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

[rubyred 0]

hi everyone!

kim, thanks for the email - everything is okay, not much to report.

IEP called last week to make an appointment for my interview (with the agency, for the program, not the actual visa), so that's happening on april 4. it's with one of the marketing people, and they said it takes about 30mins, so i don't imagine it's anything too strenuous.

also received notice that i'm officially a graduate, yesterday. quite a feeling of relief. i was 2 points shy of the 360 point requirement to graduate, and was secretly a little scared that i wouldn't be able to get a waiver, for whatever reason. but it was all very easy - all done through about 4 emails!

so i send off my reference/evidence of grad status/copies of ID next week, interview is the week after, then i start the visa application.

have been examining my finances, and i figure that if nothing goes horribly wrong, then i should be in the states by end of june. need to go back home to taranaki to spend some time with family, so i'll probably finish work and leave welly mid june.

i think last night was the first time in a long time that i've really felt like this is happening sooner rather than later. the countdown feels a lot more certain now, give or take a couple of weeks.

[KimandRuss 0]

Kel, hope things are moving along for you even with this new quirk in the process. I really hope they don't change anything more before we're at that point. Being delayed because of something that could have been prevented would frustrate me to no end.

Justine, glad things are going in the right direction for you! You must be gettng so excited! We're hoping Russell will be here by the end of June as well. Maybe a bit optomistic on our part but with the way VSC is processing applications right now we feel pretty confident we wont have to wait too long for an approval. 3 weeks and 3 days left!

emma...I would imagine you have packet 3 by now. How are things going?

Mark... i'm sure your packet 3 is just sitting at home waiting for you!

Happy Easter to you all.

[KimandRuss 0]

*bump*

any updates ???

[kelzm 0]

Things are still moving along for me. I think I'm about halfway through my NVC process, second bill has been sent out today, once we pay that we get to send in the final set of forms (plus all the bits and pieces like birth certificate) and then it's off the the embassy. Yippee.

I'm hoping for completion at NVC by the end of May.

[emma&sammy 0]

So...had my medical interview today, went pretty smoothly, the doc was really nice,

he just checked my heart and lungs

reflexes

made sure I didn't have any strange lumps in my tummy

measured my weight and height

and that was it.

I had to give a urine sample & the only vaccination I had to have was Tetanus ( because i hadn't had one in the past 10 years), he didn't even mention the others....

then I went for my chest x-ray, which was fine

and blood tests.

He gave me my x-ray back, & said he would send the results & paperwork to the embassy on Monday.

Also sent off packet 3 toady, so hopefully i'll get an interview date soon & finally get back to America!!

Doc was $110

Tetanus $20

Bloods $31

x-ray $80

[kelzm 0]

Thanks for the info Emma!

The cost for the medical is a lot cheaper than I expected. Yay. I was thinking it would be closer to $500.

[cdneh 3,112]

Thanks for the info re the medical! I'll sock that away for future reference.

[KimandRuss 0]

Kel.. that whole process sounds even more difficult than the K1. I'd love to be approved in May too!

Emma.. wow, that was fast! How exciting! Thanks so much for sharing the info with us. You'll be home before you know it! Keep us posted!

Hello cdneh. When do you plan on filing?

Justine, you still with us?

Mark... we're all waiting for you to get home to NZ to get your packet 3!

[KTG 0]

hello! i'm not kiwi but my husband and i just had our honeymoon in new zealand and absolutely fell in love with your country. we can't wait to go back!!

i hope everyone has a smooth journey getting their visas!

[KimandRuss 0]

Hi KTG. Thanks a lot for the well wishes.

I'm the USC but my SO is from NZ and i'd have to agree, it is the most beautiful place i've ever been! I was there again last month... and wish I still was!

Looks like you're about to celebrate as well. Congratualtions.

[KimandRuss 0]

Hey Justine, good to see you. Glad things are moving along and Happy Anniversary!

[GnomeGrrl 0]

So...had my medical interview today, went pretty smoothly, the doc was really nice,

he just checked my heart and lungs

reflexes

made sure I didn't have any strange lumps in my tummy

measured my weight and height

and that was it.

I had to give a urine sample & the only vaccination I had to have was Tetanus ( because i hadn't had one in the past 10 years), he didn't even mention the others....

then I went for my chest x-ray, which was fine

and blood tests.

He gave me my x-ray back, & said he would send the results & paperwork to the embassy on Monday.

Also sent off packet 3 toady, so hopefully i'll get an interview date soon & finally get back to America!!

Doc was $110

Tetanus $20

Bloods $31

x-ray $80

Wow! Lucky you! I shelled out around about $430 each for my two sons and I and we had a much more thorough exam. 4 weeks later, it still hasn't been sent to the Consulate. Between the flights from Invercargill to Auckland, the hotel and the medical, it was one expensive trip!

/sigh

[kelzm 0]

Hi GnomeGrrrl sorry to hear that your medical was so expensive!

Wondering if you and emma can let us know which doctors you went to etc. That way I can make sure to go to the cheaper one!

Sounds like you're nearly all done though, that must be a relief.

[KimandRuss 0]

Sorry to hear about your cost/wait GnomeGrrl. Are their different things needed for the CR-1 or when you have children that will be immigrating as well or is it really dependant on the doctor you choose?

I would also appreciate it if you could share. I'm not as worried about the cost as I am the wait!

[KimandRuss 0]

Wow Justine, that's great news!