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

[kiwiana 2]

I received my 'welcome to United States of America' letter today in the mail Hopefully, the green card will arrive very soon.

Kim: not sure if you have already headed to nz or not yet but just want to wish you a safe journey!!

[Kim & Chris 0]

I received my 'welcome to United States of America' letter today in the mail Hopefully, the green card will arrive very soon.

Kim: not sure if you have already headed to nz or not yet but just want to wish you a safe journey!!

Oh congratulations..... your card will be there in a few days I'm sure.

I leave on Saturday 2.28pm from Memphis with a connection in LA and Air NZ to Auckland. Haven't flown them long haul before, only to Aussie, but it was a good price $1980. NZD return including all taxes and both the connections between LA & Memphis.

At the moment I have suitcases open and stuff all over the bedroom. Didn't think I'd be having to do this again so soon

[cdneh 3,112]

I received my 'welcome to United States of America' letter today in the mail Hopefully, the green card will arrive very soon.

Kim: not sure if you have already headed to nz or not yet but just want to wish you a safe journey!!

Oh congratulations..... your card will be there in a few days I'm sure.

I leave on Saturday 2.28pm from Memphis with a connection in LA and Air NZ to Auckland. Haven't flown them long haul before, only to Aussie, but it was a good price $1980. NZD return including all taxes and both the connections between LA & Memphis.

At the moment I have suitcases open and stuff all over the bedroom. Didn't think I'd be having to do this again so soon

Sorry to hear about your Aunt Kim

I did mail boxes from the post shop, and I sent 9 in the end..or was it 7..lol...most of those were under a hundred dollars. Also no paperwork this end, the post man just brought them.

Have a safe trip!

Edited September 5, 2009 by cdneh

[kiwiana 2]

Hi everyone!

hope all is going well! My SO and I returned from vacation in vegas yesterday and found my GC waiting in the mail for me!! yay!!

cdneh: have you heard any news from uscis yet?

[cdneh 3,112]

Hi everyone!

hope all is going well! My SO and I returned from vacation in vegas yesterday and found my GC waiting in the mail for me!! yay!!

cdneh: have you heard any news from uscis yet?

Congratulations !

Not heard a peep, nore had a touch since the end of July

[Kim & Chris 0]

Hi everyone!

hope all is going well! My SO and I returned from vacation in vegas yesterday and found my GC waiting in the mail for me!! yay!!

cdneh: have you heard any news from uscis yet?

Congrats Ana........Hope you had a nice break in Vegas after all your dmv and USCIS dramas. NIce one finding your GC in the mail when you got home......perfect end to your break away

Cdneh you won't be far behind I'm sure

Well I made it back home after dragging my backside across the country to LA and then the long flight home. Made a list of foods I was missing before I got here and am working my way through it one by one. Not everything is as good as I remember it I have to say....lol, however I'm eating a roast lamb dinner at the moment which is hitting the spot nicely

My Aunt is still hanging on and is still coherent when she's not sleeping. It's been good to see her and spend some time with her.

I'm going to make a start tomorrow on the box of things I stashed away before I left. Hopefully I can be ruthless and get rid of alot of it, fill up my case with some and send some via the post.

It's been a frantic couple of weeks that's for sure

[kiwiana 2]

Congrats Ana........Hope you had a nice break in Vegas after all your dmv and USCIS dramas. NIce one finding your GC in the mail when you got home......perfect end to your break away

Cdneh you won't be far behind I'm sure

Well I made it back home after dragging my backside across the country to LA and then the long flight home. Made a list of foods I was missing before I got here and am working my way through it one by one. Not everything is as good as I remember it I have to say....lol, however I'm eating a roast lamb dinner at the moment which is hitting the spot nicely

My Aunt is still hanging on and is still coherent when she's not sleeping. It's been good to see her and spend some time with her.

I'm going to make a start tomorrow on the box of things I stashed away before I left. Hopefully I can be ruthless and get rid of alot of it, fill up my case with some and send some via the post.

It's been a frantic couple of weeks that's for sure

It's great to hear that you made it there safe and sound

What's it like to be back over there again? Is there anything that you really missed about nz (apart from obviously family and friends) Have you noticed anything different/changes or anything hard to adjust to over there, now that you have been away from the country for awhile?

Hope you manage to get stuck into sorting out your things. Its amazing how time consuming it is!

This week i am going to try and sit my written driving test at the dreaded DMV!! I tried to make an online appointment at the local office here but they don't accept appointments for it, so will have to try the good old fashioned walk in and wait and wait and wait trick!!

[cdneh 3,112]

Good luck Kiwiana! Crossing my fingers for you!

Hi everyone!

hope all is going well! My SO and I returned from vacation in vegas yesterday and found my GC waiting in the mail for me!! yay!!

cdneh: have you heard any news from uscis yet?

Congrats Ana........Hope you had a nice break in Vegas after all your dmv and USCIS dramas. NIce one finding your GC in the mail when you got home......perfect end to your break away

Cdneh you won't be far behind I'm sure

Well I made it back home after dragging my backside across the country to LA and then the long flight home. Made a list of foods I was missing before I got here and am working my way through it one by one. Not everything is as good as I remember it I have to say....lol, however I'm eating a roast lamb dinner at the moment which is hitting the spot nicely

My Aunt is still hanging on and is still coherent when she's not sleeping. It's been good to see her and spend some time with her.

I'm going to make a start tomorrow on the box of things I stashed away before I left. Hopefully I can be ruthless and get rid of alot of it, fill up my case with some and send some via the post.

It's been a frantic couple of weeks that's for sure

Roast lamb

I am glad you have had a chance to see your Aunt..I'm sure it must be hard all the same.

Good luck with that sorting thing...hard to make those choices I think we all know!

[Kim & Chris 0]

Congrats Ana........Hope you had a nice break in Vegas after all your dmv and USCIS dramas. NIce one finding your GC in the mail when you got home......perfect end to your break away

Cdneh you won't be far behind I'm sure

Well I made it back home after dragging my backside across the country to LA and then the long flight home. Made a list of foods I was missing before I got here and am working my way through it one by one. Not everything is as good as I remember it I have to say....lol, however I'm eating a roast lamb dinner at the moment which is hitting the spot nicely

My Aunt is still hanging on and is still coherent when she's not sleeping. It's been good to see her and spend some time with her.

I'm going to make a start tomorrow on the box of things I stashed away before I left. Hopefully I can be ruthless and get rid of alot of it, fill up my case with some and send some via the post.

It's been a frantic couple of weeks that's for sure

It's great to hear that you made it there safe and sound

What's it like to be back over there again? Is there anything that you really missed about nz (apart from obviously family and friends) Have you noticed anything different/changes or anything hard to adjust to over there, now that you have been away from the country for awhile?

Hope you manage to get stuck into sorting out your things. Its amazing how time consuming it is!

This week i am going to try and sit my written driving test at the dreaded DMV!! I tried to make an online appointment at the local office here but they don't accept appointments for it, so will have to try the good old fashioned walk in and wait and wait and wait trick!!

Good luck at the DMV I'm sure you'll be fine

Family and friends I def miss and maybe the odd thing to eat but that's about it. I seem to miss home when I'm away but when I came back I remember why I was over alot of things before I left. I'm sure I'll miss it all again when I'm back there.

I've got piles of stuff everywhere and deciding what to get rid of is the really hard part. Got some boxes from the post office today and will start filling them in the morning. Will head back out south to Waiuku and the Aunts place on Thursday. I'm so glad i came when i did.

Can't wait to get back to my sweetie though

I'll be so glad when this is finally all sorted

[cdneh 3,112]

Congrats Ana........Hope you had a nice break in Vegas after all your dmv and USCIS dramas. NIce one finding your GC in the mail when you got home......perfect end to your break away

Cdneh you won't be far behind I'm sure

Well I made it back home after dragging my backside across the country to LA and then the long flight home. Made a list of foods I was missing before I got here and am working my way through it one by one. Not everything is as good as I remember it I have to say....lol, however I'm eating a roast lamb dinner at the moment which is hitting the spot nicely

My Aunt is still hanging on and is still coherent when she's not sleeping. It's been good to see her and spend some time with her.

I'm going to make a start tomorrow on the box of things I stashed away before I left. Hopefully I can be ruthless and get rid of alot of it, fill up my case with some and send some via the post.

It's been a frantic couple of weeks that's for sure

It's great to hear that you made it there safe and sound

What's it like to be back over there again? Is there anything that you really missed about nz (apart from obviously family and friends) Have you noticed anything different/changes or anything hard to adjust to over there, now that you have been away from the country for awhile?

Hope you manage to get stuck into sorting out your things. Its amazing how time consuming it is!

This week i am going to try and sit my written driving test at the dreaded DMV!! I tried to make an online appointment at the local office here but they don't accept appointments for it, so will have to try the good old fashioned walk in and wait and wait and wait trick!!

Good luck at the DMV I'm sure you'll be fine

Family and friends I def miss and maybe the odd thing to eat but that's about it. I seem to miss home when I'm away but when I came back I remember why I was over alot of things before I left. I'm sure I'll miss it all again when I'm back there.

I've got piles of stuff everywhere and deciding what to get rid of is the really hard part. Got some boxes from the post office today and will start filling them in the morning. Will head back out south to Waiuku and the Aunts place on Thursday. I'm so glad i came when i did.

Can't wait to get back to my sweetie though

I'll be so glad when this is finally all sorted

I'm sure you will be glad when it's all done and dusted...that packing and sorting thing...*ack*

[kiwiana 2]

The dmv as usual was FUN!! (not! ) We were in there 2 and a half hours!!! Then when my number was called, the guy serving me was half asleep and was dithering around.

I had to sort out the wrong birthdate they had put on my state ID first before i could proceed with anything else, which meant that I had to redo photo and thumb print for it.

Then when he tried to verify my GC #, it came up on their computer in my old name and not my new married name even though it IS in my married name So i had to explain that to him. Then i had to have another photo and thumb print for the written driving test. $28 later i sat for the written. And was handed this very long sheet of paper.

I had swotted up on all the road rules, signs etc so wasn't expecting q's such as an airbag one with..... how much distance should be between you and the steering wheel? 10 inches, 6 1/2 inches or your head is directly above the steering wheel?

How old and the weight of a child in a child car restraint? 6 years & 60 pounds, 5 years & 60 pounds or 5 years & 55 pounds?

A question about if it is legal to smoke in a car with a child under 18 years of age?

question about if you are chased by police and seriously hurt someone, what is the punishment?

a rail car question.. and so on....

where were the ones about turning left? turning right? giving way etc?

I stumbled through the 20 questions and thought i had finished when i noticed there were more q's on the back. Another 16 to go!!

oh yay!!

When i went to the booth to start the form, all the booths were full.. i looked up and found one other person in the booth next to me!! had i really taken THAT long to do it? (Yep!! )

As i finally handed the form back to the guy to check, i was feeling very despondent, i knew it would be a miracle if by some strange luck i had passed.

He quickly checked it and looked up and said. congrats! you passed! I was like OMG!! i was in shock!!

I am soo glad that it's over. Today i tried to make an appointment for a behind the wheel test. I phoned up and after waiting 10 minutes got to a real human being. At least i think he was real as he only said like a dozen words. He simply said there were no appointments.

I said.. 'what never ever'???

he said, 'not for at least a month. phone back monday and see if anything comes up'.

so i went online and there was an appointment available in October so i booked that one. I went to print the information out and lost the whole page in the process.. arrrgh!!

hope everyone is doing ok

Kim how's it going over there? did you manage to sort out everything ok yet?

cdneh: It must be awfully close for you to receive your GC! It's been three months now or there abouts?

[cdneh 3,112]

*sigh*

[kiwiana 2]

Its been rather quiet in here, thought i would pop my head in and say hi!!

How is everyone getting on?

cdneh have you heard any word on your GC yet?

Kim & Chris: Are you still in nz or are you back home now?

hope everyone is doing well

[cdneh 3,112]

Still nothing here with me..nice to see you

[Kelvan 0]

Hey guys, we are planning on sending out our AOS package tomorrow! Just a quick question:

For the I-765 (employment authorisation), do we need to submit with this 2 EXTRA passport style photos and copies of my passport? I have already included 2 x passport photos + 1 x copy of passport pages for the I-485.