medical day and the interview Kiwiana posted about. I was so glad she posted all this as I was right behind her http://www.visajourn...h...t&p=2448336 http://www.visajourn...h...t&p=2561403	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-09 22:26:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Zeddess @ Nov 9 2009, 08:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks for the congrats guys!! Still pretty nervous about the next stage but trying to be optimistic. Just a few questions... how long does the petition usually hang out at the NVC for before it comes to NZ? My fiance is starting to work on the affidavit of support but what are you supposed to do with it, or does the embassy explain these things in the package they send you? Silly questions I know but I just hate not knowing what to expect.. I hope you hear something soon on the GC cdneh. good luck with job hunting for you kiwiana and soon for kelvan! and congrats to kelzm for finding work too I feel sorry for that random Vietnamese couple on the page before that got denied a visa Most only are at NVC a couple of days then get sent on. We just happened to strike a new thing last year at NVC, and ended up in AP there for quite a long time. We didnt know anything about it at the time, as K1's dont usually get AP there, but I could write you a novel about it now You need to take the affidavit of support with you to your interview, from memory. I had two big files full of stuff in case they wanted it, but the didn't ask for very much. If you want I can dig up a couple of reviews people wrote that were good, and Kiwiana wrote a brilliant review of the medical xray day Where in NZ are you?	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-09 22:12:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Nov 5 2009, 08:11 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Kelvan @ Nov 4 2009, 12:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I hope it arrives soon cdneh. How long does it usually take? Megger: Welcome to the thread! Everyone here is very helpful so if you have any questions just ask! I wouldn't know what to do without them I had the pleasure (lol!) going via the interview route with my AOS and it was almost four months to the day from sending in the AOS package to the interview. It is suppose to be much quicker if you get transferred to CSC but it doesn't appear to be looking that way at the moment. If memory serves me correct i think Kim had problems too with waiting. I really hope it gets approved for cdneh asap So does cdneh	cdneh	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-04 18:59:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi everyone.... I'm wondering if any of you might be willing to help out a friend of mine. She's a teacher, and Canadian, and wants to move to New Zealand for a bit to teach. She just needs someone to talk to to help her through it. She wants to talk to a TEACHER specifically. Are any of you teachers? Please PM if so, and let me know if you'd be willing to talk to her. I can pass along your email address to her. Thanks in advance	ashenflowers	Female	Canada	2009-12-10 07:38:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Yay!! Congratulations!! yes you have your EAD now and your SO can look for work!!! When i applied for AP i had no status online at all for it and no updates and then it just arrived in the mail one day too. So it does seem to happen sometimes!! once again congrats!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2010-01-25 23:03:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Yes you have to get a civil surgeon to fill out the 1693. Though in saying that, some people don't send this in and get approved ok and some get RFE for not sending it It's good that the civil surgeon didn't insist on a full medical again as it has been known from other vjers experiences that some do this. I was fortunate that the civil surgeon i saw just filled out the parts of the form that he had to do. He did give me a blood test to make sure that i didn't need any vaccinations but all was ok. As he said that the doctor in NZ didn't sign off on my measles part of the vaccination record. That is good that your case was transferred to CSC as in theory that means that you most likely won't have to go to an interview and will get approved without one.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2010-01-23 18:13:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Thanks Capt Ewok!! much appreciated!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2010-01-16 19:20:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	bumping this thread... capt ewok has unpinned it and it will now get lost amongst all the other threads	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2010-01-16 19:17:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Wishing everyone a super duper Happy New Year!!! May 2010 be a good one for all!!! Hope your visa arrives soon zeddess!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2010-01-01 23:44:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Just wanted to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! (How's everyone?)	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-12-24 16:19:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Zeddess @ Dec 2 2009, 06:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey guys, well I've been conditionally approved pending my police report clearance, which I'm sure will be fine lol. There was a loooooot of waiting around! The lady who gathered my documents was really lovely, and I think I actually spoke to the interviewer man for about 5 minutes, he just asked me the regular questions - how we met, how many times we've met in person, what he does over there, what I do over here, what our families think, etc. So hopefully I'll have my passport back with my visa in it sometime next week Congratulations!!!! Which state will you live in usa? I'm in California and it is getting a little chilly in the evenings and early mornings now but still have lovely sunny days.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-12-02 20:58:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Zeddess @ Nov 29 2009, 11:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well I had to go back to the doctors because they found I wasn't immunized against measles or mumps... so now the medical is officially over, almost $500 later! Did it cost that much for any of you?? I also forgot to sign the police clearance form (whoops) and I only just received it back in the mail on Saturday. I couriered it to the consulate today although seeing as my interview is on Thursday, I doubt they're going to get it back from the police in time anyways. Should I contact them to reschedule my interview or do I just wait and see what happens? Congrats on getting the medical done and that all went well the medical cost me $125, then $50 for tetanus (like Kim, i had to have one aswell), $80 for xrays and $31 for blood test. So in total $286! Very best wishes with your interview this week!! let us know how you get on!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-30 12:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kelvan @ Nov 25 2009, 01:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Had my biometrics taken on Monday. The woman had LOTS of trouble getting my finger prints because apparently I use a computer too much and type on a keyboard which makes them harder to see She got them in the end though! And she said to expect an interview letter within 90 days! Oh and also, she asked for our marriage license. It didn't say to bring it on the letter, but luckily I brought everything just in case! It seems a problem they have at the biometrics as the woman had trouble with a few of my fingers too. Good to hear that apart from that all went ok. Hope you get the interview letter soon!! QUOTE (Zeddess @ Nov 26 2009, 03:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Aww hope you guys enjoy your first Thanksgivings! Still another year to go for me although I can feel it's definitely getting warmer here the last few days... summer is on its way!! I had my medical a few days ago, everything seems fine there so that's good! Interview is next Thurs so hopefully by this time next week I will have been approved but arrggh I feel so far behind! Congratulations on getting the medical done!! Wow! not long to go now till the interview. Very best wishes for next Thursday. Let us know how you get on!! QUOTE (Kim & Chris @ Nov 26 2009, 10:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well I just cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner and didn't kill anyone........always a bonus sooo funny!! QUOTE (cdneh @ Nov 26 2009, 03:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Dinner here tonight You'll be fine ..enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you had a lovely dinner!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-27 00:36:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! How are you guys spending the day? It's the first thanksgiving for me in the USA. We will be going to my SO sisters place this afternoon. Will be meeting family members I haven't yet met. Am a bit nervous about it all.. LOL!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-26 12:49:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	I know for a fact that i wouldn't have been able to get through this without the information and knowledge of VJ and its members.. We had originally sent in the I-129f papers around April of 2008. We had no idea what we were doing and heaven knows what uscis thought when they received our forms. The whole package was a mess. They returned it to my SO about 5-6 weeks later with the money order we had sent. Then i found VJ online and sent in the correct forms etc and the rest they say is history!! cdneh: It doesn't sound like your lawyer was very clued up on the process either!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-25 00:02:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Nov 23 2009, 08:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks Kiwiana and Kim...this seems to have taken YEARS. Oh wait. It has We are all going to keep in touch here...right?? yes definitely. I have been coming to VJ every week since the k-1 process started.It's like a home away from home for me!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-23 21:57:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Nov 23 2009, 05:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My green card and my welcome letter arrived together this morning. The envelope that had the card in it didn't seem to have ever been sealed...that's a worry, but the contents were intact YAY!!! A huge Congratulations!!! (They must have been in a hurry to get it out to you as soon as possible that they forgot to lick the envelope!! ) I'm glad to hear that it made it intact and didn't fall out or anything! No more uscis for around 21 months!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-23 17:26:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kelvan @ Nov 21 2009, 11:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey guys, we got a notice in the mail. We are getting transferred to CSC! Is this good or bad? I have no idea! Looks like we are going through the same thing as you cdneh? Congratulations on getting transferred!! in theory it is suppose to be faster getting transferred! Good luck with the biometrics next week!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-21 16:49:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Yes that is it!!!!!!!!!!! WOOO HOOO!!A HUGE Congratulations!!!!!!!!! It should arrive in the mail very soon and you can put uscis behind you for 21 months!!! YAY!!!!! soooo happy for you!!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-18 00:23:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	congrats ivannaloveskiwi and Kelvan on getting the AOS packages mailed in and getting the ball rolling again! cdneh: fingers crossed that you finally hear something this coming week.	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-14 13:55:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Nov 10 2009, 12:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I am trying to remember why we didn't go to City Med, it had something to do with it being more expensive or something? Anyone else remember? yes, i think it was more expensive to go to City Med (at that time). And we heard good reviews from others that had seen Dr Stone too. Congrats Zeddess on receiving packet 3! Things are going to ZOOM along now!! Everything will be alright as far as funds go if your SO meets the requirements for support. The interview part is pretty casual (i had visions of interrogation tactics too before i went ) It's funny that you go through all that security( have your bag searched and xrayed and locked away, speak to the person through a microphone with glass separating you) All this top security stuff, then have your interview conducted in the open where everyone can hear all your business!!	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-10 13:19:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Zeddess: As cdneh mentioned most of us didn't have rings. And we went on our own. (I'm not sure if they will let your SO in for the interview or not) I was as nervous as heck on the day (so glad they had bathrooms in the arcade next door LOL!!) but before you know it, it is soon over. One thing that i wasn't expecting was the way the interview was conducted. When i think of an interview, i imagine sitting across a table from the interviewee but at the embassy it is totally different. You stand by the counter/window and talk between glass to the consulate person. They have a microphone they talk into so you can hear what they say. It is quite weird and amusing to discuss your personal matters in front of others sitting there waiting to be seen. And as cdneh said: Dr Stone is the doctor to see! The medical is quick and the doc is really nice and puts your mind at ease. You have to get an xray done and blood test at different localities (those places are not far from the doctors... if you drive there) The embassy will send you a letter once your file has been through AP with instructions on what to do next. Its a very anxious time but also exciting too as it means that soon you will be with your loved one!! I can't remember exactly all the things i had to show at the interview but they did want to see how much funds i had in my bank account. My SO didnt meet the minimum poverty guideline requirements for the I-134 (at that time). I emailed the embassy and asked them if i needed a co sponsor and they didn't seem all that bothered as long as i had my own funds. (They are excellent when it comes to answering your emails quite quickly and are very nice!!) Hope you hear from the consulate soon with packet 3! cdneh: what on earth is going on with your AOS?? still no word eh??	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-10 01:58:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Kelvan @ Nov 4 2009, 12:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I hope it arrives soon cdneh. How long does it usually take? Megger: Welcome to the thread! Everyone here is very helpful so if you have any questions just ask! I wouldn't know what to do without them I had the pleasure (lol!) going via the interview route with my AOS and it was almost four months to the day from sending in the AOS package to the interview. It is suppose to be much quicker if you get transferred to CSC but it doesn't appear to be looking that way at the moment. If memory serves me correct i think Kim had problems too with waiting. I really hope it gets approved for cdneh asap	kiwiana	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-04 14:11:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Dec 1 2009, 07:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (megger @ Dec 2 2009, 04:38 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi everyone! So, I filed our I-129f about a month ago, and I was just wondering if you all have any advice about things my SO might be able to get a jump on to makes things easier once we get our NOA2 and things start rolling.... He's in Christchurch, so getting to Auckland to do anything before he's there for the interview is a bit of a mission, but if you have any advice about things we should start getting underway, it would be much appreciated! Thanks! Megan He can have his medical in Christchurch, which is good. He could make sure he has a copy of his vaccinations record ready for that. I am trying to remember what I did and when, but our case ended up in AP for nearly 8 weeks so I had a bit of extra time to kill. I know I assembled things like email printouts, and chat logs, evidence of an ongoing relationship sort of thing. I probably lugged 10 pounds of paper in to my interview Below is the listing for the doc in Christchurch, from the Embassy link CHRISTCHURCH: Dr. Wilson / Dr. Brown (03) 366 0235 248 High Street, High St Mall Medical Center, National Mutual Arcade Thanks, cdneh! I'll make sure he hunts down that vaccination record.	that_girl	Female	New Zealand	2009-12-01 20:48:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hi everyone! So, I filed our I-129f about a month ago, and I was just wondering if you all have any advice about things my SO might be able to get a jump on to makes things easier once we get our NOA2 and things start rolling.... He's in Christchurch, so getting to Auckland to do anything before he's there for the interview is a bit of a mission, but if you have any advice about things we should start getting underway, it would be much appreciated! Thanks! Megan	that_girl	Female	New Zealand	2009-12-01 10:38:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	HI EVERYONE, HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT XMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.. MOVING ALONG ON THE AOS, A FEW BUMPS ALONG THE WAY... THEY WANTED US TO FILL OUT A I693 MEDICAL.. WAS A BIT CONFUSED.. THE I485 NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THAT FORM.. FOUND IT ON THE WEB.. WAS SOMETHING A CIVIL SURGEN NEEDED TO FILL OUT.. WE SENT THE PAPER ABOUT HIS VACINATIONS.. SO REALLY DIDNT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE WANTING..WORRIED THAT THEY WERE WANTING THE MEDICAL DONE OVER..BUT WE SHOWED THEM THE PROF FROM HIS MEDICAL IN NZ AND ALL HIS JABS (LOL, AS HE CALLS THEM) SO THEY FILLED OUT THE FORM, SEALED IT.. ( FOR A MERE $48.50) WELL WE THOUGHT .. A NEW MEDICAL ALL OVER AGAIN .. 300$++ SO WE DECIDED TO WAIT TILL XMAS WAS OVER..LOL AND IT WAS ONLY 48.50..WHICH WAS GOOD NEWS BUT THREW US YET ANOTHER MONTH BEHIND TO THE GOAL LINE..HE STILL HASN'T GOT HIS WORK AUTH.. BUT WE DID GET A TRANSFER LETTER TO CALI.. IS THIS GOOD?? KELVAN..YOU GOT TRANSFERED TOO..LOL MAYBE KC TRANDSFER ALL.. DID YOU GO BY THE AIRPORT FOR YOUR BIOMETRICS APPT? KINDA A RUNDOWN PLACE.. THEY HAD A HARD TIME GETTIN HIS FINGERPRINTS TOO.. I only sent the copy of the medical/vaccination sheet we were given from the doctor in NZ who did the medical. They accepted it and I didn't get and rfe, I guess it just depends who does the work on your file. Being transfered to CA means you won't have to have an interview, so breath a sigh of relief lol. Ours was transfered and we didn't have to wait long after that. Lol.......yes getting a jab probably isn't heard much over here but is commonplace back in NZ.....lol Not long to go now and then you'll be home laughing	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2010-01-23 20:43:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Zeddess @ Dec 2 2009, 09:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Kelvan @ Dec 3 2009, 03:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey congrats on passing your interview Zeddess! Not long to go now I have a friend who lives in Washington state, in a place called Port Angeles I'm in Olathe, Kansas. I looove our apartment, and I am actually dreading going to work now cos I love being in it so much hehe! We went for a walk tonight and it was 0C!!! ZERO! Can't wait til it snows! The first time is always the best I think hehe. Yay thanks! Whoa Kansas is a long way from the ocean! Do you ever miss it? I really want to go to Port Angeles because Twilight was filmed there hehe (shameful I know!) Snow is awesome! It snowed in Richland, my SO's town, on Christmas day last year and it doesn't often snow there, so that was pretty neat, felt just like being in a sno-globe. Where did you guys all live back in NZ? I can't wait to move from a big city to a small town I lived in Auckland all my life (grew up in Mt Albert and later moved out south) and travelled to work in peak hour traffic, every day. Between that and the months spent going through the immigration process, getting rid of all your stuff and leaving family behind, I felt pretty burnt out by the time I arrived here and was looking forward to life in a smaller town. Most of it has been really good and I've been here for a year now. But being in Searcy Arkansas, (a bit bigger than Pukekohe), I miss the ocean and I miss a bigger variety of shops, and being small town it's not so easy to get a job, but I don't miss the traffic one bit and the people all wave as they drive past you and they're all really friendly so it's not so bad. We'll be moving out west to Portland Oregon hopefully sometime next year mostly for the reason that it's climate is more like home and it's not too far from the ocean. I couldn't bear to do another summer here, the heat's unbearable!!! We got -3 coming tonight and -5 on Friday night.....I'm really hoping for snow Edited by Kim & Chris, 03 December 2009 - 08:16 AM.	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-12-03 08:14:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Zeddess @ Dec 2 2009, 07:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Dec 3 2009, 01:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Congratulations!!! Excellent news! I was wondering how it went Have you decided when you are traveling yet? Thankyouuuuu!!! I brought heaps of evidence with me like chat logs and photos and emails, but he didn't ask to see any of it, which I took to be a good thing. Although I don't think I'll feel truly relieved until I have the visa in my hot little hand! lol I'll be leaving NZ around late March/early April as that's when my SO can come over during his spring break and have me go back with him. It gives me a few months time to save up as much money as possible and spend plenty of time with my friends and family before I go, because we won't be able to afford to come back for a while Is it getting really cold where you are? Auckland has been having this awful humid and overcast weather, but definitely isn't feeling like summer yet! Well done, told you it would be ok I'm in Arkansas and it's been cold, there was snow in West Little Rock today, but just rain and freezing winds where I am, about an hour north from there. Overnight lows for the next week are as low as -4 I'm hoping it snows here....................where are you going to be over here?	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-12-02 21:06:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Zeddess @ Nov 29 2009, 09:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Well I had to go back to the doctors because they found I wasn't immunized against measles or mumps... so now the medical is officially over, almost $500 later! Did it cost that much for any of you?? I also forgot to sign the police clearance form (whoops) and I only just received it back in the mail on Saturday. I couriered it to the consulate today although seeing as my interview is on Thursday, I doubt they're going to get it back from the police in time anyways. Should I contact them to reschedule my interview or do I just wait and see what happens? They didn't have mine back at the time of the interview either and the lady said to still go along, anyway, that will be one major thing out of the way. They will just say that the final result will be dependent on the police report, and if you know there's no problem there then you know you'll get a big fat ok from the consulate You won't have to wait long. Can't remember how much my medical was, I think it was around 2 or 3 hundred all up. I had to have an updated tetanus shot which was $40. If I knew about it beforehand I would have gone to my doctors and got it done for virtually nothing, but you don't know these things and you just want to get it over with. Won't be long now and you'll be running around trying to get all your packing done	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-29 23:17:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (Zeddess @ Nov 26 2009, 02:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Aww hope you guys enjoy your first Thanksgivings! Still another year to go for me although I can feel it's definitely getting warmer here the last few days... summer is on its way!! I had my medical a few days ago, everything seems fine there so that's good! Interview is next Thurs so hopefully by this time next week I will have been approved but arrggh I feel so far behind! Yes congrats Zeddess, not long to go now Well I just cooked my first Thanksgiving dinner and didn't kill anyone........always a bonus	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-26 21:08:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Nov 26 2009, 11:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! How are you guys spending the day? It's the first thanksgiving for me in the USA. We will be going to my SO sisters place this afternoon. Will be meeting family members I haven't yet met. Am a bit nervous about it all.. LOL!! Happy Thanksgiving to you guys too It's my first one as well, I arrived last year the day after Thanksgiving so it's like my anniversary as well...almost....lol This time last year I was winging my way high above the pacific. Chris' kids live 2 doors down from us now but have gone to their half sisters place about 3 hours away for Thanksgiving so it's just me and me fella for a cosy turkey dinner I plan on going big for Christmas though	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-26 14:44:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Nov 24 2009, 05:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We have seen each other through a lot when you think of it. From the start. I shudder to think how much harder this all would have been without all of you ! How right you are........ without this site and the people on here who help out and point you in the right direction I doubt we'd be where we are now	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-24 18:23:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Nov 23 2009, 08:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Nov 23 2009, 08:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks Kiwiana and Kim...this seems to have taken YEARS. Oh wait. It has We are all going to keep in touch here...right?? yes definitely. I have been coming to VJ every week since the k-1 process started.It's like a home away from home for me! Of course, I check in every so often to see what everyone is up to. We've been through so much together ....lol	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-23 22:16:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Nov 23 2009, 04:26 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (cdneh @ Nov 23 2009, 05:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My green card and my welcome letter arrived together this morning. The envelope that had the card in it didn't seem to have ever been sealed...that's a worry, but the contents were intact YAY!!! A huge Congratulations!!! (They must have been in a hurry to get it out to you as soon as possible that they forgot to lick the envelope!! ) I'm glad to hear that it made it intact and didn't fall out or anything! No more uscis for around 21 months!! Well done Cdneh.......................after all that waiting	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-23 18:52:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Nov 22 2009, 08:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (Kelvan @ Nov 22 2009, 07:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks for letting me know guys! Well, hopefully they won't take too long! However, I have a feeling it might cos there's the Thanksgiving, Christmas and NYE period coming up And no interview? I wonder if that's how they are doing it now for everyone! Oh they are still interviewing. A lucky few get transferred...and in spite of how long it took I am cool with no inquisition Mee too.....I was stressing big time about the interview and then we got transferred	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-22 22:43:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (cdneh @ Nov 17 2009, 06:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Is this what I think it is? Application Type: I485 , APPLICATION TO REGISTER PERMANENT RESIDENCE OR TO ADJUST STATUS Current Status: Card production ordered. On November 17, 2009, we ordered production of your new card. Please allow 30 days for your card to be mailed to you. If we need something from you we will contact you. Yes it is!!!!!!!!!!! Well done.......must have been the vibes you were sending.....lol It'll be in the mail in the next week or so I would say.. CONGRATULATIONS	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-17 19:33:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	QUOTE (kiwiana @ Nov 14 2009, 12:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> congrats ivannaloveskiwi and Kelvan on getting the AOS packages mailed in and getting the ball rolling again! cdneh: fingers crossed that you finally hear something this coming week. Congrats to you both........now the waiting begins yet again.....lol Cdneh........ Good grief, I can't believe you're still waiting. I don't know if you've spoken to them about it or not, but i would ring them every couple of days and harass them about it, it seems to be the only thing that gets it sorted. Kiwiana ..... what a crazy interviewing technique!!!! Mind you after the one on one I had the other day it sounds preferable. I've sent in my resume for every admin job i can find around here and I'd be lucky to have gotten a call from 2 or 3 of them at most. I know I was plenty qualified for all of them and I'm starting to get the feelng it may be more of a "foreigner" thing. Anyway I've stopped putting that I'm from New Zealand on the cv when i send it in and we'll see if it makes any difference. I've worked most of my entire adult life with only time off to have my son and I have to say that this job hunting lark is a real knock to the confidence I'm seriously thinking about heading off to the Walmart to try there. I nearly live there as it is, might as well see if I can get a job there. Mind you.....a rejection from them as well will probably be the last straw .....lol	Kim & Chris	Female	New Zealand	2009-11-14 21:56:00
Australia and New Zealand	NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!	Hey everyone, just a quick update! We got a RFE a few weeks ago (December 30) due to my fingerprints being taken twice and still being unreadable. So we had to get the local police department to write a letter to say that I have no criminal record in the state of Kansas. I sent this back to USCIS the other day!	Kelvan	Not Telling	New Zealand	2010-01-28 16:13:00