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

[kelzm 0]

Congrats Emma!

I'm also in California, hope you find some kiwis close by. I was at work last month when I heard a familiar accent and I had to get up and go and ask the startled lady where she was from. Turns out she was from Auckland (I work in a public library).

Zeddess it took me a year to find a job, and even then I only have a 20 hour a week job, and I pick up extra hours as I can. Admittedly for a large part of that my search was narrow, I was only applying for librarian jobs as that is what I do, but there wasn't much out there. I started applying for a variety of clerical, receptionist etc and didn't have much luck there, a couple of interviews, but no job. For the first year I relied on temp jobs. I was very lucky that my neighbour was the HR person for the local county and got me on the temp list so I got to work as a receptionist, a tax collector and a PA to the city attorney at various times.

It's tough, but don't lose hope, I started to feel that it must be just me but finding a job is tough for everyone. The best thing I can recommend is trying to get some job experience, no matter what. Failing that try volunteering. I volunteered at the local library, and then they gave me some temp work. I think if I hadn't got that US experience under my belt I wouldn't have got the job I have now.

[kiwiana 2]

Congrats Emma!

I'm also in California, hope you find some kiwis close by. I was at work last month when I heard a familiar accent and I had to get up and go and ask the startled lady where she was from. Turns out she was from Auckland (I work in a public library).

Zeddess it took me a year to find a job, and even then I only have a 20 hour a week job, and I pick up extra hours as I can. Admittedly for a large part of that my search was narrow, I was only applying for librarian jobs as that is what I do, but there wasn't much out there. I started applying for a variety of clerical, receptionist etc and didn't have much luck there, a couple of interviews, but no job. For the first year I relied on temp jobs. I was very lucky that my neighbour was the HR person for the local county and got me on the temp list so I got to work as a receptionist, a tax collector and a PA to the city attorney at various times.

It's tough, but don't lose hope, I started to feel that it must be just me but finding a job is tough for everyone. The best thing I can recommend is trying to get some job experience, no matter what. Failing that try volunteering. I volunteered at the local library, and then they gave me some temp work. I think if I hadn't got that US experience under my belt I wouldn't have got the job I have now.

Zeddess: Like kelzm, it took me a year to find a job too...It's a permanent position but is only part time hours (does that make sense? ) Before i found a job, i volunteered at a gift shop at a library just to keep my sanity as i wasn't used to being out of work for so long.. And still do volunteer as well as having a job.

I think finding a job is just hard at the moment and not having any USA work history can be a bit of a disadvantage. But try not to get too disheartened.

I had to go for an interview for AOS and i showed them marriage certificate, joint bank accounts, joint car insurance, wedding photos and some other photos. I really didn't have much to show them as we had only been married about 5 months. I really don't know how they decide who has to go for an interview and who doesn't...

[kiwibelcanto 3]

Thanks kelzm and kiwiana, it's such a relief to know that it's not just me! I started looking early August just to get a head-start and I swear I must have replied to about 50 postings by now and have only heard back from two, I'm thinking it's probably not having any US work experience. Something I've noticed is that the US is fairly intense about the application/interview process here. I used to be a legal secretary for about 5 years without a degree so I'm just applying for any sort of office clerk job, even applying for jobs at the mall. My husband's still in college so I need to find something asap, I'll see how I go with volunteering somewhere or trying a temping agency. Thanks for the advice!

[Lisaandtim 0]

Hello to anyone on this board I am in DESPERATE NEED OF HELP! My husband left the country and I don't know if he will be allowed back in. He has a green card and we are supposed to get the conditions removed next year, 2 years from when we were married. WILL HE BE ALLOWED BACK IN? PLEASE HELP I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO

Thanks kelzm and kiwiana, it's such a relief to know that it's not just me! I started looking early August just to get a head-start and I swear I must have replied to about 50 postings by now and have only heard back from two, I'm thinking it's probably not having any US work experience. Something I've noticed is that the US is fairly intense about the application/interview process here. I used to be a legal secretary for about 5 years without a degree so I'm just applying for any sort of office clerk job, even applying for jobs at the mall. My husband's still in college so I need to find something asap, I'll see how I go with volunteering somewhere or trying a temping agency. Thanks for the advice!

[rubyred 0]

if he has his permanent residency card - even if it's conditional - he can still leave the country and reenter no problems.

the only catch is that there is a time limit to how long he can be out of the US. i'm not sure how long it is, you'll have to check, but it's probably something like 180 days. if he's just out of the country for a few weeks, you have nothing to worry about.

[kiwiana 2]

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a great New Year!!

[cdneh 3,112]

Just popping in to wish everyone a Happy New Year.

My Father in law died a week before Christmas, so we didn't have much of a holiday here. Hoping for the best for everyone for the new year

[Dave_n_Genna 0]

Hey, been a long time since I popped in here. Hope everyone is well! Sorry to hear about the Father in Law CDNEH.

Been married nearly 2 years now, heading up to the slightly nerve wracking Removal of Conditions filing this year. (Is Genna not having a US job going to effect this in any way?)

I have another question I am hoping someone can answer. Genna's brother is getting married this April, so we are heading back to NZ for a 2 week visit. We never got around to updating Genna's Passport with her married name however. Is this going to cause any problems with her getting back into the USA?

Edited January 8, 2011 by Dave_n_Genna

[Kim & Chris 0]

Hey, been a long time since I popped in here. Hope everyone is well! Sorry to hear about the Father in Law CDNEH.

Been married nearly 2 years now, heading up to the slightly nerve wracking Removal of Conditions filing this year. (Is Genna not having a US job going to effect this in any way?)

I have another question I am hoping someone can answer. Genna's brother is getting married this April, so we are heading back to NZ for a 2 week visit. We never got around to updating Genna's Passport with her married name however. Is this going to cause any problems with her getting back into the USA?

Hi All....it's been an age since I've been on here but thought I might make a start on the next lot of paperwork which is due to be filed in May.....Lifting of Conditions!!

Dave_n_Genna: My passport is still in my before married name too. You just have to make sure your airline ticket is made out to the exact name in your passport and then take the appropriate paperwork with you for re-entry to the States....like, your US marriage certificate and maybe your birth certificate or whatever proves you had the name on the passsport previously. My passport doesn't run out till May 2012. I won't be renewing it till I have to.

For those on here still looking for work....hang on in there. I applied for so many jobs, and I think the bottom line was the fact that I had no US experience, I mean who wants to verify references if you have to contact people out of the country.

Well I'm off to dig out forms and information.....quite a feat for the procrastinator from hell

[Y&E 12]

Hey, just wanted to say to all the Kiwis with friends or family in Christchurch I hope that they are all safe and well after the earthquake this week. It's terrible to be so far away when so many of our compatriots need our assistance.

[kiwibelcanto 3]

Couldn't agree with you more Y&E, I hope that if anyone here has friends or family in Christchurch, they are all OK. I've been feeling really homesick lately and the earthquake just made me want to be close to my family in Auckland, because you never know what could happen. I've been here for a year now and although I found a good job and good friends, I miss NZ terribly. We're considering moving back to NZ at some point in the future, but I'm not sure how my Permanent Residency will be affected by that, will it be revoked so that if we ever moved back to the US we'd have to go through the visa process all over again?

[Dave_n_Genna 0]

Has anyone gone through the Removing Conditions process?

We are married and have nothing to hide, so I am not too worried about it. Should I be?

It looks straightforward and easy. We don't have a ton of evidence, but we have Tax Returns, Wedding Photos, Insurance, Credit Cards, Bank Account, Dental bills with Address, and Life Insurance. Will these be enough?

Any advice or help is appreciated.

[amaciar 0]

Zeddess- We also plan to move back to NZed eventually. Not for at least 5 years though so we plan on having my husband apply for dual citizenship. That way we can come and go from the US as we please. It seems worth it to wait it out til the citizenship process is finished to not have to deal with residency again. Except on the other end that is :-) Does it ever end?

Dave n Genna- The removal process wasn't to bad. We sent in about 5-10 different proofs of joint finances/living and didn't even need an interview. It was pretty convenient since we were in the process of bringing our own little KiwiAmerican into the world. We sent in joint insurance info (life and health), our deed (but I am sure a rental agreement is fine), joint bank account info, bills with both our names on it (phone,electric, gas etc). Basically anything we had on hand with both our names on it. It may have been overkill but it did the job. The waiting was the worst part.

[cdneh 3,112]

Just popping in to say hiya. I was thinking about the new round of paperwork coming up, and thought I might see a few 'old' faces around the place.

Just starting to get our stuff together. We didn't get interviewed last time, we were transferred to California. SO, I guess this time we must get interviewed.

[cdneh 3,112]

Just checking in ..again...I am thinking with lifting conditions coming up for a group of us..somebody will come a lookin