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

[JamieandJamie 3]

Visa visa vi-SA! -to the tune of the conga-

Hehehe just had to celebrate in ALL the threads ^-^ So happy.

CONGRATS! YAY! Now you gotta tell me all about the interview haha My fiance is going for his interview next tuesday, i wanted to go with him, but on such short notice cant get down there now Any tips appreciated! I know ive read the interview stories from other kiwis, but a recent one would be great!

Wow just found this thread, very exciting to see so many Kiwis YAY. Congrats Mixxer

Welcome to the group! (im not a kiwi myself, just a kiwi lover lol)

[mixxerr0se 0]

Thank you all so much! It's so nice having the support from people going through the same thing! Right now I am trying really hard to focus on just getting out of the country - selling my stuff, etc etc right now instead of looking up all the AOS stuff and getting overwhelmed. We don't even have any of the wedding details set at this point, even though it's gonna be really simple / a 'quickie' you know there is still a lot to think about - we don't have a location set at this point, I don't have a dress nor him a suit, nothing haha. But have to just focus on GETTING there then we can worry about all that!

Anyway, here is my 'story' Jamie! And for anyone else it may help in the future, although I don't really know if there's much to it that would help people but I know that most things were quite on point with what others had said about the interview/consulate/etc, and that did make me feel much more in control when I was there!

So. My interview was at 10am. I had been planning to leave ridiculous amounts of time to get ready and what not just in case, but had been very short of sleep recently and SLEPT THROUGH MY FREAKIN' ALARM! Luckily I woke up and thought it was a bit lighter than it should have been so checked the time, it was 50 minutes later than I wanted to wake up so I had a bit of a freakout but considering how much time I had left to get ready I still actually had plenty of time as my hotel was all of a like, 10 minute if that walk from the consulate. Although I did have to allow a bit of extra time for the walk down the 14 flights of stairs in wedges - yes, BOTH elevators at the hotel were broken. I was also going to have coffee and stuff before the interview, so luckily the time I'd allowed for that made up for how late I woke up! Anyway, ended up leaving the hotel around 9.15 I think? As I said, much later than I would have liked, but I knew exactly where I had to go and how far away I was so I wasn't too worried - just meant I had to forgo the coffee. Wasn't sure if I should wait until closer to 10 to enter, or if you were supposed to be through security and the first window and all that by that point - in the end entered the building at 9.45. The best way I can describe to find the building is if you are on Queen St. heading towards the water, Customs St. East (I think that was the one aha not West) is on your right (that part I am sure of) just before you hit the busses and stuff at Britomart. Then it's on the right hand side of that street, right next to an Esquires coffee, before you hit any intersections or anything, like really not far up that road at all. It's pretty hard to miss and as someone else mentioned (kiwana I think) there is a US flag outside out.

Anyway, went up on the elevator, and as people have said you come straight out at security. There was a security guard standing behind a desky thing, and I wasn't sure whether I went straight up to him or to this bit that said "Please queue here" or something, and then he would come over to me? So I awkwardly (I am great at being awkward) asked him if I lined up there or not and he asked what time my appt. was and I told him and he like radioed through that I was there. Then he asked if I had a cellphone and I said I did and he asked me to turn it off and I did and I put it back in my handbag and then he asked me to put my handbag on the conveyor belt thing and it went through that and he locked it away and gave me a number to pick it up later. Then he asked if he could look at my folder (that had my evidence etc in it) and I was like sure but he just stood there and I realised he wanted me to open it myself aha. So I did and held it open and he was satisfied and then asked me to leave everything on the counter and walk through the security thing which I did. Then I picked it up again (my folder) and he said to go through the door up to Window 'something' (I forgot the number, but it was the one straight ahead from the door I went through and the only one that says immigrant visas) and press the button so I did.

It took about two minutes before a nice older lady with shortish dark hair came to the window and started talking to me. Basically she just looked through my papers to make sure everything was there and took my passport and said this was the first part and then I'd have an interview with a consular officer. And she just asked a few things that I think she must have had to ask like "Are you planning to get married in the United States" and asked if my fiance worked there (yes) and stuff, like really simple things, that's about all I can remember. And she explained the process of what happened afterwards - like showed me a sample envelope that I take through customs etc when I get there and that I would be taken aside at POE and interviewed a bit or w/e and to allow a butt-ton of time if I had a connecting flight just in case, and a basic overview of the AOS and that sort of thing, although she said that they'd send me info on all that anyway so not to worry too much. And gave me a CD which I assume was my xray since it had their logo all over it aha. And a photocopy of the vaccination record (DS-3025? Too lazy to look it up right now) saying it was very important I hold on to it as I would need it for AOS. I told her I already had it, that the doctors had sent me a pdf copy, and she said that they were SUPPOSED to but only like 1 out of 10 times they actually did or something. Oh and yes I forgot to mention since I assume everyone's read other reports - yes there was glass between us haha and I was standing and you slipped papers under a little hole in the bottom of the window. Anyway that was about all at that window and then she gave me a slip of paper with the new payment info on it (it had just changed to more than $100 less than the old price a matter of days before my interview, pretty sweet!) and told me to go to the next window (payment window) and buzz.

Here almost instantly an Asian lady came and I paid her and that was all very straight forward. She told me to take a seat and I'd be called for my interview. So I did and that was when I actually stopped to look around. Basically the bit where all this happens is almost like a big corridor with the windows (like the interview windows, payment window etc) running the length of it. At the other end by the 'Staff only' or something door there was a very small tv playing American news. There were flags and stuff in a few places and posters about voting on the walls. Overall it was pretty sparse - lots of chairs to wait on, just simple fold-up type ones. I saw that there were two interview windows, but when I sat down there was no one at either. I waited awkwardly, obvs. no magazines to read or anything at a place like this and everything has been taken off you (phones, mp3 players etc) so not much to do. I was the only one in there bar a few people coming in and out of the employee door. A very American sounding man and a Kiwi girl (Maori I think?) came through while I was waiting and talked to the lady I had already talked to. They had got married here by the sounds of it and were starting whatever the process was of immigrating to the States. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop but you can just hear everything haha. They were there pretty quick then left again, just went to that one window, I think they were more after information than anything else. I'd been waiting about 10 mins I'd guess (although felt like more) when a man came up to the interview window, but he didn't call me. Then another couple came in and went up to the US Citizens window (right at the end after the interview windows) and buzzed and then appeared to get frustrated at the fact that no one came up to the window straight away and started yelling "Hello?" etc. Which for some reason annoyed me, I mean calm down, you buzz to let them know you're there, that doesn't mean they have to come right away! Besides I'd been waiting way longer than then. Anyway finally they sat down and waited.

About 10 mins after the man appeared on the other side of the interview window he called my name, so I went up. He was quite nice too, like serious I guess but not intimidating. Basically he did the same thing as the lady, just went through all my forms and stuff, said everything seemed in order. He had to get one of my fingerprints again at that window as one hadn't turned out right or whatever. Asked a few questions, like how did we meet (which I said when and how) then he prompted for more details of how it progressed (since we met online I mentioned how we talked on there then emailed then IMed then started using webcam and swapped numbers and how it became more frequent and progressed and all that stuff). He asked what Adam (fiance) did, which I explained the best I could - I said at the end "I don't quite understand it haha" to which he grinned. He asked where we were planning to get married (which I said we were still deciding between a couple of places) which lead him to ask if that (Seattle) was where he lived, which I said yes it was. He asked when I was planning to leave the country, and I said that had depended on when this happened etc but when (/if, didn't know whether saying 'when' would sound too presumptuous haha) this came through we would probably book flights pretty soon for about a month or so out. But yeah all these questions were pretty casual and stuff. He said we were going to take an oath now and to raise my hand like he showed me and I can't even remember what the oath was now lmao, I guess just that everything I had said / on the forms etc was true. And yeah, then he handed me the part of the form that you're not meant to sign until the interview (the one with a part 1 and a part 2 - DS156 maybe? - too lazy to remember the names while typing this, will edit later with them lol) and I signed it then he signed his part saying he witnessed it etc. Then he started talking about how it would take a few days to process and then my passport would be returned to me in the mail etc. And then there was kind of silence and I realised it was like, finished aha. And I awkwardly asked like, if this processing time was when the decision was made, or...? Type thing... and he was like "Oh no no, it's all approved haha, this is just processing time." And I was thinking OMG you could have told me that! Hahaha but yeah I double-checked that he didn't need any evidence and I can't remember exactly what he said but basically he didn't lol. SO I SPENT FOREVER ORGANISING THAT WHOLE BIG FOLDER OF STUFF FOR NOTHING OMG! Still hahahaha it was approved I didn't really care, whatever! Anyway I thanked him profusely and sat back on a seat for a moment to put the extra stuff he had given me that they no longer needed back in my folder etc and the 'US Citizen' people were like "Oh I bet HE can help us" and started harassing him at the interview window lmao poor guy, I mean it's not even the right window! They hadn't been waiting long at all, like my entire interview probably only took like 5 mins, or 10 tops.

Anyway, went back out through security, got my bag back, went down the lift, turned my phone back on. Went outside the building but still sort of in it's entranceway so I wasn't standing in the middle of the footpath and called Adam. He'd very sweetly worked from home that day so that if I had to call him for anything (like if he needed to email something over or whatever) he'd be easier to reach. Anyway I called him with teary eyes and told him "We are allowed to get married!" and I think honestly - it was relief as much as happiness haha. But I was like swirling round on the phone to him all teary eyed, the people passing must have been like ####### but I didn't care. Eventually he said he better call his mum & sister haha, who were very happy, and I went and sat on the bus stop seat there and had a cigarette (no lectures lol) and texted my parents - my mum proceeded to ring me haha saying congrats and stuff. Then I went to the coffee place next door and got coffee and a muffin and got harrassed by a bird (INSIDE MIGHT I ADD) and wanted to like, tell people or something, you know? But that would just be weird and creepy so I kept it to myself and had coffee/muffin and well yeah, that's basically the end of the story

So yeah the interview was on Thursday, it's Tuesday now and no sign of visa yet but not worried yet! I went in at around 9.45 or a bit after, and checked the time when I was out AFTER a 10 min or so phone call to Adam, at 10.40. So around 50 minutes, with at least 20 mins of that just waiting. So I prob only had about 30 mins or so in contact with people, including security, the first window, the cashier window, and the interview itself! Just as some sort of idea of time frames!

Anything else anyone wants to know feel free to ask, hope this rambling helps at least someone some! Even if not it feels quite good to talk about it haha. Best of luck to your fiance for the interview Jamie! It's really not that scary at all, I promise, but even though I'd been told that by others I was still scared haha But yeah, pretty unjustified (:

[kiwiana 2]

Thank you for the review of the interview!! It brought back memories for me It will be most helpful for future kiwis going through the process!

[kiwiana 2]

R.O.C. interview

Today was my interview for R.O.C.... We got to the local office around 7.15am. I thought we would have to wait for it to open but it was already open with the security guards by the front doors etc... It was the same place we went to for AOS interview and we went up to the first floor. I was shocked when we went to walk into the office and saw ALL the people sitting there waiting to be interviewed!! At that time of the morning?? Made me wonder what time does the uscis office open??

Anyway, i slid the interview letter under the tray by the window at the front desk and we sat down and waited.. I noticed that above the main window, it said AOS and Naturalization.. I panicked for like a minute, wondering if we were in the right place but a woman came and picked up the interview letter from the tray and didn't say anything.

We waited for maybe 15 minutes, then our names were called, which surprised me as last time we had to wait almost 2 and a half hours for the interview.. The man led us out of the main waiting room and on a tiki tour through corridors and rooms etc (in the opposite direction of where we went for the AOS interview). We had to remain standing and put up our right hands and swear to an oath to tell the truth etc.

We had to produce our drivers licence and i had to give him my expired green card. He opened our file and i noticed how thick it was He generally went over the I-751 form and asked me the questions that were on it.. He asked us where we got married and when. Asked us how we met. Where we worked. My children's names. I had to show recent bank statements, tax returns, car insurance and photos. He then asked us if we had any credit cards (we don't)

He left the office and photocopied our drivers licence and then said we were approved and should get the new GC in a few weeks. He also said i could apply for citizenship in the future. He said that it is 3 years from when we got married to apply AND three years from the initial date on the greencard. I asked/said to him that you can apply 90 days before the date on the greencard? and he said that it is best to apply for it more closer to the date on the GC or you will lose the $680 filing fee and have the form sent back to you.. so now i am not sure if you can apply safely 90 days before the initial date on your greencard was issued? Anyone know for sure?

So that was that. I am soo glad that it is over. But i still don't know why we got called in for an interview for both AOS and ROC.

Cdneh: I hope you hear something very soon about your ROC!!

[Mrs. NSA 6]

Congrats two both of you, Very awesome, Just got email that my husbands green card was mailed yesterday, so my sister and brother -n-law, ( they co sponsored) and my self are going to wrap up the Green card letter, My sister is going to make him a cake with both flags on it, and we are going to celebrate. So happy, Thanks Jaime for the welcome to the group

[kiwiana 2]

Congrats two both of you, Very awesome, Just got email that my husbands green card was mailed yesterday, so my sister and brother -n-law, ( they co sponsored) and my self are going to wrap up the Green card letter, My sister is going to make him a cake with both flags on it, and we are going to celebrate. So happy, Thanks Jaime for the welcome to the group

Thanks and Welcome to the NZ thread!! That is wonderful that your hubby's green card is on its way.. Congratulations!! You now have 2 years free from immigration until removal of conditions!!

[Mrs. NSA 6]

Yeah it is so hard to believe, when you start these processes you know it will take awhile, but WOW, us couples go through so much at 8500 miles away,

Thanks for having me, and yes SMOOTH sailing fro the next year and nine months

[nikohansey 0]

Hi all thought i might come and introduce myself. My name is Hannah.

My fiance lives in phoenix, Arizona and I live in palmerston north and we are just in the process of sending away the I-129F.

Talk about a huge process,, but realise just one step at a time.

No major questions - but if the package is sent away next week in the USA - do you think it is realistic providing nothing gets rejected along the way to say i will have my visa by September?

Thanks so much, i have enjoyed reading different posts and excited about the start of the journey. But also can't wait till this first part is over so I can finally marry my prince and live in the USA.

[kiwiana 2]

Hi all thought i might come and introduce myself. My name is Hannah.

My fiance lives in phoenix, Arizona and I live in palmerston north and we are just in the process of sending away the I-129F.

Talk about a huge process,, but realise just one step at a time.

No major questions - but if the package is sent away next week in the USA - do you think it is realistic providing nothing gets rejected along the way to say i will have my visa by September?

Thanks so much, i have enjoyed reading different posts and excited about the start of the journey. But also can't wait till this first part is over so I can finally marry my prince and live in the USA.

Welcome to VJ and the New Zealand thread!!! I agree with you that it seems like a huge process and patience is definitely a virtue whilst waiting for the approval of the I-129f I guess it isn't impossible for your case to be approved in September but i think generally (with no hiccups along the way) it usually takes around 6 months to get the visa.

It is mainly the time you wait from CSC or VSC. But once the file is sent on to the embassy in NZ, things seem to move quite quickly. It seems (to me anyway) that there is no rhyme or reason as to why some cases are approved quicker than others or why some are held up by USCIS but again, in general, it usually takes around 6 months

Keep us posted on your journey and its always nice to see peoples timelines on the end of their posts so we can see how the journey is going..

Once again, Welcome!! and feel free to ask the group any questions that you may have We may not be able to answer all your questions but it is just nice to have people around who know and understand and support you through the process

[nikohansey 0]

Welcome to VJ and the New Zealand thread!!! I agree with you that it seems like a huge process and patience is definitely a virtue whilst waiting for the approval of the I-129f I guess it isn't impossible for your case to be approved in September but i think generally (with no hiccups along the way) it usually takes around 6 months to get the visa.

It is mainly the time you wait from CSC or VSC. But once the file is sent on to the embassy in NZ, things seem to move quite quickly. It seems (to me anyway) that there is no rhyme or reason as to why some cases are approved quicker than others or why some are held up by USCIS but again, in general, it usually takes around 6 months

Keep us posted on your journey and its always nice to see peoples timelines on the end of their posts so we can see how the journey is going..

Once again, Welcome!! and feel free to ask the group any questions that you may have We may not be able to answer all your questions but it is just nice to have people around who know and understand and support you through the process

Thank you so much. I am getting spoilt by my fiance as he is coming over for a couple of months in June to help with selling the house and organising everything to go to USA - and he returns back there in Sept. So was hoping to go back with him, but i have realised it will be a wait and see game.

For my son, we understand you need to apply for the K2 visa. When do you apply for that. Is that when i receive everything from Auckland? Will he need the medical check as well. He is 10. And roughly how much is all the medical checks/xrays cost.

Thanks Hannah

[kiwiana 2]

Thank you so much. I am getting spoilt by my fiance as he is coming over for a couple of months in June to help with selling the house and organising everything to go to USA - and he returns back there in Sept. So was hoping to go back with him, but i have realised it will be a wait and see game.

For my son, we understand you need to apply for the K2 visa. When do you apply for that. Is that when i receive everything from Auckland? Will he need the medical check as well. He is 10. And roughly how much is all the medical checks/xrays cost.

Thanks Hannah

I'm not sure on the procedure with a K2 but fellow NZ VJ-er JessNZ applied for a K2.. Here is a link to the consulate review she wrote:

NZ consulate reviews

It is the second review down. If you click onto her name you will be able to send her a private message and you could ask her about the K2 process

[mixxerr0se 0]

Thank you for the review of the interview!! It brought back memories for me It will be most helpful for future kiwis going through the process!

Thank you! I hope so!

R.O.C. interview

Today was my interview for R.O.C.... We got to the local office around 7.15am. I thought we would have to wait for it to open but it was already open with the security guards by the front doors etc... It was the same place we went to for AOS interview and we went up to the first floor. I was shocked when we went to walk into the office and saw ALL the people sitting there waiting to be interviewed!! At that time of the morning?? Made me wonder what time does the uscis office open??

Anyway, i slid the interview letter under the tray by the window at the front desk and we sat down and waited.. I noticed that above the main window, it said AOS and Naturalization.. I panicked for like a minute, wondering if we were in the right place but a woman came and picked up the interview letter from the tray and didn't say anything.

We waited for maybe 15 minutes, then our names were called, which surprised me as last time we had to wait almost 2 and a half hours for the interview.. The man led us out of the main waiting room and on a tiki tour through corridors and rooms etc (in the opposite direction of where we went for the AOS interview). We had to remain standing and put up our right hands and swear to an oath to tell the truth etc.

We had to produce our drivers licence and i had to give him my expired green card. He opened our file and i noticed how thick it was He generally went over the I-751 form and asked me the questions that were on it.. He asked us where we got married and when. Asked us how we met. Where we worked. My children's names. I had to show recent bank statements, tax returns, car insurance and photos. He then asked us if we had any credit cards (we don't)

He left the office and photocopied our drivers licence and then said we were approved and should get the new GC in a few weeks. He also said i could apply for citizenship in the future. He said that it is 3 years from when we got married to apply AND three years from the initial date on the greencard. I asked/said to him that you can apply 90 days before the date on the greencard? and he said that it is best to apply for it more closer to the date on the GC or you will lose the $680 filing fee and have the form sent back to you.. so now i am not sure if you can apply safely 90 days before the initial date on your greencard was issued? Anyone know for sure?

So that was that. I am soo glad that it is over. But i still don't know why we got called in for an interview for both AOS and ROC.

Cdneh: I hope you hear something very soon about your ROC!!

Congrats, that is awesome! I can't wait until we have made it that far haha. Seems so overwhelming and far away. I'm stressed because on top of what everyone else has to do which is plenty!, ie planning a wedding, getting married, and doing all the AOS stuff in 3 months, we are also moving house - our lease at fiance's current place will end JUST after our 3 months expires (give or take, depending on when I actually get my a into g and get sorted and get over there) so we will also be house-hunting and packing things up and arranging a move in those 3 months too, argh - I don't deal well with overwhelm, I tend to shut down so a bit scared about all that.

Congrats two both of you, Very awesome, Just got email that my husbands green card was mailed yesterday, so my sister and brother -n-law, ( they co sponsored) and my self are going to wrap up the Green card letter, My sister is going to make him a cake with both flags on it, and we are going to celebrate. So happy, Thanks Jaime for the welcome to the group

Thank you tons! It's a relief, but also stressful as we now have to actually move forward but at least we CAN now! Congrats on the green card!! The cake is such a cute idea (:

[mixxerr0se 0]

CONGRATS! YAY! Now you gotta tell me all about the interview haha My fiance is going for his interview next tuesday, i wanted to go with him, but on such short notice cant get down there now Any tips appreciated! I know ive read the interview stories from other kiwis, but a recent one would be great!

Welcome to the group! (im not a kiwi myself, just a kiwi lover lol)

I assume by next Tuesday you mean today haha, if so looking forward to hearing how it went for him! Let us know (:

[Mrs. NSA 6]

Welcome Nikohansey! You have a long journey ahead of you. From now to September is only five months. I will say I hope it goes that fast for you. It took us 8 months and our case moved pretty quick, so just dont finalize any thing until you know for sure ok. Very awesome to have you here with us Kiwi's and/or spouses. My husband is from Putaruru ( i think I spelled that right).

We Just received Colin's GreenCard. WOW pretty neat look thing I have to say. Had a party for him yesterday with all of our close family to open the envelope with his card in it! It was a really wonderful day. I just cant believe we are done!

[JamieandJamie 3]

YAAAAAAAAAAAY :dance: Fiance was approved for his Visa yesterday! He said the interview was super easy and the guy was really nice. Hopefully I can get him to post a more detailed recap on here like some of you all have done. Thanks for all the help, because of you guys he knew what hotel to stay in he knew there was a little coffee place nearby and everything to expect. I think it probably made it a lot less nerve wracking for him Im so excited to FINALLY be done with this part of the process. We sent in our I129F last august, so its been a long journey! Still dont get to see him for another month, but compared to the last 9 months this month im sure will fly by! Thanks again for all the help everyone, and Im sure ill stay on these boards as the process continues