We received our Article 16 (via email) on May 28th. After a few edits we were able to send our I-800 (US Immigration paperwork) back to our agency on May 29th, they got it on the 30th. Our agency reviewed the paperwork to check for errors and sent it to USCIS for us. USCIS received the I-800 into their lockbox in Texas on June 3rd and shipped it out to our officer around June 8th. On June 9th our bank statement showed that USCIS had cashed our check.
So, this is where we are at currently. We are waiting for our I-800 approval or for them to send us a RFE (Request for evidence) to help them make a favorable decision. We fully expect to get a RFE and are prepared with an updated Home Study in hand. I say we expect to get a RFE because the special needs of the children we are requesting to adopt does not match exactly what our original USCIS approval qualified us for. There were a few relatively minor things in the medical files that we did not have in our original home study, but we've got that all taken care or and ready and waiting in case we get the RFE. We are hopeful that this would only slow us down a week or 2.
We should have the approval or RFE in the next couple of weeks. Once we finally get approved that will go to the National Visa Center and allow us to essentially apply for US Visas for the children. The NVC conduct an Orphan Investigation and then issue an Article 5 our court dates can be scheduled and I can travel back to the children. After about 3 weeks in country, we'll head home! That's about it folks, there is a light at the end of the tunnel!
When will we travel? Well... we don't know, it all depends on how quickly things move along. Best case scenario, we'll get court dates for the end of July. I am really hoping for this but I don't think it is likely (so I won't hold my breath). There is a chance we could get court dates scheduled for August, however August in a big month for vacations in our children's country and it may not be possible to get 2 court dates scheduled close enough together because of officials going on vacation. So that puts us into September. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I will be travelling sometime between July and September, of course I could be wrong and something else could come up to push us back, but I'm hopeful for a speedy process from here on out.
Please pray for a quick and smooth process and also for the circumstances to be right for Jason to get to travel with me for the last part of my trip and to be able to fly home with me and the children.
I want to thank each and every one of you who have shared a kind word with us, prayed for us or donated towards this adoption in anyway. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed and ultimately will bring Chance and Callie home. We cannot thank you enough!
