IT CAME!!!! THE I-171 H !!!!!!
I couldn't believe it. On Thursday evening at about 4:30 pm, Kyle went to go get the mail and as he walked back I met him at the door. The usual pile of junk filled his hands, but one big yellow envelope was sticking out above the rest.... He didn't get one step in the door before I almost tackled him and got the envelope in my sweaty hands!!! Poor Kyle :)
I looked at the return address and sure enough...U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICE was there....I screamed and jumped around for about 5 minutes...doing a very silly dance all over the house! I immediately got on the phone with Stephanie our dossier consultant and asked if she was sitting down... then told her it came!! When I had the envelope in my hands, I almost was scared for a moment because the envelope was so heavy and obviously had more than one document in it...did they send my stuff back, were we rejected by the government? I ripped open the top(careful not to destroy anything inside) and looked at the contents. The first page was a letter congratulating us and that we were approved! The next was the actual I-171H approval, then another paper about fingerprinting and another two forms, then ANOTHER I-171H...identical to the first! How cool!! I called Joe next and told him we are on our way...definitely not as excited as me, but I think that is because he has not done his homework on what all these papers mean in the process. I tell him sign this, he does, I tell him...go here at 2 pm...he does...that is about it! He will get more excited when the picture of our daughter comes!!!
The amazing part of this is that we only submitted the I-600A on Jan 20th -rec'd fingerprint noticeon Jan. 28th - fingerprinted on January 29th( a Saturday) and rec'd the I 171 on Feb 3rd...2 weeks from start to finish...unreal. My heart goes out to all my cyber friends who have been waiting for months for this to happen and it still has not. Why can't all offices be like Houston??? If it can take this long in one place...all of them should be able to accomodate completing this form for all those who are being ever so patient to get this to continue their journey. I have been very fortunate with the whole process. Our start to finish time frame has been a little over 8 weeks so far...many of the same people who are where I am now have started as early as August and September!!! I couldn't imagine the pain they are going through in the waiting. Our process is a miracle in itself and I can only think God has BIG plans for a little girl in China who needs us desperately. My I-171 was immediately faxed to Stephanie that night and she sent it to Austin SOS the next day-Friday. It is in Austin now but will not be delivered until Monday. I hope we have a quick turn around for this doc and that we can make the next mailing with Harrahs which will be around the 10th of February. Chinese New Year is coming fast so they don't want to mail them earlier to have the dossiers sit in China when no one is there to process them. So they are planning to send them to arrive when they (CCAA) gets back.
We would be Feb DTC and Feb LID if we got in the next batch : which means an August referral-travel in October or around there. I also am praying that we do not travel during the trade fair...the prices get jacked up and hotels and airfare skyrocket. Hopefully we will go in the beginning of October and not the end when the trade fair is. When all is said and done, it is out of our hands and it will be when it will be! :)
Until next time!!
I looked at the return address and sure enough...U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICE was there....I screamed and jumped around for about 5 minutes...doing a very silly dance all over the house! I immediately got on the phone with Stephanie our dossier consultant and asked if she was sitting down... then told her it came!! When I had the envelope in my hands, I almost was scared for a moment because the envelope was so heavy and obviously had more than one document in it...did they send my stuff back, were we rejected by the government? I ripped open the top(careful not to destroy anything inside) and looked at the contents. The first page was a letter congratulating us and that we were approved! The next was the actual I-171H approval, then another paper about fingerprinting and another two forms, then ANOTHER I-171H...identical to the first! How cool!! I called Joe next and told him we are on our way...definitely not as excited as me, but I think that is because he has not done his homework on what all these papers mean in the process. I tell him sign this, he does, I tell him...go here at 2 pm...he does...that is about it! He will get more excited when the picture of our daughter comes!!!
The amazing part of this is that we only submitted the I-600A on Jan 20th -rec'd fingerprint noticeon Jan. 28th - fingerprinted on January 29th( a Saturday) and rec'd the I 171 on Feb 3rd...2 weeks from start to finish...unreal. My heart goes out to all my cyber friends who have been waiting for months for this to happen and it still has not. Why can't all offices be like Houston??? If it can take this long in one place...all of them should be able to accomodate completing this form for all those who are being ever so patient to get this to continue their journey. I have been very fortunate with the whole process. Our start to finish time frame has been a little over 8 weeks so far...many of the same people who are where I am now have started as early as August and September!!! I couldn't imagine the pain they are going through in the waiting. Our process is a miracle in itself and I can only think God has BIG plans for a little girl in China who needs us desperately. My I-171 was immediately faxed to Stephanie that night and she sent it to Austin SOS the next day-Friday. It is in Austin now but will not be delivered until Monday. I hope we have a quick turn around for this doc and that we can make the next mailing with Harrahs which will be around the 10th of February. Chinese New Year is coming fast so they don't want to mail them earlier to have the dossiers sit in China when no one is there to process them. So they are planning to send them to arrive when they (CCAA) gets back.
We would be Feb DTC and Feb LID if we got in the next batch : which means an August referral-travel in October or around there. I also am praying that we do not travel during the trade fair...the prices get jacked up and hotels and airfare skyrocket. Hopefully we will go in the beginning of October and not the end when the trade fair is. When all is said and done, it is out of our hands and it will be when it will be! :)
Until next time!!
posted by Anne Marie & Joe @ 2/05/2005 10:50:00 AM
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