Preparations began already in 2017 with watching Dixie of Homemade Wanderlust fame – video blogging her way along the PCT. Dixie’s “Vlogs” were actually pretty good and easy enough for a Kiwi to follow. I did struggle a bit with the language and accent as well as the use of non-metric measures (they still use miles and gallons in the US) – but it was a great intro to the trail conditions and culture I would have to learn to adapt to enjoy the PCT. Online gear reviews and other video bloggers like “Darwin onthetrail” (the bloke version of Dixie who walked the PCT in 2018) gave me a reasonable understanding of the trail.

All this palled in significance to the process of applying for a US Visa – basically, no US Visa = no trail hiking in the States. NZ is a member of the countries included in the 90 day waiver program, meaning if your visit is less than 90 days, you just apply for a Visa online and off you go! Instead, for stays of longer than 90 days, you need the whole kit and caboodle. I downloaded the application form from the US Department of State to see what we needed to do and what information was required.

If anyone from the Department of State, Homeland security or any other department involved in immigration affairs is reading this…….I just want to say that the process was actually OK – lengthy, slightly frustrating, a little intimidating but eventually successful. Any comments I make are in no way to be taken as a criticism of the application system or of the Government of the United States of America – but for someone from a tiny country in the southern pacific ocean I found some of the questions quite concerning.

So it was, late April 2018 – a year out from starting the trail – that I went through the application form. If unsuccessful we would need time to change plans and walk in Canada on a different trail. Apart from the usual; Name, Passport and DOB, I also had to fill in my University studies, last 5 years employment details and a host of other information. That was just a warm-up till I got to the really interesting section which included what at first sight were what I considered to be really bizarre questions – I kept thinking, ‘what moron is going to answer “Yes” to any of these?’.

A couple of my all time favourite questions were:
“Have you ever knowingly aided, abetted, assisted or colluded with an individual who has committed, or conspired to commit a severe human trafficking offense in the US or outside the US?” Unfortunately no scale was provided as to how “Severe” severe was…….so trafficking one human at a time isn’t potentially as bad as say a dozen at a time?
“Have you ever committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in torture?” I personally find Black Friday torturous, this consumer consumption frenzy exported from the US, but I don’t think this counted.

The day came to enter all the information gathered online. A special electronic photo was required (the only square shaped one I’ve ever needed). So I started filling out my DS-160 online application form……23 screens later I got to the sign and submit screen……fingers trembled as I hit the button…….then suddenly up came the “Confirmation” screen! I’d done it! 45 minutes and the first step was completed. Sadly, this would just lead to some very frustrating visits to the online portal, to get a barcode to take to Kiwibank, to pay for the Visa, to return later to the portal to enter in Kiwibanks code from their receipt. Eventually this was all sorted and I could book a date for my interview. Date for my interview? In Auckland? But the US Embassy is in Wellington, I live in Wellington……No! Visa’s are dealt with by Consular Affairs and the Consulate is in Auckland. What? I now need to travel all the way to Auckland to have an interview? Yep!

So, we get an appointment for roughly 2 months later and have to travel to Auckland. Road trip! We turned the trip into a long’ish weekend, visited a friend in Taranaki on the way and arrived the night before our interview in Auckland. Our appointment is for 9:45am, and so it appeared for the other 10 people queuing at the Consulate. We are ushered through security (no body scanning thank goodness) and had our bags checked. Through the big door out the back and into the next queue for the documentation check window. All documents appear in order. By this time I am a little bit intimidated. Next we queue for the finger printing, the guy is super friendly and chats to Anna in German (he was posted at the German Embassy previously). Not content with just the index fingers, we had all 10 digits processed. Then the final queue for the actual interview…..

After overhearing another queue member in front of us being grilled and eventually being refused his Visa (the interview area is actually quite public) I was becoming a bit more apprehensive about our chances of success. Two interview windows were available and luckily we seemed to get the “nice lady” who had previously appeared to rubber stamp others in the queue. Anna got two questions, I got three, about our work mainly. We said we needed the Visas because we were going to walk the PCT. Upon suggesting that she should do the Te Araroa Trail, she laughed and said “you guys are great, you have your visas! Have a great day!” What? Just like that? No thumb screws? No harsh lamp shone into our faces? All this effort and we get a couple and questions and it’s approved? Wait! We left feeling it had been a bit of an anticlimax but happy none-the-less with the result – Thank you US Consulate – Thank you Donald!

Now the next hurdle, our PCT Permits……..