oooh and we now have a web cam, I'm sooooooo happy

Aren't they a wonderful invention

Sounds a scheme..take the lot.

I know, i actually had a wee cry, it was very emotional seeing him again, i forgot about all those expressions i love, those little smiles and that look on his face he gets when he's teasing me, telling me i should do what the man says, just everything really

awww...we've had ours since Thanksgiving...and I don't know where we'd be without it. I'm watching Himself working at the moment..lol....he may not realize that he mutters as he does...

We have made some significant progress today.

We have booked out flights, and are heading to San Francisco on the 22nd of October. Because this will be stressful enough for the kids, we have forked out and are flying Premium Economy with Air NZ. Therefore we can take advantage of the Koru Lounge before leaving, get bigger seats/room (we have reserved front seats, to get more room, and also get a bassinet), and have an easier check in. They will also provide the baby essentials should we need them.

We also bought a car today, a Subaru Outback station wagon. Brook's father found it (it ticked all of our boxes), and we bought it. Therefore we can really hit the ground running.

We also have a list of essential bits and pieces we want for when we arrive (car seats, high chairs, cots etc) and we are going to order these on line and get them delivered to Brook's parents.

Brook also spoke to her bank in the US (she is so glad she kept an account) and has organised credit cards etc, and these are being sent out here.

We are also starting to sell our stuff on Trade Me.

It is all go!!

Hope everyone else is making progress as well.

Cheers

Grant

Wow I'm so excited for you Grant! I agree, it sounds like a great idea to pay the extra and get the Premium seats. Someone at work told me it makes a HUGE difference!

Guys, I'm off to Kansas on Sunday night. Gone for 3 weeks. 3 flights there. Will probably stay away for 32 hours straight like last time. Yay!

WOW Grant, that's excellent news, sounds like you've got everything sorted

Kelly, you are so lucky, I'm really happy for you, truly i am, not feeling any green monster feelings at all, none, none whatsoever
seriously tho Kelly, have fun and say Hi to your beloved from all of us

Hi guys,

I just had my medical today and thought I would reiterate what Russ said about it being pretty easy. I did it in Chch, so it was a little easier to get an appointment. When I called, the lady said: "when do you want it for?" So I gave myself one work day to make sure I didn't forget anything. The biggest hassle of the whole process was finding a place that took US-size passport photos!!!!

In Chch, the consultation, blood work and vaccinations are all done at the doctor's office and it cost me $191 (I didn't need any vaccinations). They gave me a referral for the X-ray, which was about 5 blocks away, and I only had to wait about 10 min to be seen. The x-ray cost $84.40. Dr. Wilson, the lab tech and x-ray supervisor were all very good at remembering to sign the instruction sheet, in fact that's the first thing they all did. The x-ray supervisor also scanned my passport. I found it a little odd and was wondering if the same happened to Russ?

I also got a tip from the doctor to take the signed medical instruction sheet and x-ray film to the interview in a separate bag and to not bring it out unless they ask for it. Apparently, they get annoyed if they don't ask for them and people want to show them thinking that the officers are forgetting to ask for them.

The consulate did not include the vaccination form in my packet 3 (form DS-3025), so I downloaded it from the net, which was a good thing since the doctor's nurse filled it all out for me and now I'm done with my vaccinations and don't have to worry about it come AOS time.

I guess that's it for me!

Cheers,

Lu

Grant, congratulations on booking your flights!!! We only paid an extra $40 to fly premium the last time we flew. It was just selected flights. Request the upstairs premium seats if you can.

Michelle, congrats on your webcams. We've had ours for 10 years now but you're right, there is such bittersweetnes is seeing but not being able to touch.

Kel, have a safe trip! Don't forget your ties to home.

Lu, i'm not sure if the xray tech scanned Russell's passport. I'm sure he'll chime in with an answer for you. I didn't even know you were suppose to take the xrays to interview. I thought everything the Consulate would need from the doctor was either sent back with P3 or sent automatically and that xrays were just carried to the US. Hmmmm

So what is it exactly you folks are confused by? Let me see if I can explain it differently...

So you know that the US citizen must provide proof that their alien fiance will not be a public charge....

At the K1 interview stage the I134 is required. It does not have the same criteria as the I864 (filed at adjustment time) but because you will at some point need to file the I864, most Consulates will use the same standards (ask for the same proof) that is asked for with the I864.

New Zealand Consulate isn't as strict in their interpretation of the I134. It seems that all you must really prove to them is that there is some income and that the NZ citizen can support him/herself and will not become a public charge on the US government. This is why they ask for the CV.

So those of you who may require co-sponsors should be all set at this point. Especially if you have assets/savings (in liquid assets...things you can get money from easily...you'll need $3 or 5 for every $1. So if your income is short say 10,000...you need 30,000 in assets to make up for it. As I said, NZ isn't quite as concerned with these standards.

However, after you are here and married you will file for adjustment of status and with that you will need to include another affidavit of support (I864) before the NZ citizen receives his/her 2 year conditional green card. It's likely the US government is going to ask for all the proof of support that the NZ consulate seems not to be so concerned about (eg; a co-sponsor).

So, while you may not need a co-sponsor for the NZEM, it's likely you will at the adjustment stage if circumstances dont change.

2008 Poverty Guidelines

I hope that explained it better.

Thanks Kim...I think I get it.

Shawnand Lu: thanks for letting us know about the medical etc. when do you go for the interview?

Kelvan: Have a great time in Kansas! wow three flights. don't realise just how big USA is! makes NZ look very itty bitty!!

Grant: Congratulations on booking your flights! wow! not long to go now. As far as driving goes over there. Are kiwis allowed to drive over there on their nz licence or do we have to get an international driving licence from the AA here? If not, would we have to do a complete driving test over there straight away?

Also, and i realise this probably sounds silly but if one takes their laptop from NZ, would it be ok to use it in USA? i read that the power adaptors for laptops here can adjust to the different electricity voltage over there (they work from 110-240 vlts or something like that) but would need a plug adaptor to put over the plug end for the different pins/plugs over there. is this right ?

Ana,

You do not need an international drivers permit to drive overseas (even tho he has one) as that's more for proof if there is any language problems. Driving laws depend on the State so you will need to check with the DMV where you're going to be. In MA, Russell can drive on his NZ license for up to 1 year. Sometime in there he'll take the test and get a Massachusetts license.

One thing I would suggest is to get a driving record from NZ otherwise your insurance rates are going to be outrageous! I guess they charge you as if you had a new license. Not sure this is the case everywhere but after I heard of others paying what I do for my teenage daughter we started looking into it and asked my insurance company. They recommended a driving history from NZ. This is the email reply Russell got when he inquired about getting one...



Your laptop will work with a converter but it's not very safe to do so as you could really do some damage to the components. If you wish to use your laptop to use in the States your best bet is to simply have your power supply replaced once you get here. It's not that expensive.

Kiwiana - I have used three different NZ bought laptops in the US, with just the cheap plug adapter from Dick Smith electronics, they all worked fine.

I am pretty sure as long as the cord has an adapter box somewhere between the device and the power socket that you should be fine. This handles the voltage change for you (I just had a close look at the adapter on my laptop, and on the adapter box, it says what voltage range it can handle - in my case 100v - 240v). I just looked at Brook's (different brand of laptop, and hers also has the same range).

However as Kim has suggested, I would definately get a proper US supply asap to make double sure you are ok.

Cheers

Grant

Whoops meant to add this...as far as California is concerned, you can drive there on your NZ licence for 1 year. I am planning on getting my Californian licence asap though once I get there (Brook's expires at the end of the year, so she has to go in anyway when we first get there).

Cheers

Grant

Just to add about the CA drivers license - once you are a resident of the state you need to get a CA drivers license after 10 days. To apply for your license you need to have your SSN.

Here's the DMV's take on 'resident':

If you take a job here or become a resident, you must get a California driver license within 10 days. Residency is established by voting in a California election, paying resident tuition, filing for a homeowner’s property tax exemption, or any other privilege or benefit not ordinarily extended to nonresidents.

You can find more info on applying for a license here: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#2500

Like Grant I plan to get my CA drivers license asap, I'll be in there as soon as my SSN arrives. One of the big reasons is that my husbands insurance company won't insure me if I do not have one.

Grant, Kim and Kelzm: Thanks for the information. I will be in California as far as driving licence goes. Its good to know you can use your NZ licence for a year.
I have never actually driven on the 'wrong' side of the road before,(as my partner does all the driving when i am there with him) so it will certainly feel weird when i do drive over there at first.
That sounds like a good idea to get a traffic offence history from here for when one gets insurance over there.
Many thanks for the dmv website. i have bookmarked it.

It's good to know that the laptop worked ok over there. Like you guys said, it will probably pay to buy a US power adaptor/cord when i am there. I would assume places like circuit city or best buy may sell them.

Wow, y'all sure have been chatting up a storm! Welcome Dave n Genna and ShawnandLu!

Kiwiana- Good job sites? What sort of job are you looking for and in what area?? I know there are some great industry specific job sites out there, just depends on what industry.

Kim and Russ- Glad the medical went so well! I really think Dr. Stone is the way to go for people in the Auckland area. Here's hoping that interview date comes soon so you can be on your way home Russ! I never thought about the driving record though, I gotta add that to the "to do" list, thanks for mentioning it!

Kelvan- Have a great visit!!

Grant- Well, I wasn't entirely sure if we'd get the "special envelope" or not, but since we've not received it I'm assuming we won't get it 'til the passport has the foil in it. I bet they have some form stating the date it was issued that has to be included in the file. When we do get it I'm seal it in a giant ziploc bag to protect it from any fluid damage, add the copies of all our documents to it, and try to hide it out of sight so I'm not tempted to touch it!

She didn't formally say "You're approved" or anything, she just reiterated what we'd need to do when we were ready to travel, and closed the folder and smiled. So I said "That's it?" and she said "Yes, everything is in order" and I said "So, we're good?" and she said "Yup!". So yeah, I guess they just don't formally say "You're approved!" LOL Both the woman at the beginning and the consular officer reminded us Chris would be able to apply for citizenship after 3 years, but they didn't overly stress it. I think that was because they were focusing most of their effort on explaining why we should wait 'til after our anniversary to enter if it was at all feasible.

I'm so excited for you guys, all your plans sorted out, flights booked, and even a car purchased! Lets hope everything sells on Trade Me so you have less to store. How's the job hunt going, any bites yet? Some places accept applications for weeks before anyone hears anything... We transferred money to my bank in the US several times from our bank here (ASB) with no issues, just a small fee, and we did it all online!

Lu-I don't know if the rules for the K-1s are different, but we didn't take the x-rays to the interview, just the radiologist's report, which they already had a copy of with the medical certificate so they didn't ask for ours. But, you may want to email the Consulate to double check just to be sure. I just can't imagine them needing it for anything.

Hello everyone, just thought I would post in here since me and my new wife are living in New Zealand and plan to move to Colorado in the coming months. We are sending the I-130 off Monday and hopefully we will be moving around Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Welcome to the thread! And good luck with getting your application through quickly.

Welcome!

dlopez86: Welcome! hope the process is a speeedy one!

welcome dlopez.

well folks, we are stuck at NVC ....our petition has been there for two weeks (k1's usually stay there just 2-3 days) ...apparently we're in AP at NVC. They do security checks at every level of the process and some people are just held up a bit. Figures it would be us. There is nothing in either of our backgrounds to worry about so i'm not too concerned but, as you know, the Embassy has had all they need from our end for a while now...we're just waiting on a date. The NVC told me that if NZ wants to schedule the interview they can request the approved petition be sent so I've contacted the Embassy and asked if they would do that. I guess we'll see. So yeah, another bump in the road. We're pretty used to it. Hopefully it doens't hold us up too long.

hope the rest of you are well

I'm really sorry Kim, I was really thinking you were going to get thru and have Russ there with you in record time

I'm sending positive thoughts to NVC for you, maybe that will help

I'm sorry to hear of the delay Kim! I'm sure it won't be long till it's processed and you'll get a date. Like Michelle, I am sending lots of positive thoughts over there too!

yankiwi: I'm not really too fussed at this stage what kind of job I do once i am allowed to work/permit over there. I understand, from what i have read, that the EAD (think thats what it is called) can take 3 months or more to process, so by that time i will be itching to work as i don't like sitting around idle

hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Gidday dlopez welcome to the thread!

Kim, I hope they get it moving soon! It's like wait wait waaaaaait... You've waited long enough! lol. Good luck!

Welcome dlopez! I hope you're filing DCF, things will go MUCH faster for you!

Kim- I'm so sorry to hear that! It's Monday here in NZ, I hope you hear something from the Consulate soon and that they can help speed the process along. I'll send my positive thoughts along with everyone else. You guys have waited long enough!

Kiwiana- If you're not looking to have a job ready as soon as you land, and you're really just looking for a job to keep you busy, I'd say your best bet is to move over there, enjoy the few months waiting for your work authorization and get to know the area. Then when you're ready to find a job, odds are you'll know someone who knows someplace that is hiring, or you'll at least have an idea of where you want to work and where you don't! LOL Networking is better than job boards IMO, almost every job I've had I got because someone I knew either worked there, or knew someone who did.

Thanks everyone for the welcome.

I am doing dcf, although I am having a bit of trouble finding out what to send for the petition. My mom who has just done said I don't need to send very much at all, just the I-130 form, 1xg-325a form, ds-230 part 1, and they will ask for the rest of the stuff when we go for our interview. But because this site says I need alot more stuff it's confusing me. Does Auckland do it different than other countries?

I emailed the consulate but because it's an american holiday they didn't work today.

dlopez.. you might find this link useful.

As far as I know we're still at the NVC. We've heard nothing from the Embassy as of yet. Just hoping it's not much longer. I hope things are moving along for all of you.

Justine, how are you?

holding pattern.....holding pattern....holding pattern

keeping cheerful with the thought that a month has gone by already and hopefully we will all receive our NOA2's as promptly as Kim and Russ

still sending good thoughts your way Kim, hope you hear from NVC soon

holding pattern....holding pattern....holding pattern

(crikey hope i don't run out of fuel waiting)

Isn't 'crickey' an Australian saying.

Well two packages in the last two DHL shipments from NVC have gone to NZ - a lot to go in one weeks time - but neither ours.... they're just taunting us really. *sigh* Today is 3 weeks that we were approved. How depressing. We have tried to be so patient...for years really. It's just not fair.

Ok that's my b!tch. I'm really not a poor me kinda person so that's all I got. It has to be soon... just has to be.

Hey Kim how did you find out that 2 packages were sent from NVC to NZ?

I have a crystal ball, remember?

There is a way to track packages from the NVC to the Embassy's using DHL

Do you do private readings with your crystal ball? (a long queue of vjers form outside Kims residence )

That's cool that there is a way to track packages from NVC but sucks that none were yours
But i am sure it will be there very soon. Hopefully in a week or two

The NVC thread has the info on tracking packages. From what I've seen they're usually pretty speedy with getting them sent out once they're completed. Unfortunately for Kim she's stuck in some kind of horrid slowdown, hopefully yours will be in the next outgoing shipment.

NVC usually sends their approved k1's out within 2-3 days of receiving them...and they usually receive them within 2 days from Vermont. We've just got some sh!t luck!

When you get a little closer i'll help you with it Michelle. There is a certain 'art' to getting it to work.

I've stopped checking the DHL site for the most part..just serves to frustrate me. It's a good thing i've got so much work to do, new businesses starting up and, with the kids starting school this week, it's been extra busy. Russ and I seem to have this sense of déjà vu with all this waiting again...lots of heavy sighing going on.

wishing you all well.

Hi everyone,

I just discovered this thread and it reminded me of all the stress of getting the K-1. I thought I'd add a few insights from someone who's here already.

For those of you wanting to get your Cal driver's license you probably won't be able to get it just based on your I-94 (entry card). Or if you can get one it will expire on the day your visa does (i.e. within 90 days) so it's probably a waste of money. You can use your NZ license for a year no problems. As soon as you have your EAD you'll be able to get a proper license.

Another tricky thing you might encounter is insurance for the car. Lots of places won't insure someone with an overseas license or will charge you ridiculous amounts of money for the privilege. We hunted around and found State Farm were a good option - we're paying about US$650 for six month's worth (sounds awful I know but not bad by Cal standards). If you can show a clean driving history for up to seven years you'll be able to save money so it's definitely worth getting a letter from your NZ insurance company or the NZ Transport Registry Centre before you leave.

If you're planning on filing your AOS quickly you can do all the paperwork while you're waiting for the marriage certificate to come through. We were a bit slack (read: recovering from all the wedding preparations) and didn't really get going until the certificate arrived, which slowed us down by a couple of weeks.

As has been said, most laptop power supplies are multivoltage so you'll only need a plug adaptor, not a voltage converter.

And yes, waiting for the EAD does get tiresome! At least the wait has been during a southern California summer (I feel for all of you who will arrive in winter).

Good luck with your applications.

Hey guys! Just popping in to catch up. I'm in America right now on my holiday in Kansas. Going through the immigration officer check at LAX went very smoothly, though I was prepared with the various documents just incase.

I've been able to hold the NOA1 hard copy in my own hands which was nice! On Monday night Evan took me out to a fancy restaurant and he gave me a ring! We haven't had any recent activity with our application but I can't be worried about that right now because I am with Evan! I'll be super sad to leave in 2 weeks. Anyway just thought I'd let you all know the reason for my lack of posting lately

Edit: Hey bobsaggetti, nice name btw Thanks for the advice! I'm going to add you as a friend if that's okay cos you seem to be very knowledgeable

Welcome bobsagetti, it's always helpful to hear from those who have been through the whole process. The California drivers license situation is one of my big concerns right now, and insurance. My husband spent his time last weekend visiting car dealers so I now have a lovely new car ready and waiting for when I can legally drive it!

Kel - great to hear you got through the POE entry with no problems and that you're enjoying your time with Evan.

I'm in countdown mode, one more week of work to go, flying out on the 15th. Starting to get a little nervous about now!

Bobsagetti is absolutely right, We have bought a car. Brook's parents went to insure it, and they can only get it insured for Brook. They won't inusre me until I have a Californian drivers licence.

Also, it is not worth me getting a letter from the NZ Transport Registry either, as I don't have the cleanest of driving records. However I have a perfectly clean Insurance record, so will get a letter from my insurance co before going.

I will just have to hold out till I get my CA drivers licence.

As far as progress for us goes, we are planning/ getting ready, and I am still hunting like mad for a job (which is interesting as I have never had any problem in NZ). Everyone keeps saying that it will be much easier once I am over there. The good thing is that their seems to be plenty of jobs around.

Hope everyone else is making good progress.

Cheers

Grant

Cheers

Hi Bob, welcome. I'll bet you're glad to be done with this part of the process! Thanks for the advice. I think we've got all the bases covered over here.

As far as the laptop...you need to be absolutely sure your power is adaptable(you can tell by looking at the bottom). Most new laptops in the US are now but some are still not. Voltage is everything...if a component fails it's the first thing we look at.

Kel, so glad you're with your man. Try not to dread the leaving too much...concentrate on the fact that you have this time and that you'll be together again soon...and for good!

Grant, glad things are moving along for you. I hope a the job you want comes soon!

As far as I know we're still stuck at the NVC. I hope this is over soon. I miss him so much.

hope everyone else is doing well. have a great weekend!

We're on our way to NZ folks!!! The lady on the phone from the NVC was so cute..."wooohooo'ing" for us twice! Finally! Feels like NOA2 all over again.

The petition should arrive on Tuesday as they already have everything else they need we will request an interview date asap. Almost home!

YAY!! Congratulations Kim!!! This is just the BEST news!! I am soo happy for you and Russ!!

Congrats, here's hoping they can get you in for an interview this week so Russ can be on his way asap.

Oh that is the best news!!! Thrilled for you both!

haha congratulations Kim and Russ, that's wonderful news

Thank you my friends. We're both wearing that silly little grin we had after NOA2! It's been so wonderful just being able to track the petition on it's way... there are scans at every turn... last night it went from NH to NY, then to Ohio and now it's on it's way to LAX! How sweet it is to have all the activity to watch after a year of basically nothing. Russell plans on calling first thing Tuesday morning (nz) to see if he can't schedule the interview. We're about out of patience!

thanks again...means a lot to have your support.

Great news Kim, how awesome for you guys.

It's so nice to see someone moving right along now...we've been moving ..but in the wrong direction. Our timeline has gone from September to the end of October...and as well from the early 150's on Igor's list to nearly 170...this is where I need to fire up the patience potion ....right?

I'll let you know how that goes...