NEW ZEALANDers heading to the US and their USC spouses - POST HERE!

[KimandRuss 0]

Grant & Tiara, Congratulations to you both. Thank you for taking the time to explain your experience in detail. It really does help settle the mind to know Auckland is so helpful.

cdneh, congratulations on your immunities! One more thing down!

Kelly.. Congrats! You're on your way!

Well I got my affidavit and mound of supporting paperwork off to Russell yesterday. He will have it in just a few days. He has his medical with Dr. Stone on Friday as well so it seems by next week he'll be as set as he can be for his interview. Hopefully they'll have the approved petition by then! Still feels so good to know how much closer we are to being together again!

[kelzm 0]

Wow, lots of good news all round!

Congrats to Grant and Tiara, glad both of your interviews went so well, I think we are very lucky to have the Auckland consulate to go through, excellent service and friendly people make the whole thing a lot easier.

Kelly - yay on the NOA1 hopefully your wait will be quick.

Kim, I'm sure that your interview is just around the corner, good luck for that happening asap.

[amaciar 0]

Sounds like those were two successfule interviews. Congrats

Kelvan- Great to see that your packet arrived. You must feel relived

Nic and I have just arrived in upstate New York. We bought tickets the day his passport arrived in the mail and it was go go go from then til now. Nic said that the process in customs was a formality really and all they did was open his packet to make sure all the detaisl were there. Then he was fingerprinted. It took about 20 minutes and when he was finished I was still waiting for our bags. Now it is time to get on with out lives til we need to remove the conditions of residency in two years

[cdneh 3,112]

cdneh, congratulations on your immunities! One more thing down!

It is Now I think all my ducks are lined up...so I'm wondering what I ought to be occupying myself with next

[Kelvan 0]

Thanks guys!!! I'm so glad we are on our way now, after our first package got lost.

Hey Kim, how did Russ get a medical so quickly? And how did he schedule his interview before he had the medical? I have a friend who has told me that she can't schedule the interview until she provides police certificates of all the places she's lived, and has her medical.

[KimandRuss 0]

Amy & Nic... welcome home!!!!

cdneh... ummmmm being patient!

Kel... you can get your medical appoinment with your new case number from NVC (although they didn't even ask him for it when he made the apt). Anyway, as long as the Embassy knows who to apply it to when it gets to them from the doc's office you're good to go. You need to at least wait until the petition is approved and you know it's going to be on it's way to AUK soon. He does not have his interview yet. He emailed them and noted his new case number and that the approved petition (I-797) is on it's way to them. They told him they would send out P3 now since he had his case number. He'll have my package very soon as well so he'll be sorted for his apt in a week's time... hopefully they'll be able to accomodate him soon after that.

oh and the only place he needs a police certificate from is New Zealand and the Embassy takes care of it. They send you a form in the P3 to fill out.

Edited August 20, 2008 by KimandRuss

[kiwiana 2]

A lot has been happening here in the last week!

cdneh: Thats great your immunities are all in check. Now you can relax and sit back

kelvan: congrats on getting your NOA1. Its always a relief when it comes in the mail. Now you know that they have well and truly received your package and the process begins.

amaciar: welcome home! hope you are settling in, have everything unpacked etc. I would think the weather is pretty good over there at the moment as well. Send some sunshine this way

Grant and yankiwi: It sounds like the embassy is pretty good in Auckland. It certainly puts my mind at ease a little for when the time comes. When do you plan to leave NZ?

Kim: Things are moving along pretty quickly now for you and russ. you must be pretty excited! I wonder if you would know at all, if one has to get police certificates/checks if they spent some time in Australia? I was there many YEARS ago and wondered if one still has to get it done, if it has been soo long ago.

[cdneh 3,112]

cdneh: Thats great your immunities are all in check. Now you can relax and sit back

I dunno how ... I need to get me some patience pills...and double whatever the prescribed dose on those is... heh..

[Michelle Kauffman 0]

cdneh: Thats great your immunities are all in check. Now you can relax and sit back

I dunno how ... I need to get me some patience pills...and double whatever the prescribed dose on those is... heh..

Hmm sign me up for some of those pills too pls, i've been driving Rob nuts asking if he's got the NOA1 - tho i'm not so worried now, now that i know the cheque's been cashed

[cdneh 3,112]

cdneh: Thats great your immunities are all in check. Now you can relax and sit back

I dunno how ... I need to get me some patience pills...and double whatever the prescribed dose on those is... heh..

Hmm sign me up for some of those pills too pls, i've been driving Rob nuts asking if he's got the NOA1 - tho i'm not so worried now, now that i know the cheque's been cashed

I'll let you know Michelle

If no one has invented these yet they better get on to it...there is a fortune to be made, on VJ alone!

[Michelle Kauffman 0]

NOA1 received!

[Michelle Kauffman 0]

Ok less than two hours have passed and i'm now worrying about the next step. I'm very confused, i've been trawling the forums and I'm reading very conflicting information regarding the I-134.

Some people are saying you can't have a co-sponsor and some people are saying you can, I really hope you can cos Rob def doesn't meet the minimum. I've looked at Capt. Ewok's details of requirements but I can't see anything there about co-sponsors.

Does anyone really know?

[yankiwi 0]

Kelvan and Michelle-- Congrats on your NOA1!!! I hope they process your applications in record time

Amy and Nic-- Glad you've made it safely home! Enjoy your time with family and friend before the job hunting/moving begins again!

Cdneh- Man, I need some of those pills for sure! I was born 2 months early and my Mom jokes it was because of my extreme impatience...I was impatient in the womb and have been an impatient person all my life! I figure things like the immigration process is the universe trying to teach me patience by brute force...

Kim-- Great to hear he got an appointment so quickly!! Chris says the medical check with Dr. Stone was a breeze, the x-ray and lab are just around the corner and pretty quick as well. so he'll be through in no time and one step closer to being in your arms! The people at the Consulate were great. I think if he tells them he's planning on leaving as soon as is humanely possible they'll work with him to get his passport processed and in hand as quickly as possible. I'm so happy for you guys!

Kiwiana- The way things stand now, we've decided to wait until after our second anniversary to enter the US. Since that's not 'til the end of December, we've decided that February is a good goal to set. That allows enough time for Chris to take on a short contract job here, job hunt in the US via the web and connections, and we get to enjoy another spring and summer in NZ instead of almost a year of continuous winter (going from winter here to winter in the US)! How are things going with you?

[gshennen 0]

Woohoo - I have my passport back with the magic "foil" in it, and my secret envelope.

Now the real planning can begin!! My grandmother turns 80 in October and we are having a big family get together, so we will look at going over shortly after that.

I still have not advanced any further on the job finding front, but have applied for a few in the last couple of days.

Hope everyone else is progressing well as well - seems like it is all go for us Kiwi's.

Cheers

Grant

[KimandRuss 0]

ana, Russell did live in Australia for 7 months in 2006 but, even tho everything else says 6 months, the Embassy told him he only needed a police report if he had been there over a year. I am double checking with him and will let you know. Yes, we are extremely excited! thanks!

Michelle, glad you got your NOA1 and are on your way now! Some Consulates do not allow a co-sponser to be used but as far as I know you can in NZ. You can email them at AucklandIV@state.gov to be certain. They are really great at getting back to you with good information. I can tell you that they did ask that we also bring Russell's Resume/CV as well so they seem to be all about what you, the NZ citizen, will bring to the table too. Also just fyi.. I'm also pretty certain social security for disability (I think that is what Rob counts on as he is sick?) counts toward income for the I-134.

Tiara, thanks for the info. My love is on his way to Auk right now to see Dr. Stone! Sounds like a good plan to move after the start of the year and after your second anniversary.. makes perfect sense.

Congratulations Grant! How exciting for you!

As I mentioned... Russell is on his way to his medical right now... 4 hour drive! His dad and brother went along with him to make a day of it just for the boys. The Consulate has been more than helpful. Our case has not even left NVC yet (even tho they got it last friday) but Russell emailed them and asked that they send package 3 anyway, which they agreed to do since he already had his new case number. They overnighted it to him and he got it yesterday! Finally...efficiency! He should have everything he needs by the beginning of next week so we're hoping for an interview the week after and a flight home on Monday the 8th. Best case scenerio really. btw.. if you fly NZ to US through Tahiti on a Monday or a Friday the costs is quite a bit cheaper.

I know the wait for those of us who are not together is tough but you'll get through it..and you'll be even better because of it. I do hope it starts to speed up for you all!

Edited August 22, 2008 by KimandRuss