Immigration, I think I may love you!
Facebook is fun for quick thoughts and random life moments, but I guess not for informing friends of good things!
Today I posted "Keep Fingers Crossed" Immigration may be coming through for us"... Here is the backstory:
Last year we were approved to adopt from the Philippines, the birth country of my Father. After months of turmoil, we choose for our family to move another direction. Our plans, which we all know are not our plans, were changed. We did not to decide to adopt by choosing a country. We choose to adopt through the Children of Promise which is Bethany's program for waiting children. Waiting, because they are not infants, waiting because they are not perfect. Waiting. We are not perfect, far from it.
We were matched with our beautful son Chih-Fu in October! Happy Day! We have so much of our paperwork completed the process will fly right? Ummm... nope. We had to re-do much of our paperwork. Thank Goodness our homestudy was still valid and just needed some minor updating.
Enter Immigration.....
Three trips to the Pittsburgh office, being told I needed additional paperwork, then told to send paperwork to Texas. Then told to call the 800 hot line. Then after hitting so many #'s once getting through to the 800# you just get hung up on, I actually got a real person.
And guess what she told me? "oh, You have to go to the Pittsburgh office for that..." Hysterical laughter proceeded from my mouth.... and then I hung up.
Our fabulous saint of a social worker was able to find a person ,deep in the hidden recesses of government walls, that could give us an actual answer: You have to file immigration paperwork again. Even though we were approved at the time of this conversation, barely 4months ago-its now been just over 6months. So we stopped fighting, refiled, and re payed. Our last immigration approval took just under 5weeks.
We were counting the days.
Last Wednesday I checked the mail. I noticed a familiar envelope in the stack. Holding my breath I opened it.... Denied because we needed to be re fingerprinted.
Question? - Has anyone looked at there fingerprints recently? Have they changed in the last 6 months? Just curious....But I digress...
Again I call the 800#, speak to a friendly person who gives me a nondescript email address in the Pittsburgh Homeland Office. Then I read somewhere that sometimes contacting local State Reps or Senators, ours are Daryl Metcalfe & Jane Orie late on Wednesday night I sent an email. I was not holding my breath.
Rob was even less so.
Before 10pm I had responses from each of them saying that a member of their staff would contact me the next day. They did. I spent hours on the phone with a staffer who knew early in our conversation that what we needed was Federal help, not State, but she continued on. Looking up numbers (this was New Years Eve) and eventually she pointed me in the direction of our State Senator. My intention was to call his office today.
No Need.
At 3:45 this afternoon I had this email :
" Please disregard the letter you received. Your paperwork has arrived in Pittsburgh and is awaiting adjudication by one of our Officer’s. "
"Everything is in order."
: )
Tomorrow our Paperwork goes to Bethany home office. From there (once they have our official immigration paperwork in hand) Our Dossier goes to Taiwan.
and then from there.... I'm supposed to tell you all One year, but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.... for maybe sometime in...... : )
Thank you all for the thought Prayers and well wishes. Continued Prayer would be the greatest gift, and if you know someone else adopting, near or far, Hug them for me.
Today I posted "Keep Fingers Crossed" Immigration may be coming through for us"... Here is the backstory:
Last year we were approved to adopt from the Philippines, the birth country of my Father. After months of turmoil, we choose for our family to move another direction. Our plans, which we all know are not our plans, were changed. We did not to decide to adopt by choosing a country. We choose to adopt through the Children of Promise which is Bethany's program for waiting children. Waiting, because they are not infants, waiting because they are not perfect. Waiting. We are not perfect, far from it.
We were matched with our beautful son Chih-Fu in October! Happy Day! We have so much of our paperwork completed the process will fly right? Ummm... nope. We had to re-do much of our paperwork. Thank Goodness our homestudy was still valid and just needed some minor updating.
Enter Immigration.....
Three trips to the Pittsburgh office, being told I needed additional paperwork, then told to send paperwork to Texas. Then told to call the 800 hot line. Then after hitting so many #'s once getting through to the 800# you just get hung up on, I actually got a real person.
And guess what she told me? "oh, You have to go to the Pittsburgh office for that..." Hysterical laughter proceeded from my mouth.... and then I hung up.
Our fabulous saint of a social worker was able to find a person ,deep in the hidden recesses of government walls, that could give us an actual answer: You have to file immigration paperwork again. Even though we were approved at the time of this conversation, barely 4months ago-its now been just over 6months. So we stopped fighting, refiled, and re payed. Our last immigration approval took just under 5weeks.
We were counting the days.
Last Wednesday I checked the mail. I noticed a familiar envelope in the stack. Holding my breath I opened it.... Denied because we needed to be re fingerprinted.
Question? - Has anyone looked at there fingerprints recently? Have they changed in the last 6 months? Just curious....But I digress...
Again I call the 800#, speak to a friendly person who gives me a nondescript email address in the Pittsburgh Homeland Office. Then I read somewhere that sometimes contacting local State Reps or Senators, ours are Daryl Metcalfe & Jane Orie late on Wednesday night I sent an email. I was not holding my breath.
Rob was even less so.
Before 10pm I had responses from each of them saying that a member of their staff would contact me the next day. They did. I spent hours on the phone with a staffer who knew early in our conversation that what we needed was Federal help, not State, but she continued on. Looking up numbers (this was New Years Eve) and eventually she pointed me in the direction of our State Senator. My intention was to call his office today.
No Need.
At 3:45 this afternoon I had this email :
" Please disregard the letter you received. Your paperwork has arrived in Pittsburgh and is awaiting adjudication by one of our Officer’s. "
"Everything is in order."
: )
Tomorrow our Paperwork goes to Bethany home office. From there (once they have our official immigration paperwork in hand) Our Dossier goes to Taiwan.
and then from there.... I'm supposed to tell you all One year, but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.... for maybe sometime in...... : )
Thank you all for the thought Prayers and well wishes. Continued Prayer would be the greatest gift, and if you know someone else adopting, near or far, Hug them for me.
Comments
Excited and can't wait to meet our newest grandson!
Rachel