My Article 5 has been dropped off in Guangzhou! Whooohooo! It has a scheduled pick up date of November 13th. The last step is being issued Travel Approval! I'm praying that is issued on or before November 17th. It is looking VERY POSITIVE for Christmas travel! Possibly even earlier (I have to see about how much time I can take off).
Not much longer and I'll get to meet my son!!!
Thanks for checking in!
Monday, October 30, 2017
Thursday, October 26, 2017
i800 APPROVAL
On October 19th my i800 was approved! Whooohooo! I called the NVC earlier today and they said my i800 was loaded into the computer today. Kendra has told me to email and call daily to get GUZ number.
NVC – National Visa Center: Where my i800 approval was sent. From here my info will be loaded into the system and will be sent to the US Embassy in Guangzhou. The NVC will assign me a GUZ number which goes on immigration paperwork for Bryson and then I’ll be emailed a copy of a pdf file that gets forwarded to Hand in Hand (my agency). I’m hoping all of this happens fast.
Article 5: A courier will pick up the Article 5 (final approval) from the US Embassy and deliver it to China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) . The Article 5 lets CCCWA know that I am approved by the US government to adopt Bryson and have done every little thing they have asked me to do (both China and US). After this step CCCWA issues TA.
TA – Travel Approval: I am welcome to enter China to complete Bryson’s adoption sometime over the next 90 days, but first I need to request a Consulate Appointment.
CA – Consulate Appointment: I will request 5 dates for my Consulate Appointment at the US Embassy where I’ll ask for Bryson’s US Visa and swear an oath. Hopefully I'll get my first pick ... and I'm praying I will travel to get him over Christmas break!
For now, I wait. And pray. And get everything I need to in order. Mom is flying in November 20th. So I'll get to spend Thanksgiving with her! Cotton is going to be SUPER excited to have Gigi staying with us!
Thanks for checking in and following my journey!
~Jen
Monday, October 9, 2017
Fast and Furious
Things are starting to happen FAST! My LOSC was approved in China possibly September 29th. It showed up in the system Saturday October 1st and my agency received the hard copy on Tuesday October 3rd.
Idiot me ... I was trying to get things prepared for my i800 and sending it out ... I messed up on signing the date. That format through me for a loop and I put the year twice, ahhh. I pray it doesn't mess up anything! That was actually the copy, so the real one has the correct date. This is the one that went to USCIS.
Idiot me ... I was trying to get things prepared for my i800 and sending it out ... I messed up on signing the date. That format through me for a loop and I put the year twice, ahhh. I pray it doesn't mess up anything! That was actually the copy, so the real one has the correct date. This is the one that went to USCIS.
My i800 "Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative" was sent out October 5th. It hit lockbox on October 6th. Since today is Columbus Day I hope it gets in the system and approved fast!
Mom and I are in the process of applying for our Chinese Visas. I sent all of my stuff to her and she needs to add her application and passport and send to a courier in Chicago. Since we are going together we are supposed to apply together.
There is a possibility we could travel over Thanksgiving. It all depends on each step and how long it takes to get the i800 back. PRAY!!!
Thanks for following my journey!
~Jen
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Waiting ... and more waiting
I just wanted to post a quick update since the last time I posted was the end of JULY. Wow! Not all that much to tell ... but here ya go :)
My dossier was logged in on August 9th. On August 16th I got notice it was in translation (every.single.word.had.to.be.translated.). I am currently in review. Waiting ... waiting ... hopefully in the next week I'll get my Letter of Action from China.
So not much happening (other than waiting and practicing my patience) is happening in my adoption world.
We started school on August 16th and I have a great group of kids! Then Hurricane Harvey came ... thankfully my house was not affected. It's super hard to see how many people lost their homes. The cleanup and rebuilding phase are in progress.
I'm trying to keep myself super busy with work to keep my mind off of the waiting game. So far, so good.
Not much else to report (yet). Stay tuned!
Thanks for checking in!
Jen
Sunday, July 30, 2017
DTC!!!
I am DTC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have exciting news!!! Friday I was DTC!!! What that means is my dossier has been sent to China. This is a milestone step! Other families have traveled anywhere between 3 to 4 1/2 months from DTC. Please pray that each step towards me and Mom traveling to bring Bryson home is smooth and timely. I was on cloud 9 all weekend! What awesome news!!!
Currently I have a Tupperware Fundraiser going of which I profit 40%. If you are interested you are able to shop from August 1st - 16th by following this link:
I still have two shirts available for purchase:
https://www.bonfire.com/jennifers-campaign-715/
https://www.bonfire.com/jennifers-campaign-856/
Steps left to be completed:
LID - Log in Date - the date when my dossier is logged into China's system
LOA/LOSC - This is a Letter of Action (Letter of Seeking Confirmation) sent by China to confirm that I am approved to adopt Bryson and seeking confirmation that I wish to proceed with the adoption. UMMMM YA! At this point I owe my next payment to the agency.
i800 - This is the second immigration document I will file. The i800 approval grants me permission to adopt Bryson.
GUZ # - Applications for immigration visas are assigned a number. This will be issued from the US Consulate in Guangzhou (GUZ). I have been told this is a small step in the process.
PDF/RTF - This is the email version of my National Visa Center approval letter. The NVC processes the visa Bryson will be issued to enter the US after his adoption is completed in China. Bryson will fly home on a Chinese passport. The visa will verify that he will become a US citizen once his paperwork in processed by immigration wherever we first land in the US.
Art 5 Pick-up - Article 5 is a document issued by the US consulate in Guangzhou which verifies to China that my paperwork is in order. It takes 10 business days for the document to be prepared by the US consulate. Once this document has been sent to the Chinese Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption my travel approval will be issued!
TA - Travel Approval issued by China inviting me to enter the country to finalize the adoption. I have 90 days after the TA is issued to complete Bryson's adoption.
Waiting ..........
As I wait for the next steps to be completed I am tearing apart my house in an effort to organize. Bryson's room is looking good. I just need to empty out his closet as I was using it for overflow. I'm hoping to make several donation runs in the coming months.
His bedroom has a dresser and a full sized bed. I purchased a sheet / comforter set that I'll put on when the waterproof mattress liner arrives from Amazon ;) In the area in front of his bed I would like to do a reading / play nook and am searching for a piece of furniture that won't dominate the space, but provide book and toy storage. Possibly a beanbag to hang out in. I have some time to put together a cool room :)
That's all for now! Thank you for following my journey to Bringing Bryson Home!
~Jennifer
Saturday, July 8, 2017
i800a APPROVED!
Wow, it's been a month since I last posted! I got back from Iowa on Thursday ... just in time to head to Austin on Sunday.
I got my i800a approval!!! I was approved on June 30th and my agency got the hard copy last Thursday. Now it's going through all of it's authentications. I used a courier service to hopefully expedite the process. Normally I'd have to get it notarized ... then send to Austin to get it Secretary of State authenticated ... then to Houston to go through the Chinese Consulate. I decided to use a courier in DC ... and she will have all three steps done July 20th. She will then mail to Hand in Hand (agency)!!!
I'm headed to Austin tomorrow for a workshop at Texas School for the Deaf. I'm there through Thursday the 13th. I thought about doing the SOS authentication while I was there in person ... but I wouldn't be able to do that until Friday the 14th. Then I'd have to do the Chinese Consulate portion on my own ... which probably isn't a big deal ... but would mean two trips into Houston and I wouldn't have back until the following week anyways. Going through Kelly (courier) has eased a lot of stress for me knowing it will be done right and sent straight to agency.
My plan is to mail all of my dossier (minus the i800a Kelly is taking care of) off to Hand in Hand on Monday July 17th. I need to talk to Kendra (agency BFF) to make sure I have all of the pieces in order before I mail off. I needed Visa pics, family pics, etc ... I think I have all the pieces ... but I don't want to mail off until I am 100% sure! So that means I am meeting my goal to send my dossier to China by 7/31!!!
I am anxious to start decorating Bryson's room. I need to clear out some old furniture (futon!) from his room and shift a few things to the guest bedroom. I purchased a bed from a friend and have a dresser I purchased awhile back. Once I'm back from Austin I'll start his room!
I'm still working on fundraising and grants. I have applied for several grants. I got an email from Gift of Adoption saying I have a tentative review date of August 8th. I am tweaking my personal statement and will be submitting an application to Help us Adopt and CMomA in the next week or two. The other grants I have applied for ... I have heard ... nada.
This patience thing is difficult. Hopefully he will be here before I know it!
Thanks for following my journey!
I got my i800a approval!!! I was approved on June 30th and my agency got the hard copy last Thursday. Now it's going through all of it's authentications. I used a courier service to hopefully expedite the process. Normally I'd have to get it notarized ... then send to Austin to get it Secretary of State authenticated ... then to Houston to go through the Chinese Consulate. I decided to use a courier in DC ... and she will have all three steps done July 20th. She will then mail to Hand in Hand (agency)!!!
I'm headed to Austin tomorrow for a workshop at Texas School for the Deaf. I'm there through Thursday the 13th. I thought about doing the SOS authentication while I was there in person ... but I wouldn't be able to do that until Friday the 14th. Then I'd have to do the Chinese Consulate portion on my own ... which probably isn't a big deal ... but would mean two trips into Houston and I wouldn't have back until the following week anyways. Going through Kelly (courier) has eased a lot of stress for me knowing it will be done right and sent straight to agency.
My plan is to mail all of my dossier (minus the i800a Kelly is taking care of) off to Hand in Hand on Monday July 17th. I need to talk to Kendra (agency BFF) to make sure I have all of the pieces in order before I mail off. I needed Visa pics, family pics, etc ... I think I have all the pieces ... but I don't want to mail off until I am 100% sure! So that means I am meeting my goal to send my dossier to China by 7/31!!!
I am anxious to start decorating Bryson's room. I need to clear out some old furniture (futon!) from his room and shift a few things to the guest bedroom. I purchased a bed from a friend and have a dresser I purchased awhile back. Once I'm back from Austin I'll start his room!
I'm still working on fundraising and grants. I have applied for several grants. I got an email from Gift of Adoption saying I have a tentative review date of August 8th. I am tweaking my personal statement and will be submitting an application to Help us Adopt and CMomA in the next week or two. The other grants I have applied for ... I have heard ... nada.
This patience thing is difficult. Hopefully he will be here before I know it!
Thanks for following my journey!
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Waiting for i800a
I haven't posted in awhile! Nothing really to report. I had my fingerprints done for USCIS on May 23rd. I called USCIS today to see where I was in the system ... and I haven't been assigned an officer yet. She suggested calling back in a week to see if anything has changed. That I will do!
Here are the next steps I will be going through. I think I got them all. This is such a learning process!
DTC - Dossier to China. I am hoping and praying I am able to send my dossier by July 31st!!! Right now I'm waiting for my i800A, the first immigration document I filed for permission to adopt from a convention country. So hopefully it is complete SOOOOON! PRAYYYYY!!!
** The Westerkamp family here in The Woodlands sent their dossier to China in February. They should fly out June 20th. I am hoping to be on the same timeline (if not faster!)**
LID - Log in Date - the date when my dossier is logged into China's system
LOA/LOSC - This is a Letter of Action (Letter of Seeking Confirmation) sent by China to confirm that I am approved to adopt Bryson and seeking confirmation that I wish to proceed with the adoption. UMMMM YA! At this point I owe my next payment to the agency.
i800 - This is the second immigration document I will file (I have already filed and am waiting for the i800A). The i800 approval grants me permission to adopt Bryson.
GUZ # - Applications for immigration visas are assigned a number. This will be issued from the US Consulate in Guangzhou (GUZ). I have been told this is a small step in the process.
PDF/RTF - This is the email version of my National Visa Center approval letter. The NVC processes the visa Bryson will be issued to enter the US after his adoption is completed in China. Bryson will fly home on a Chinese passport. The visa will verify that he will become a US citizen once his paperwork in processed by immigration wherever we first land in the US.
Art 5 Pick-up - Article 5 is a document issued by the US consulate in Guangzhou which verifies to China that my paperwork is in order. It takes 10 business days for the document to be prepared by the US consulate. Once this document has been sent to the Chinese Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption my travel approval will be issued!
TA - Travel Approval issued by China inviting me to enter the country to finalize the adoption. I have 90 days after the TA is issued to complete Bryson's adoption.
I am headed to Playa del Carmen for four days, three nights on Friday. When I get back Cotton and I are headed to Iowa for a short (for us) trip. In Iowa I will be researching more grant options and trying to figure out the financial side. I will be talking to Both Hands to get my next fundraiser rolling!
Thanks for checking in and following my journey!
Have a great day!
~Jen
Here are the next steps I will be going through. I think I got them all. This is such a learning process!
DTC - Dossier to China. I am hoping and praying I am able to send my dossier by July 31st!!! Right now I'm waiting for my i800A, the first immigration document I filed for permission to adopt from a convention country. So hopefully it is complete SOOOOON! PRAYYYYY!!!
** The Westerkamp family here in The Woodlands sent their dossier to China in February. They should fly out June 20th. I am hoping to be on the same timeline (if not faster!)**
LID - Log in Date - the date when my dossier is logged into China's system
LOA/LOSC - This is a Letter of Action (Letter of Seeking Confirmation) sent by China to confirm that I am approved to adopt Bryson and seeking confirmation that I wish to proceed with the adoption. UMMMM YA! At this point I owe my next payment to the agency.
i800 - This is the second immigration document I will file (I have already filed and am waiting for the i800A). The i800 approval grants me permission to adopt Bryson.
GUZ # - Applications for immigration visas are assigned a number. This will be issued from the US Consulate in Guangzhou (GUZ). I have been told this is a small step in the process.
PDF/RTF - This is the email version of my National Visa Center approval letter. The NVC processes the visa Bryson will be issued to enter the US after his adoption is completed in China. Bryson will fly home on a Chinese passport. The visa will verify that he will become a US citizen once his paperwork in processed by immigration wherever we first land in the US.
Art 5 Pick-up - Article 5 is a document issued by the US consulate in Guangzhou which verifies to China that my paperwork is in order. It takes 10 business days for the document to be prepared by the US consulate. Once this document has been sent to the Chinese Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption my travel approval will be issued!
TA - Travel Approval issued by China inviting me to enter the country to finalize the adoption. I have 90 days after the TA is issued to complete Bryson's adoption.
I am headed to Playa del Carmen for four days, three nights on Friday. When I get back Cotton and I are headed to Iowa for a short (for us) trip. In Iowa I will be researching more grant options and trying to figure out the financial side. I will be talking to Both Hands to get my next fundraiser rolling!
Thanks for checking in and following my journey!
Have a great day!
~Jen
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