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

[kiwiana 2]

Hey guys

I know they sell milo at walmart in statesville nc, saw it there when i was visiting Rob

and..... we're 227 on Igor's list, hehe, i am excited, taking into account cdneh's calculations of duplicates and dormants that makes us 199 hehe

silly how excited i am over that and how depressed i'll be if/when we head back the other way.

It shouldn't be too long now. I see that a lot of June filers are getting their NOA2! I ,too get excited over igors list when it moves UP! silly isn't it? but it's in anticipation that maybe one day we will get that NOA2 notice!! yay!!!!

[Kim & Chris 0]

Hi folks!!

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend (a long one if in NZ with Labour day) It's pretty much windy city here in Auckland today!

KimandRuss: how did it go at social security? Did Russell get a ssn? hope it all went smoothly.

cdneh: I have an appointment on tuesday at central police station for fingerprints for Aussie police check. Do you have to pay a fee for the fingerprints?

amaciar and Kim: thanks for the tips with milo. I guess i could take a tin of milo with me when i leave At least they do have hot chocolate over there as a substitute. All the hassles and stress we all have, going through K1 process and i am worried about MILO!!

Kiwiana - don't worry.....With all the red tape and processes we've been going through over the last few months, I've still managed to be worried about my fave foods I'm going to have to do without, and trying to find out if i can get them there.......lol...how will i live without twisties

Anyway.........I have a more immediate concern.....my interview is on Tuesday morning at 9.45......

I received a phone call on Friday morning from a woman at the consulate kind of telling me off for not sending back my paperwork sooner!!!.....I would have sent it straight back if it wasn't for the small matter of having to sign a declaration stating that i have all my paperwork for the interview......which I didn't as Chris' papers took 20 days to arrive....gotta love the postal service ....I really didn't feel comfortable saying I had them when I didn't. If I'd sent them straight back and had gotten an interview reasonably quickly...I would have been in deep you know what....lol

Anyway .....she was more concerned that the police check was going to take 2-3 weeks .......so I'm to have the interview and then will have to wait for the police check before i can get the final yes or no. I have a flight tentatively booked on Nov 28 so it should still be in plenty of time so I'm not stressing about it.

ALL my paperwork is gathered and up to date ..............so I'm raring to go.......lol

[kiwiana 2]

Kiwiana - don't worry.....With all the red tape and processes we've been going through over the last few months, I've still managed to be worried about my fave foods I'm going to have to do without, and trying to find out if i can get them there.......lol...how will i live without twisties

Anyway.........I have a more immediate concern.....my interview is on Tuesday morning at 9.45......

I received a phone call on Friday morning from a woman at the consulate kind of telling me off for not sending back my paperwork sooner!!!.....I would have sent it straight back if it wasn't for the small matter of having to sign a declaration stating that i have all my paperwork for the interview......which I didn't as Chris' papers took 20 days to arrive....gotta love the postal service ....I really didn't feel comfortable saying I had them when I didn't. If I'd sent them straight back and had gotten an interview reasonably quickly...I would have been in deep you know what....lol

Anyway .....she was more concerned that the police check was going to take 2-3 weeks .......so I'm to have the interview and then will have to wait for the police check before i can get the final yes or no. I have a flight tentatively booked on Nov 28 so it should still be in plenty of time so I'm not stressing about it.

ALL my paperwork is gathered and up to date ..............so I'm raring to go.......lol

Isn't it just the way that when you are waiting for something important to arrive in the mail, it takes forever to come!! Arrgh!! Even more added stress for you but am so glad to hear that it finally arrived in time

Good luck and very best wishes for the interview!! Let us know how it all goes

(mmmmm twisties...... drool! drool! )

[KimandRuss 0]

Awww so nice to see so many of you getting closer. Such a good feeling!

Both of us had a very easy time with the social security office. Just a matter of filling out a quick form really. They are pretty used to seeing visa's of all kinds so they knew just what to do. We should be getting our new cards this week. We'll be sending out our AOS this week as well. It will be so good to be done with US immigration at least for a couple of years!!!

[gshennen 0]

Hello All

Just wanting everyone to know that we made it. I have been without internet access for a few days, but have that sorted now.

We had the flight from hell, our 21 month old refused to sleep on the plane, and cried and screamed the entire flight (we weren't very popular amongst the other passengers). But we made it eventually. Customs was a breeze (we flew to San Francisco). I was the only person in the New Immigrant line, and I told the guy that the screaming kids at the other end of the arrivals hall were mine, he took pity on me, and I was processed very quickly and welcomed to the USA. The fact that I also was covered in baby food from head to foot probably helped me get more pity as well.

As we had so many bags (we had 8 large over sized and weight bags...which were all accepted by Air NZ), a SF airport official arranged a porter to take all of our bags for us - this was a lifesaver. We seemed to bypass everything and next thing we were through and on the road south. We stayed in a town called Gilroy for a night, and then travelled to Brook's parents the next day.

We are currently in Coarsegold, CA, where Brook's parents retired to. It is in the foothills of the Yosemite Mountains, about 40 minutes NE of Fresno. It is quite remote, and their place has wild deer and quails wandering through the yard. The weather is magic, and after 5 days we are all pretty well aclimatised (it was hard to get the kids aclimatised and back onto schedule - however today went like clockwork).

However tomorrow, I have to start the job hunting proper. We are still looking at either the Bay Area or Sacramento.

Hope everyone else is doing well, and making progress.

Cheers

Grant

[kiwiana 2]

Hello All

Just wanting everyone to know that we made it. I have been without internet access for a few days, but have that sorted now.

We had the flight from hell, our 21 month old refused to sleep on the plane, and cried and screamed the entire flight (we weren't very popular amongst the other passengers). But we made it eventually. Customs was a breeze (we flew to San Francisco). I was the only person in the New Immigrant line, and I told the guy that the screaming kids at the other end of the arrivals hall were mine, he took pity on me, and I was processed very quickly and welcomed to the USA. The fact that I also was covered in baby food from head to foot probably helped me get more pity as well.

As we had so many bags (we had 8 large over sized and weight bags...which were all accepted by Air NZ), a SF airport official arranged a porter to take all of our bags for us - this was a lifesaver. We seemed to bypass everything and next thing we were through and on the road south. We stayed in a town called Gilroy for a night, and then travelled to Brook's parents the next day.

We are currently in Coarsegold, CA, where Brook's parents retired to. It is in the foothills of the Yosemite Mountains, about 40 minutes NE of Fresno. It is quite remote, and their place has wild deer and quails wandering through the yard. The weather is magic, and after 5 days we are all pretty well aclimatised (it was hard to get the kids aclimatised and back onto schedule - however today went like clockwork).

However tomorrow, I have to start the job hunting proper. We are still looking at either the Bay Area or Sacramento.

Hope everyone else is doing well, and making progress.

Cheers

Grant

good to hear you all made it ok and safely. It is a long journey for young ones and there isn't a lot of room to move around on the plane. I notice that parents of young children are usually put in the front of the middle section of the plane. I always 'feel' for the parents when you see them trying to calm their young ones through a 12 hour flight. Very stressful indeed!

it sounds that one good thing from the unsettled flight is that you managed to get through customs a bit quicker

Did you have to pay excess baggage fees to take the 8 suitcases on board the plane? if so, was it very expensive?

it sounds lovely where you are staying at the moment. Hope all goes well with job hunting! Best wishes!!

[gshennen 0]

Kiwiana

We were allowed 2 suitcases for the kids each as well, so even though we were over the weight limit, I managed to convince them that we didn't need to be charged anything extra. I was quite happy to pay the extra, so it was all good.

I have spent a fair proportion of today talking to recruiting agents, according to them, there is plenty of work in the fields that I am looking, so it sounds promising. I have meetings with two of them next week, and should have another couple confirmed tomorrow.

Cheers

Grant

[KimandRuss 0]

Welcome to America, Grant! Best of luck on the job hunt.

Still procrastinating with regards to the AOS papers... I am so over the immigration process!

Thinking of those of you still waiting... time is flying and you'll be there before you know it! Stay strong!

[cdneh 3,112]

Thinking of those of you still waiting... time is flying and you'll be there before you know it! Stay strong!

Thanks Kim...we are waiting..patiently

Have you wedding pictures we can live vicariously through yet? I for one can't wait to oooooh and awwww

[kelzm 0]

Good to hear you made it safe and sound Grant, good luck with the job hunt. Did you smell the garlic when you were in Gilroy? I'm living just a little south of there and have made quite a few trips up to the outlet mall to pick up essentials...

Kim I know what you mean about being over the immigration process. I need to get started on my sons paperwork but now that I've got everything sorted for me I just want a break! I may leave it till he visits again in January and get the paperwork underway then.

Hoping to hear some news from a few of you soon, it must be about time those noa2's came through!

[yankiwi 0]

Congratulations Kim and Russ!! I know, a little late with that one, but better late than never! I gather we're still waiting for wedding pics, but if you're anything like me, there are a million other things to do besides upload pictures! My brother got back to the US after coming to NZ for our wedding and posted pictures of it before I got any up 'cause I kept forgetting to post them! LOL

Grant, glad to hear you've all made it to the US in one piece! I always feel so bad for babies on long flights because the change in air pressure is torture for their little ears. I think I feel even worse for their parents though, since some fellow passengers can make you feel awful about a situation you can't really control.

When we fly in I think we're going to aim for POE San Fransisco after hearing all the good feedback from everyone going through there lately! Sure does sound a bit quieter than LAX...

Just when I thought we were done with getting paperwork notarised for a while my absentee ballot showed up, so I got to run around trying to get it sorted! The Justice of the Peace who notarised it found the whole process rather fascinating. I must say I'm really going to miss the cheerful assistance we've received every time we've gone to the Citizens Advice Bureau here!

I can't believe November is here already, any day now I'm sure some of you will be seeing NOA2's!!

Oh, and I know someone said hot chocolate works in a pinch as a sub for Milo, but what about trying Ovaltine or Nesquik? Those are what I thought of the first time I had Milo...both are a little more solid than hot cocoa mix.

[kiwiana 2]

kelzm and Grant: just been looking at my california map and pin pointed Coarsegold and Gilroy! Coarsegold does look quite remote. I'd imagine it is just beautiful there!! I will be living in Orange County and the furthest I have travelled going up towards SF is Pismo Beach (so quite a long way away from SF) But my fiance says that he wants to take to me to see San Francisco one day so am really looking forward to that day! hope the job search is all going well.

kimandruss: congrats on becoming a moderator on vj!

yankiwi: yes!!! ovaltine or Nesquik! that will fill the void for sure!!!

[kiwiana 2]

btw Kim and chris: hope the interview went ok!!

[KimandRuss 0]

Thank everyone. Hmmm pics... well the ones my friend took with our camera all came out poorly because silly us got married at the top of the deck with the sun shinging brightly behind us. We did have a few people who videotaped as well so i'm waiting on some of that to see if I can't still a few shots without the sun. I'd love to make a collage with a pic of us saying our vows to each other with a copy of those vows on each side. We'll see. Honestly, the day is a blur! The new avatar pic and personal pics were from a couple of days later on the same deck but I just took it with my cell phone for Russell's folks. We've gone to two parties as vampire and vampire bride... perhaps I should just put those up.

I'm hoping to see some NOA2's for our kiwi friends very soon!!!

[Kim & Chris 0]

btw Kim and chris: hope the interview went ok!!

Well the interview went ok, I got there about half an hour early and there was only one other person ahead of me. The officer that took the interview was I think the blonde girl that others have mentioned. She was running a bit late so I didn't get called until about 30mins after my initial apt time, but it was ok. She was lovely and chatty, asking many questions about chris and I as she went through our paper work....it just felt like a conversation rather than an interview.

I was told i should have my "package" as soon as my police check has come back, and with not having any kind of record, that should be soon.

I'm so glad the paperwork part's over for now.........I have a flight booked for Nov 28, and that gives me a few weeks to concentrate on getting rid of belongings, (I had my first ever garage sale yesterday) and packing up stuff to fill my two suitcases and the packing crate that my son will send over when we relocate to SF in the spring....I plan on filling the crate with lots of edibles as well btw.....lol