We are currently working on putting together our dossier, a package of documents that we will send to Uganda. It includes our home study, medical records, financial statements, criminal clearances, birth certificates, marriage license, and a letter to the Ugandan department that oversees adoption. We have finished almost everything, and are awaiting the final piece - our orphan's visa approval. Once that arrives we will have everything notarized here in Evanston, then I will go into Chicago to have the notarization verified by the state. Then we will send the dossier to our agency in Alabama, and they will verify that everything is in order before they send it for more verifications.
I had hoped that our visa might come before I went to California for Christmas. It was never really likely that it would happen, because visas usually take about 3-6 weeks from fingerprinting, but now we know that it will not happen because of a paperwork delay at DCFS. DCFS approved us as foster parents in mid-November, but did not approve us for international adoption because they needed some additional information from our agency. Our social worker did not receive the message because she was out of the country, so none of this came to our attention until last week. I was extremely concerned that they might not give us our international approval, which led to an anxiety filled day, but we now know that DCFS has agreed to approve our application pending receipt of some documents that are in the mail. As a result, even if our fingerprints clear the background check quickly, immigration does not have the information they need from DCFS to approve our visa application.
Although it was very unlikely that we would have received our visa before Christmas anyway, we felt really disappointed when we found out that it was impossible. Now I am concerned that we might not have it by the time we get back! Obviously delays are common in adoption, and things are still going very quickly, but I had hoped that the process in the US would go totally smoothly. This is really our second delay, as we turned in our visa application very late in the home study due to some mail miscommunications with our international agency. None of the delays have been anyone's "fault" and I am glad that the small problems we have encountered have been easily fixed, and that both of our social workers have worked so hard to keep our adoption moving. In the grand scheme of our adoption these issues will probably only add a few weeks to our total time. I know that is nothing, but I am impatient!
We continue to pray that this will happen in God's perfect time, but that his time will be soon, and if it isn't, that he will give us patience and peace.
I had hoped that our visa might come before I went to California for Christmas. It was never really likely that it would happen, because visas usually take about 3-6 weeks from fingerprinting, but now we know that it will not happen because of a paperwork delay at DCFS. DCFS approved us as foster parents in mid-November, but did not approve us for international adoption because they needed some additional information from our agency. Our social worker did not receive the message because she was out of the country, so none of this came to our attention until last week. I was extremely concerned that they might not give us our international approval, which led to an anxiety filled day, but we now know that DCFS has agreed to approve our application pending receipt of some documents that are in the mail. As a result, even if our fingerprints clear the background check quickly, immigration does not have the information they need from DCFS to approve our visa application.
Although it was very unlikely that we would have received our visa before Christmas anyway, we felt really disappointed when we found out that it was impossible. Now I am concerned that we might not have it by the time we get back! Obviously delays are common in adoption, and things are still going very quickly, but I had hoped that the process in the US would go totally smoothly. This is really our second delay, as we turned in our visa application very late in the home study due to some mail miscommunications with our international agency. None of the delays have been anyone's "fault" and I am glad that the small problems we have encountered have been easily fixed, and that both of our social workers have worked so hard to keep our adoption moving. In the grand scheme of our adoption these issues will probably only add a few weeks to our total time. I know that is nothing, but I am impatient!
We continue to pray that this will happen in God's perfect time, but that his time will be soon, and if it isn't, that he will give us patience and peace.
Posts
1 comment:
Congrats on the international approval. Everything will be done before you know it and you'll wonder where the time went! Hope you have safe travels to California!
Post a Comment