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

[KimandRuss 0]

good Monday morning kiwi friends.

sorry some of you aren't feeling too good. I've had something going on for a full week now too...not quite sure what it is. I'm going to blame it on the stress of waiting!

Yeah Kel..the waiting has been hell. It's been more than 6 months since i've been in his arms and my body feels like it's just aching now.

cdneh, you're probably already immune to almost everything.

The very best to you Amy and Nic!!!! Please do keep us posted!

Tiara, how exciting for you. Glad you're not having to part with anything you really love or invested in. I can't believe how much it costs to ship just a few small boxes! So you don't even know where you will be settling in the States yet? wow! You know, Massachusetts is quite nice.

Chris.. I appreciate your well wishes and kind thoughts. We sure have had a long, hard road but we're getting there. I do try to be patient and optomistic because I don't really see the sense in letting it take more from me... but my blood pressure is telling a different story. When I think about that moment he's back in Boston and in my arms..I can barely breathe. I know it's coming....

So, it's the start of another week. I'm in touch with the couple next to us on Igor's list...same sent date, same noa1 date..same touches. We have been convinced we are in the same box all along and that our adjuticator was on vacation for a week or two and would be back today. Well, they were touched today!!! Perhaps our theory is right and we'll find our approval very soon. I sure hope so! We keep going over how long it will take to get our new case number, schedule the medical and how quickly we can expedite an interview to get him home! I wonder if it has to take two days to get the visa or if you can request that be expedited as well.... I wonder if they'd mind him camping out at the Embassy??? By the time he gets home it will be an entire year he's been gone. We're going to have 10 years to make up for! No problem!

[yankiwi 0]

Grant- Chris is a Software Developer. So, another computer geek in the Kiwi thread! LOL

Kim- Oh, Chris has been trying to talk me into Boston, since there are nice jobs up there. But I have a few issues with that.

1. Cost of living.

2. I have arthritis which reacts to the cold/rainy Auckland weather, so I imagine it might not like Boston much!

3. Since living in NZ each winter seems worse than the last, this year is by far the worst. When it's cloudy for more than 1-2 days my brain forgets there is such thing as night and day and I can't sleep. I'm lucky if I sleep from 6 am to noon on those days. I think it has everything to do with the angle of the sun in the winter because I don't have this problem in the summer. So, I'm concerned that if I go live in Boston or Seattle (another city on our list) I'll end up being formally diagnosed with SAD.

BUT, I know some people are responsive to sun lamps, so that's an option. And Boston is on the East Coast and I'm an East Coast girl for sure! Plus, they have kick ### doctors in the area, and I can't remember the last time I lived somewhere with 4 distinct seasons, so that would be fun to see again, and probably interesting for Chris to experience! And...I've always wanted to live in the New England area for a bit.

As you can see, trying to figure out where to look for jobs has been challenging! But I'm trying to be relaxed about it. I figure if at the worst we move somewhere that makes me sick or Chris hates, we can just move again. We have no kids, not much to move, and just my dog to drag with us, and she's pretty happy as long as there's food, water, treats, and no loud noises (she's a scaredy dog!).

[kelzm 0]

I sympathize with my fellow job hunters. I've been looking for a while now, just to see what kind of things turn up that I can do, now it's getting more serious since there's just over a month to go before the move. I'm going in to my lawyers today to sign the paperwork for my house sale, my last 'big' task that needed organising will then be out of the way.

For those of you still to do your medical I really recommend Dr. Marcus Stone. He seems to be a lot cheaper than everyone else and the the whole appointment was easy, quick and he got the results through within a few days to the embassy.

[kiwiana 2]

It certainly is 'flu' weather here in New Zealand and i hope those that have it feel better soon.

Yankiwi: I agree with you with the weather, it seems to get worse as each winter passes in Auckland. When i returned from my months vacation in California (to be with my partner). I discovered a storm had spread over NZ whilst away and the wind and rain was so severe that water(rain) had been 'blown' into my kitchen all the way through to the laundry through the sides and under the front door. The house smelt mouldy when i arrived home and I had to throw away sopping wet mats etc. The tv aerial on the roof was blown over.... R.I.P

I hope you find relief for your arthritis when you move to USA. Any place over there must surely be drier than Auckland

Grant: Thank you for telling us about the medical. It sure seems that there are quite a few costs involved. I wonder how much it all comes to at the end of the process? On second thoughts.. Maybe it pays not to know

When you went to the medical, did you have to take immunisation records with you? I'm still not sure if you are suppose to get vaccines done before the medical or after or what? It sounds like the medical went very smoothly, which is good to hear!!

Kelvan: It sounds like your friend is looking at quite an expense to get the police reports done. so if for instance, someone has lived in different towns in NZ, do they have to pay for each police report for each town? I spent a little time in Australia many moons ago. Does anyone know how one goes about getting a police report from there? Can the US embassy here help you with that or is it up to ones devices to find out? Just curious.

Kelzm: not long to go before you move. How exciting!! I wiill definitely try and see Dr Stone when the time comes.

Kim: Thats GREAT that it has been touched again!! It's getting oh so close!!! you can almost taste it!!

Amaciar: once again best wishes and good luck tomorrow!!

[Michelle Kauffman 0]

Good luck to all those who have interviews this week, tho i'm sure you'll all get thru with no problems

The rest of us will be waiting here eagerly to find out how things went

[Kelvan 0]

Kelvan: It sounds like your friend is looking at quite an expense to get the police reports done. so if for instance, someone has lived in different towns in NZ, do they have to pay for each police report for each town? I spent a little time in Australia many moons ago. Does anyone know how one goes about getting a police report from there? Can the US embassy here help you with that or is it up to ones devices to find out? Just curious.

I honestly think you need one for every single place you've lived in for over a year! Boy do they know how to be thorough! My friend and I are going to go over her forms hopefully this weekend. So I can do a practice run for mine, and also help her out with hers. Will keep you all posted!

[gshennen 0]

Grant: Thank you for telling us about the medical. It sure seems that there are quite a few costs involved. I wonder how much it all comes to at the end of the process? On second thoughts.. Maybe it pays not to know

When you went to the medical, did you have to take immunisation records with you? I'm still not sure if you are suppose to get vaccines done before the medical or after or what? It sounds like the medical went very smoothly, which is good to hear!!

Hi

I had no immunisation records, although had had all of the correct immunisations when a kid. I did have my Plunket book from when I was born till I was 5, and even though this had records of when I had the immunisations, it was not enough to satisfy the requirements, so had the blood tests done.

The process they ran through with me was that if the blood tests showed I was lacking any of the required antibodies, then I would then have the vaccinations (so after the medical).

You get quite a long list of vaccinations with the medical, but depending on your age it seems that only some apply (which is why from the list, I only had to have blood tests for 6 of them).

Oh yeah, timing wise I'd allow a couple of hours for the entire medical process (the doctors, blood lab and x-ray places were a short distance apart, so it took about two hours to complete everything).

Cheers

Grant

[kelzm 0]

I didn't have any record of my immunisations either by record or through blood tests. I was asked if I had measles and chickenpox when I was young, since I had, that seemed to satisfy all requirements apart from the tetanus shot which I'd had about 15 years ago so I needed to get the nurse to give me another one.

[kiwiana 2]

Thanks Grant and kelzm for letting us know what happens. It certainly puts my mind at ease as i had visions of myself racing around trying to get all the vaccines done from that LONG list that you find through links here on VJ before going to the medical! I was wondering how my body would cope with all those injections in one go!!

It's the not knowing what happens through each process stage that is kind of nervewracking at times, so it is GREAT to hear from others such as yourselves who have gone through that process in Auckland.

[cdneh 3,112]

I should be hearing back about my titer test tomorrow. I am hoping not to have to get too many...I've never minded giving shots, but I am no fan of being on the receiving end

At least I've begun good and early , so I haven't got to get them all at once.

[KimandRuss 0]

Tiara, I know alot of people with SAD ... one of the reasons my brother (who's missing) moved to California. So I understand your concerns with New England and our long, cold winters. They are beautiful... but they're not always easy to live with. It is an amazing and beautiful place to live, tho. I hope you can find somewhere good for you body and soul.

Kel, Russell will be calling Dr. Stone if and when we're ever approved! We contacted the Embassy in AUK ages ago about the AUS police cert. I want to say that NZ will handle that one too but i'm not 100% so i'll need to talk to Russell and ask him. Will let you know. You need one from each Country you've lived in for an extended period of time not every town/city.

Well today is day 120 for us *sigh* ... how hard is it to approve a 10 year relationship, really? Getting frustrated!

[KimandRuss 0]

APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look out Auckland......... here we come!!

[kiwiana 2]

APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look out Auckland......... here we come!!

YAY!!!!! It's about time!!!

I said it to you in the subforum post a few minutes ago but just want to say it here too.. You are an inspiration to us all!! You are always positive and are always here to help others!!!

I am soo happy for you guys!!!! You have waited so long but soon the wait will be over and you will be back in each others arms!!!! This is just GREAT news!!! Time for a celebration!!!

Wooo Hoooo!!!

[rubyred 0]

CONGRATULATIONS KIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

so incredibly happy for you!!

[KimandRuss 0]

Thank you ana, I appreciate your kind words.

Justine!! Thanks! Are you having the time of your life????

So i'm quite sure my love will be calling Dr. Stone in just a matter of days. Hopefully he can fit him in next week and then we'll be able to expedite the interview! How very different it all feels now!