I called our orphanage director three times yesterday. The first was unanswered. The second, I inquired with her regarding the passport. She said that it would be today or tomorrow (meaning yesterday or today as I write). It didn't happen yesterday so we are hoping for tomorrow. Yesterday was 3 full business days.
The third call was because of information that I had gained through emails from one of the folks in the St. Paul USCIS office. This genlteman has been awesome in helping us out.
He managed to be able to locate and transfer our fingerprints from the two other times we had had it done and apply them to our current situation and paperwork. That means that we don't have to figure out a way to get there and do the fingerprints and wait for it to process for the I600 paperwork.
Additionally, he said that instead of sending the paperwork that orginally got lost to Haiti and waiting for them to process it, if I could get the final adoption decree and have it translated, he could approve the I600 there and we would not have to wait/rely on the USCIS in Haiti to approve it.
So, yesterday afternoon I drove down to the orphanage director's place and picked up a copy of the adoption decree. I have the paperwork here on my table now and will be taking it to one of three possible folks here at the mission that can translate it for us.
Once I get it translated, I will be emailing it to the USCIS gentleman and he'll approve it (perhaps within a day or two) and the I600 part will be all set for the visa. Hopefully we'll get the passport done today, too. Once we get that, we have to take Lou to a doctor for a basic medical exam that is required as part of this process (one of the USCIS's recommended doctors has to do it).
We are possibly looking at having everything finalized by the end of next week. I, personally, am starting to feel rather giddy inside. So far, we our excitement has been tempered because of our familiarity with how things can go here, but things are looking well and from what I know, we are out of the bribery stages so things should go fairly smoothly (Lord willing!). Stay tuned!
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6 comments:
Ken,
That is awesome news. You are not the only giddy one, your parents are like two kids in a candy store. They are just so excited to have all of you come home.
Sharon
Hi Ken,
I have been in your shoes. I am praying for you. Eventually they do "come home". Best wishes.
Deneen (Wisler's mom)
I'm so happy for you all! Praying you home!!
I think it is awesome that you actually have someone on your side - the guy at the USCIS office in St Paul - we would never find that in Phila . . . We were warned not to call there, or walk in to talk to anyone!
Continuing to keep you ALL in my prayers - looking forward to the post that says "it is finished"!! : )
I'm sure your parents are thrilled (understatement) to have you back in the states!
Thank you all for your prayers! My parents do seem very happy that we are coming back!
Gwen, the only reason that we are able to communicate with our USCIS person (I was told that we shouldn't contact them either) is because he first contacted us because we got our state senator involved. A friend of my mom's (Thank you Sharon!) started that whole bag and it's been great fruit!
Ken and Tina,
You guys are SOOOOO close. Wow. Can you believe we are all going to have our babies home - Stevenson, Richelor, Louie...slow progress, but progress nonetheless
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