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

[KimandRuss 0]

Ana, this is the reply that we got from the Consulate when we asked about the Australian police report...

You require a Police Clearance from your country of Nationality, and Residence, when you have resided there (ie NZ) for 6 months or more. And from any other country you have resided in for 12 months or more. So if you only lived in Australia for 9 months, and are not an Australian citizen, you won’t need to obtain one from there. (of course, if there was any conviction, you would have to obtain the court records!)

This office obtains the NZLD one for you, once we receive your approved petition/case file.

[Michelle Kauffman 0]

Once again thanks for the excellent advice Kim, I've emailed the consulate and hopefully they'll have the answer I want

Kim you must be so excited with everything moving along so quickly now

[cdneh 3,112]

Michelle....congratulations!!! I've been watching for this!!!

And let me know what you hear back about the co-sponser...we are using one as well, Himself being retired...

[Kelvan 0]

Hey Michelle woohoo you got your NOA1 as well! I'm so glad. We have similar timelines

[Michelle Kauffman 0]

Thanks Kate, I guess now there'll be no reply before Monday and I'm working Monday so we'll both have to wait til Monday night, hope you're not working then

Hehe thanks Kelly, i guess we were both posting at the same time

[cdneh 3,112]

Thanks Kate, I guess now there'll be no reply before Monday and I'm working Monday so we'll both have to wait til Monday night, hope you're not working then

Hehe thanks Kelly, i guess we were both posting at the same time

Monday...lol...what torture! I am off though....so you know where I'll be...right here...waiting to hear!

[kiwiana 2]

Wow! everything is certainly happening here for us kiwi folk!

Michelle: Congrats on receiving your NOA1. You are not alone in worrying about the next step. I read the same conflicting information about 1-134. I hope that the embassy here allows co-sponsors. Hope you will let us know what they say when they email you back.

Yankiwi: yes, it definitely makes sense to enjoy spring/summer here than have one continous winter (brrh!). Do you know of any good job hunting websites in the US?

Grant: how cool to have the magic 'foil' in passport. Are you ever tempted to open the 'secret envelope'? jk

Kim: thank you for the info about police report from aussie. I think i will email them at the addy you gave and see if they can tell me where i would have to go to get one from Australia as i was there for more than a year. hope it doesn't hold things up waiting for it (when the time comes)

Hope the medical went all ok for Russ. The process is really moving along for you guys now. At long last!

cdneh,michelleS, Kelvan: It is quite exciting as we all have our NOA1's close to each other (give or take a few weeks to 6 weeks at most) I must say that some days my brain seems to go into overload from trying to digest all the information and neccesary forms, vaccines needed and next steps of the process etc. Yet there are thousands and thousands of people who have gone through the whole process ok. So i have to keep telling myself to just take one step at a time and will eventually get there with my sanity and patience in tact And above all to know that one day i will be able to be with my partner.... whom i love and miss soooooo much!!!

[KimandRuss 0]

Good morning folks

Ana, this is what Russell told me....

if you need an australian police certificate (i.e. you have lived in australia for more then a year) you need to apply for an australia police certificate yourself, they dont get one for you as it costs about 150 australian i think.

Michelle, you're welcome. In all my time here i've not heard of NZ not accepting co-sponsors soooo my assumption would be that you will be ok.

Yes, Grant, I also want to know if you're tempted to open the brown envelope.

Russell's medical went very well yesterday and he was done in no time at all. He also paid for his visa and overnighted his p3 back to the Embassy. They should have everything they need on Monday. My packet to him should arrive the same time so he'll be all ready for an interview any time after that. Yes, we are quite excited!!!

We had to wait all these years just to file... 7 months at VJ just waiting for my divorce decree ... and it's been 5 months since we filed now... hard to believe we're almost finally there! Takes my breath away.

[gshennen 0]

Grant: how cool to have the magic 'foil' in passport. Are you ever tempted to open the 'secret envelope'? jk

Oh yes...I sure am. It is a bit like a wet paint sign..

They make it pretty damned hard to tamper with, it is sealed (like a normal envelope), then has the consulate stamp over the seal, then someone's signature, and then the whole flap is taped shut.

We have put it out of sight (after we kept picking it up and staring at it).

Our plans are (at this moment). Brook's mother will fly out here on about the 15th of Oct (to be chief baby sitter while we wrap our NZ stuff up). Brook, the kids and her will fly to the US on the 22nd(ish). I can sell/put into storage the remainder of our stuff, get rid of the cars etc, and I'll fly over on about the 29th of Oct.

In the meantime, so that we are prepared for the kids arrival, we will arrange cots, car seats etc online and get them shipped to her parents, and we will send over some money so that Brook's Dad can buy a car for us so we can hit the ground running upon our arrival.

Tiara - do you get the envelope etc now, or do you wait until you resubmit Chris' passport? Did they say you were approved on the spot on Tuesday? With us the guy didn't actually say so, but he certainly left us with no doubt that it was all approved. Even so, it was still a nervous wait until the courier pack arrived (especially seeing I was putting the track and trace number into the website of the completely wrong courier company, and always getting an error message!!).

Cheers

Grant

[gshennen 0]

Another really interesting thing that happened ar the Consulate, was the interviewing officer, really (and I mean really) ecouraged me to get naturalized after being in the US for 3 years. It wasn't just a passing piece of advice, he really laboured the point.

Cheers

Grant

[KimandRuss 0]

hi guys, this is russ,

just figured i would post on the whole medical side of things, first off i can really recommend Dr Stone, he and his "peeps" made things very clear and very easy for me, and i would suspect all visa applicants, to go through the process with the minimal amount of fuss and bother. They usually can accomodate you within a week of calling, i called on a monday morning and got an appointment for friday, speed is good when you have been waiting so long

now the actually medical itself took about 10 mins, weight, height, blood pressure, reflexes, a little listen here and there and that was about it, ran over old medical history (medication, surgeries, vacinations). i just required a booster shot and was all set, the whole thing cost 185 dollars which was 40 less then the recommended price and that was with the shot included, didn't end up paying extra for that which is also good.

now the radiologist was actually 1.5kms down the road (~ 1 mile) so if you dont mind the walk it takes about 15-20 mins, if you do then take the car, the radiology was at 101 Remuera Rd and the Blood work place was around the corner at 12 St Marks, now the first place sticks out from the main street and is down a little driveway, was pretty painless and cost $80, the blood works place is tucked away behind a womans medical clinic and is call Diagnostics MedLab, the entrance is around the back side, that cost $31 so all up less than $300 and was pretty painless.

The whole process took me about an hour and a half (i walked the mile.... good excercise ), but that could be as less then an hour and nearer two depending on waiting times at each of the places (the only drawback of medical being at three different places), so if you go for your medical book it before 3 to give you ample time to get to all the places in one go.

all and all it was pretty painless, a couple jabs in the arm and all done,

i hope this helps those yet to go through it

oh one last thing, make sure you have your forms, two passport photos, and your passport (need it at all three places as they each have to sign the verification sheet, make sure they sign it or you will be going back to them to get them to sign it), and they dont take credit cards

cheers

Russ

[KimandRuss 0]

Russ again

P.s.

i love you baby with all my heart SOON

[Michelle Kauffman 0]

Russ thanks so much for that, good to know all those little details that I for one always worry about

[Kelvan 0]

Hey thanks for your info Russ! I'll remember that when my time comes and forward it onto my friend who's almost at that point in the timeline. Nice to meet you

[KimandRuss 0]

Russ again

P.s.

i love you baby with all my heart SOON

I love you too my love.