Sent the I-600A in the mail to Newark today, return receipt, certified mail - it should arrive on Friday and the control freak that I am just loves the idea that I can track the package and see who signed for it! The I-600A was the first set of forms we had to send to the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.) Along with the forms we had to send a sealed copy of our home study, a copy of our birth certificates, a copy of our marriage certificate, and a check for $830!
The I-600A is the Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, and is filed before we are matched with a specific child to adopt. The allows the USCIS time to process the information to make sure we can provide a good home and that we are a suitable parents. After we have been matched with a child, we will file the I-600 (Petition to Classify Orphan and an Immediate Relative) on behalf of the child.
Once the forms are received and reviewed we will be given an appointment to be finger printed, again. The first one was a basic search for our home study and this time our prints will require FBI clearance. The finger print clearances are good for only fifteen months and the I-600A approval is good for 18 months. Once everything is cleared and approved we will receive form I-171H! This approval form will bring us one step closer to our baby girl!
Most people get their finger print appointments 2-3 weeks after filing the I-600A. The approval will most likely take 10-12 weeks though. But since we are still at least 7-9 months from a referral, it will be approved in plenty of time. I am hoping the appointment comes during the summer so that my Mom is home to babysit and we don't have to work out school schedules and such!
It was a really great feeling to have that in the mail today. But I was also really nervous. I mean, I looked over it more than a few times, and I had Brian look over it. But this form is so important and I am so afraid that something is wrong or incomplete and it will delay the process! I did feel this way after sending in out initial application and our home study packet too. And everything was fine! I will be so relieved when we get the call for our finger print appointment because that will mean that things are moving along! Or do we get and e-mail, I forget!
Feel free to ask any questions. I will try to answer as best I can, I am still learning about all this stuff as I go!
1 comment:
Congrats!!! It must feel so good to getting closer to having your baby home, one step at a time! :)
Post a Comment