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

[kiwiana 2]

AOS paperwork is about to be despatched.....just putting the final package together today and then it's off to get the money order and to send it registered mail...and then of course cross the fingers

After many grey hairs and $1010 US later .......the next step is finally underway

Chris has been full of sinus and a head cold from the day we got back from our honeymoon, so I went to buy him something for it and lo and behold you can get Sudafed here over the counter, (the old stuff they banned at home that is....the stuff that actually works....lol).......anywho.....they wanted photo ID, like a drivers license from here which I of course don't have yet. So after much guesswork on their part they finally managed to fill out the form on the computer by using my NZ license.

Sooooo I decided to get a state ID to tide me over till I can sort the DL thing out. Went down there yesterday after making a call to find out what paperwork they required from me. It all sounded easy peasy over the phone I should have known better.

The older lady i saw behind the counter was really nice but quite baffled and needed a younger girl to come and help her. The much older woman supervisor (not nice) had a hissy fit and said i shouldn't be doing it before my visa had been changed to my married name as it was the wrong order to do things, it would throw everything out and I'll have trouble down the line getting my visa changed!!!

I couldn't see it myself as my name had already been changed at the Social Security Office, so she more or less said, be it on my own head and walked off in disgust.....

It was my first taste so far of any kind of hassle/opposition and it took the shine off what I thought would be another little triumph. To make matters worse I got home and noticed she'd put a digit wrong on the zip code, so now I've got to go back and get it redone....#######......lol

All my dealings up until now had been with younger people and I think they tend to either keep up with current proceedures or are more newly trained and therefore may be more up with the play.....( no disrespect to the older people in these offices....I'm no spring chook myself anymore... lol)

Wow! she sounded like a battleaxe yikes!!!!! where exactly do you go to get a state ID?

As for the AOS. I wonder if you could go into detail about the vaccination record and getting it transcribed? did you have trouble finding a civil surgeon to do it? and did the same surgeon give you a tb skin test at the same time as the transcript? how much did it all cost?

Did the test come up negative? as i have heard some people are shown positive if they had a vaccination for tb as a child?

This part of the process is really worrying me, so wondered if you could talk it through in baby steps the exact procedure when you got it done?

I really want to try and get the AOS over with as soon as possible but the civil surgeon part and tb skin test bit all seems a little daunting

[Lisaandtim 0]

Thanks for that! I am willing to offer mine up

me too!! i don't even mind walking up and down the aisle to show everyone

kim&chris:Thanks for the info about which card we ask for as i have been wondering about that, so now i will know what to do how's it going with the AOS?

yankiwi: it's good to know that you arrived safe and sound with no hold ups etc. Hope nothing was damaged in the boxes that you mailed over beforehand.

Lisaandtim: congrats on the visa! have you set a date on when he will leave nz?

ivannaloveskiwi: wow! only 6 days to go! be sure to let us know how he gets on!

cdneh: only like 11 days to go now!! (the countdown continues!)

michelle and kelvan: how's it going?

yes, he's leaving tomorrow =D im so excited. Sry havent posted a bit but ive had the flu and a birthday

[cdneh 3,112]

Thanks for that! I am willing to offer mine up

me too!! i don't even mind walking up and down the aisle to show everyone

kim&chris:Thanks for the info about which card we ask for as i have been wondering about that, so now i will know what to do how's it going with the AOS?

yankiwi: it's good to know that you arrived safe and sound with no hold ups etc. Hope nothing was damaged in the boxes that you mailed over beforehand.

Lisaandtim: congrats on the visa! have you set a date on when he will leave nz?

ivannaloveskiwi: wow! only 6 days to go! be sure to let us know how he gets on!

cdneh: only like 11 days to go now!! (the countdown continues!)

michelle and kelvan: how's it going?

yes, he's leaving tomorrow =D im so excited. Sry havent posted a bit but ive had the flu and a birthday

Oh my! Excited! I should think so ! Get well soon!

[kiwiana 2]

yes, he's leaving tomorrow =D im so excited. Sry havent posted a bit but ive had the flu and a birthday

that is soo exciting!! Hope you feel better soon!!

[Lisaandtim 0]

yes, he's leaving tomorrow =D im so excited. Sry havent posted a bit but ive had the flu and a birthday

that is soo exciting!! Hope you feel better soon!!

Thanks to both of you. The process seemed to be dragging on and then all of a sudden it is here. Things are happening a bit fast. He is very sad he has to leave his family but I told him it is not a forever goodbye. After all, there are holidays and such. And phones, email, webcams, all kinds of technology today to keep in touch. But it is sad. I had to leave family before as well. But this time it is in the pursuit of happiness, so I told him to focus on the good even though it may seem bad now. I wish you all the best of luck and hope you all get to be with your sweethearts soon. Wish the paperwork is over but with the warm up we went through so far, I'm sure this next bit will seem like cake haha or maybe I am just dreaming. But I mean for me doing the paperwork before I now know how to word things and a 20 page form doesn't give me a panic attack anymore. It's more like hey I can do this. But still, it is a headache. But the prize ahead is well worth doing all of this. After all, not many get to have the experience we are getting the chance to, the chance to see that love does not know distance. And the chance to be with the one you love through all kinds of obstacles. Maybe it's the romantic in me but sometimes it feels like i am in one of those stories I read about where 2 people love each other but there's hardly any real chance for them to get to be each other, usually an obstacle or 2 in the way. Well for me distance is this obstacle. It's hard to be apart but it truly shows you both what you mean to each other. And being on opposite sides of the earth is really distance. For me, I think of it as showing those around me that love can still exist and persist through bad things like distance. AH i am rambling again at 2am. Sorry for going on and on. I really must go to bed !

Best of wishes to all!

[Kim & Chris 0]

AOS paperwork is about to be despatched.....just putting the final package together today and then it's off to get the money order and to send it registered mail...and then of course cross the fingers

After many grey hairs and $1010 US later .......the next step is finally underway

Chris has been full of sinus and a head cold from the day we got back from our honeymoon, so I went to buy him something for it and lo and behold you can get Sudafed here over the counter, (the old stuff they banned at home that is....the stuff that actually works....lol).......anywho.....they wanted photo ID, like a drivers license from here which I of course don't have yet. So after much guesswork on their part they finally managed to fill out the form on the computer by using my NZ license.

Sooooo I decided to get a state ID to tide me over till I can sort the DL thing out. Went down there yesterday after making a call to find out what paperwork they required from me. It all sounded easy peasy over the phone I should have known better.

The older lady i saw behind the counter was really nice but quite baffled and needed a younger girl to come and help her. The much older woman supervisor (not nice) had a hissy fit and said i shouldn't be doing it before my visa had been changed to my married name as it was the wrong order to do things, it would throw everything out and I'll have trouble down the line getting my visa changed!!!

I couldn't see it myself as my name had already been changed at the Social Security Office, so she more or less said, be it on my own head and walked off in disgust.....

It was my first taste so far of any kind of hassle/opposition and it took the shine off what I thought would be another little triumph. To make matters worse I got home and noticed she'd put a digit wrong on the zip code, so now I've got to go back and get it redone....#######......lol

All my dealings up until now had been with younger people and I think they tend to either keep up with current proceedures or are more newly trained and therefore may be more up with the play.....( no disrespect to the older people in these offices....I'm no spring chook myself anymore... lol)

Wow! she sounded like a battleaxe yikes!!!!! where exactly do you go to get a state ID?

As for the AOS. I wonder if you could go into detail about the vaccination record and getting it transcribed? did you have trouble finding a civil surgeon to do it? and did the same surgeon give you a tb skin test at the same time as the transcript? how much did it all cost?

Did the test come up negative? as i have heard some people are shown positive if they had a vaccination for tb as a child?

This part of the process is really worrying me, so wondered if you could talk it through in baby steps the exact procedure when you got it done?

I really want to try and get the AOS over with as soon as possible but the civil surgeon part and tb skin test bit all seems a little daunting

I've read a few things on here about the I-693 vaccination suppliment form and alot of people have just sent in the copy of the vaccination sheet that the doctor here gave them a copy of after their medical, and in most cases this was accepted (see the link below)......so I've decided to do the same and keep my fingers crossed.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=101202

I've also again read quickly through the I-485 instructions from the USCIS web site and can't see any reference ot the TB check.

In the Step-by-Step Guide on How to File for Adjustment of Status for K1 and K3 Visa Holders here on VJ, the note on medicals down the bottom says:

Medical Appointment

While the beneficiary's I-485 is being processed, they may receive a notice requiring a medical examination be performed. The medical must be done by a CIS Designated Civil Surgeon. Your CIS office should give you a list of CIS accredited doctors in your area; if not check with your local office to get one. The medical exam can cost anywhere from $100-200 dollars. As a note, many physicians will not take a check but will require cash. Be prepared for the cost before your spouse gets this done. It would be wise to collect their vaccination information before going to the appointment as the doctor will need to have record of them. At the appointment your spouse will be tested for TB, AIDS and Syphilis. If they do the skin test for TB, they will be required to return to the CIS doctors office to have the site checked before they finish the exam paperwork. Note: Some CIS Offices allow you to schedule your appointment when you want, as long as it is done before the AOS appointment. Be sure to check with your local CIS office to see how they handle medical exams if there are any questions."

To me it sounds like they'll let you know if they need it, so I'm not worrying about the TB thing yet either.....and our medical report that we hand over at POE in the brown env will be married up with the AOS paperwork we send in and will show we've already passed the HIV an Syphilis test they gave us at our medical.

The same goes for our copy of the NOA2 that was supposedly sent out in the mail. We never recieved one, and I've read on here that alot of others didn't either. You can fill out an I-824 form for a replacement, but it's $340 US!!!! I refuse to pay that much for something that was supposed to be mailed to me for free. I've read on here that others in the same situation have supplied the emails that the USC recieved advising them of the acceptance and that the NOA2 was on the way. In most instances this was fine, so i'll be doing this too.

I've stressed enough about all this so far and believe me it's not good for your health....lol.........sooooo.....I've gone past the point of panicking about all the little details. I've filled out all the forms and supplied all the evidence I've got plus a little extra they didn't ask for.

I'm normally so ####### about paperwork but at this stage I just want to get the thing into them, I'm already here, so while I don't want to recieve an RFE, if one is requested, I'm still here with my sweetie and will just work through it.

[Kelvan 0]

Hi guys how are you all? I've been super busy with... everything lately! Evan arrives here for his 2 week break on March 15th so I can't wait for that! I am treating him to a 4 day vacation in Sydney Our interview is March 19th and he will attend.

Just checking over what I need to take with me...

- Passport

- Receipt for the NZ Post visa fee

- Birth Certificate + copy

- Resume

- Proof of funds (bank statement)

- Form I-134 from US sponsor

- Proof of relationship (photos, letters, boarding passes etc)

I'm assuming that the consulate has already obtained my:

- Medical examination results

- Police certificate

If I am missing anything, please let me know I am getting anxious *bites nails*

[kiwiana 2]

Hi guys how are you all? I've been super busy with... everything lately! Evan arrives here for his 2 week break on March 15th so I can't wait for that! I am treating him to a 4 day vacation in Sydney Our interview is March 19th and he will attend.

Just checking over what I need to take with me...

- Passport

- Receipt for the NZ Post visa fee

- Birth Certificate + copy

- Resume

- Proof of funds (bank statement)

- Form I-134 from US sponsor

- Proof of relationship (photos, letters, boarding passes etc)

I'm assuming that the consulate has already obtained my:

- Medical examination results

- Police certificate

If I am missing anything, please let me know I am getting anxious *bites nails*

yes I think that looks all good!

You will need to supply a self addressed foolscap courier pack or registered envelope too, so they can send your yellow/brown secret envelope and passport/visa in it.

That's wonderful that your SO will be there for you at the interview!

[kiwiana 2]

I've read a few things on here about the I-693 vaccination suppliment form and alot of people have just sent in the copy of the vaccination sheet that the doctor here gave them a copy of after their medical, and in most cases this was accepted (see the link below)......so I've decided to do the same and keep my fingers crossed.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=101202

I've also again read quickly through the I-485 instructions from the USCIS web site and can't see any reference ot the TB check.

In the Step-by-Step Guide on How to File for Adjustment of Status for K1 and K3 Visa Holders here on VJ, the note on medicals down the bottom says:

Medical Appointment

While the beneficiary's I-485 is being processed, they may receive a notice requiring a medical examination be performed. The medical must be done by a CIS Designated Civil Surgeon. Your CIS office should give you a list of CIS accredited doctors in your area; if not check with your local office to get one. The medical exam can cost anywhere from $100-200 dollars. As a note, many physicians will not take a check but will require cash. Be prepared for the cost before your spouse gets this done. It would be wise to collect their vaccination information before going to the appointment as the doctor will need to have record of them. At the appointment your spouse will be tested for TB, AIDS and Syphilis. If they do the skin test for TB, they will be required to return to the CIS doctors office to have the site checked before they finish the exam paperwork. Note: Some CIS Offices allow you to schedule your appointment when you want, as long as it is done before the AOS appointment. Be sure to check with your local CIS office to see how they handle medical exams if there are any questions."

To me it sounds like they'll let you know if they need it, so I'm not worrying about the TB thing yet either.....and our medical report that we hand over at POE in the brown env will be married up with the AOS paperwork we send in and will show we've already passed the HIV an Syphilis test they gave us at our medical.

The same goes for our copy of the NOA2 that was supposedly sent out in the mail. We never recieved one, and I've read on here that alot of others didn't either. You can fill out an I-824 form for a replacement, but it's $340 US!!!! I refuse to pay that much for something that was supposed to be mailed to me for free. I've read on here that others in the same situation have supplied the emails that the USC recieved advising them of the acceptance and that the NOA2 was on the way. In most instances this was fine, so i'll be doing this too.

I've stressed enough about all this so far and believe me it's not good for your health....lol.........sooooo.....I've gone past the point of panicking about all the little details. I've filled out all the forms and supplied all the evidence I've got plus a little extra they didn't ask for.

I'm normally so ####### about paperwork but at this stage I just want to get the thing into them, I'm already here, so while I don't want to recieve an RFE, if one is requested, I'm still here with my sweetie and will just work through it.

Thanks Kim for that! 12 days to go till I head to USA and I can't remember the last time i had a decent sleep!! My mind won't switch off with a million things swirling round in my head that has to be done, loose ends tied, have i forgotten anything? that kind of stuff!

The first night i am there i will probably sleep soundly for like 14 hours!!! (how romantic! ha!) My SO has booked a hotel at vegas for 4 nights for the week march 16. All we have to do now is find a place to get married (hmm which one of the dozen or more places there do we choose? )

It's funny though because we all wait for what seems like soooo long to get approved and then once it is.. everything seems to zoom along!!! (with the exception of cdneh who unfortunately got held up in security checks for a time)

I can hardly catch my breath!! but it's a good breathlessness

[cdneh 3,112]

It's good...it's just busy!

I'm down to 8 days, and there never seems to be enough hours in any of them somehow. I'd better get on my bike, if it doesn't happen this week...it doesn't happen

Don't forget Kelvan, to make a copy of the numbers on the courier pack so you can track it! I folded the envelope up and scanned it, and the very next day. on a whim, I entered the tracking number and it said it had been picked up. I was amazed, I mean only one day later??? Arrived here the following day, and I would not have expected that was I not tracking it.

[KimandRuss 0]

Wow, i've been away far too long!

Congratulations to those of you approved, those of you who have finally flown 'home' and those moving along with the process! Feels great, eh?

We are doing well and still very much living in bliss.

FWIW... It's important to check different flights if you plan to upgrade to Air New Zealand Premium Economy. The last flight I took home from NZ only cost me $40 more than coach to fly Premium Economy but all the flights around it were hundreds more for the upgrade.

[cdneh 3,112]

And lovely it is to see you

[KimandRuss 0]

why thank you kind lady.

[Tibby 0]

Hey guys, thought I would introduce myself as I have been lurking for quite a while benefiting from all the helpful advice posted in this thread and now have a bit more complicated situation!

I'm an NZer and have been living with my USC partner here in Auckland for the past 2 and a half years. As my partner's visa runs out mid 09, we decided it would be a good time to move over to the states to be nearer his family for a while.

We went in about 3 weeks ago to the consulate and filed the DS-230 and so forth to start the so-called 'pre-processing' for the CR-1 visa. We got married a week later and then posted in the DS2001. We now have an interview appointment on the 23rd of March.

All going well and good so far, except in the past few days we have suddenly changed our plans and now want to stay in New Zealand for the time being. However....we still want to go to the US for a few weeks visit with family, and are then going on from there on a 2 month holiday in Europe. We also want to apply for his New Zealand residency while over in the states because like with doing DCF, it seems to be quicker than applying from within New Zealand.

Because of all this we're both going to have to pretty much pack up our lives in New Zealand for the moment including quitting our jobs etc., so I am quite worried that I would be denied entry to the US if I tried to enter on the visa waiver programme. I wouldn't really have anything to show links to my home country at all. Is it a totally ridiculous plan to go through with getting the CR-1 visa anyway so that I definitely wouldn't get denied entry? It would probably be cheaper than having to buy a ticket back home if I was denied entry.

I know I would have to abandon my residency, but are there any horrible ramifications of abandoning residency after 3 or 4 months that I'm forgetting..? Or any other great options?

Would be great to get some other perspectives on this!

[ivannnaloveskiwi 0]

I'M CANT BELIEVE THIS... INTERVEIW DIDNT GO WELL...AND IF THIS MAKES NO SENCE IS'S BECASUE I'M CRYING AS I WRITE IT...THEY SAID I DIDNT HAVE MY DIVROCE PAPERS FROM THE COURT BUT I SENT THEM WHAT THEY SENT ME...HE HAD SOME PRIOR CONVICTIONS THAT WERE 15 YRS AGO.. NOTHING MAJOR, JUST MINOR BUT WANT IT RAN THROUGH HOMELAND SECURITY.. AND EACH OF US TO WRITE A LETTER OF HARDSHIP..GOING TO COST US 891 MORE DOLLARS AND MAYBE TAKE 2-6 TO PROCESS...MY HEART IS BROKEN...