Yesterday marked the 5th month since our referral. She was soooooo itty bitty back on May 29th. We looked at her picture for literally hours. We are going crazy without her.
I really have lost hope for travel in 2007. We have a meeting with our agency next week, so i'll let you guys know how that goes. Actually, we are meeting with the vietnam coordinator and the "big-dog" head of the agency (she is quite aware that we are dissatisfied with the situation). We are happy about the new I600 changes, we just wish it would have happened either 2 months ago, or 2 months in the future. But really, as long as she comes home, i'm sure it won't matter so much in the grand scheme of things.
Otherwise, no real news. I thinking about trying to go home to Ohio for Christmas, now that it looks like we won't be in VN. I'm just hesitant to make plans "just in case". all the sibs will be home for christmas, so it would be really fun, but i guess we'll have to wait a few more weeks and see if there is any news.
Juneau
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
We Need Your Help to Get Juneau Home
We got some bad news a couple days ago. Due to some issues that have been arising in the Vietnam adoption process, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has instituted a new statute.
Under the current system, the main form (I-600) that has to be processed for an internationally adopted child to be classified as a citizen was processed following the adoptive parents' arrival in Vietnam and an initial meeting with the U.S. Embassy. After that meeting, if everything was in order, the paperwork was processed and about 10 days later, the family had a final meeting with the U.S. Embassy and were free to come home.
However, the problem would arise if any red flags came up during the initial interview. If the U.S. government decided something seemed fishy regarding that child's adoption, they could launch an investigation, significantly delaying the time the family had to remain in Vietnam. Or, worst case scenario, the U.S. government could come back and say the I-600 was not going to be approved and the child could not be classified as a U.S. citizen. By that point, the family has some serious issues because although they can appeal the denial, they have already taken custody of the child - the child can't go back to the orphanage but can't come into the U.S. either.
In order to fix some of these problems, the new statute will require that the initial I-600 processing be done through the mail before the parents go to Vietnam. The forms will be sent to Ho Chi Minh city and processed at the U.S. embassy there. So, if an investigation has to be done to confirm the child's eligibility for adoption, it will take place before the parents arrive in Vietnam. However, this process is projected to require 60 days.
While this is a long overdue change that needs to take place, the problem is that USCIS has decreed that this policy is to be implemented immediately. This means that families (like us) who are right on the verge of traveling will be pushed back at least 60 more days.
Our expected travel has already been pushed back 2 months once and the thought of being delayed another 60+ days is pretty hard to handle right now. Our little girl is waiting for us in an orphanage and we want to get her home by Christmas. That was looking possible and actually pretty likely. However, if we are pushed back due to this policy, that won't happen.
The online adoption community is trying to respond to this change in a way that will help those, like us, who are getting stuck in the middle. A push is being made to contact all of our U.S. senators and representatives to ask them to influence USCIS to implement this new policy over a reasonable period of time to allow a smoother transition for those whose travel plans are imminent.
We are asking you to consider helping us get Juneau home in the follow ways:
1. Contact your Congressmen: If you follow the links below, you can identify your state and you will be instantly provided with contact information for your senators and reps. Taking a few minutes to send an email...or even better, make a phone call...on behalf of adoptive parents may help us get Juneau home by Christmas
Senator http://www.senate.gov/
Congressperson http://www.house.gov/
You just click on the link, then select your state, and their names pop up
2. Pray for our adoption agency and our interactions with them. We have been dealing with a lot of frustrations lately with our agency and what we feel are shortcomings on their part to do everything they can to get Juneau home.
3. Pray for us to handle whatever delays may come. Up to this point, it's been hard to be patient but we've been handling it well I think. At this point though, the delays are going well beyond the range of what is considered "normal" as part of unpredictable international adoption process. We are venturing into the range of being one of those stories you hear about and hope it doesn't happen to you. As a result, we are both starting to get depressed with the whole thing.
One of the biggest issues is also that if we do get pushed back to January or February, it is very likely that due to her work obligations, Emilie will not be able to travel to Vietnam. This is obviously part of a "worst case scenario" for us. (Somebody's going to have to get their passport updated and volunteer so I'm not going to Vietnam by myself)
We'll keep you all updated obviously but any of the above that you could do would be greatly appreciated. We're holding out hope that Juneau will get to celebrate her first Christmas with her family :)
Under the current system, the main form (I-600) that has to be processed for an internationally adopted child to be classified as a citizen was processed following the adoptive parents' arrival in Vietnam and an initial meeting with the U.S. Embassy. After that meeting, if everything was in order, the paperwork was processed and about 10 days later, the family had a final meeting with the U.S. Embassy and were free to come home.
However, the problem would arise if any red flags came up during the initial interview. If the U.S. government decided something seemed fishy regarding that child's adoption, they could launch an investigation, significantly delaying the time the family had to remain in Vietnam. Or, worst case scenario, the U.S. government could come back and say the I-600 was not going to be approved and the child could not be classified as a U.S. citizen. By that point, the family has some serious issues because although they can appeal the denial, they have already taken custody of the child - the child can't go back to the orphanage but can't come into the U.S. either.
In order to fix some of these problems, the new statute will require that the initial I-600 processing be done through the mail before the parents go to Vietnam. The forms will be sent to Ho Chi Minh city and processed at the U.S. embassy there. So, if an investigation has to be done to confirm the child's eligibility for adoption, it will take place before the parents arrive in Vietnam. However, this process is projected to require 60 days.
While this is a long overdue change that needs to take place, the problem is that USCIS has decreed that this policy is to be implemented immediately. This means that families (like us) who are right on the verge of traveling will be pushed back at least 60 more days.
Our expected travel has already been pushed back 2 months once and the thought of being delayed another 60+ days is pretty hard to handle right now. Our little girl is waiting for us in an orphanage and we want to get her home by Christmas. That was looking possible and actually pretty likely. However, if we are pushed back due to this policy, that won't happen.
The online adoption community is trying to respond to this change in a way that will help those, like us, who are getting stuck in the middle. A push is being made to contact all of our U.S. senators and representatives to ask them to influence USCIS to implement this new policy over a reasonable period of time to allow a smoother transition for those whose travel plans are imminent.
We are asking you to consider helping us get Juneau home in the follow ways:
1. Contact your Congressmen: If you follow the links below, you can identify your state and you will be instantly provided with contact information for your senators and reps. Taking a few minutes to send an email...or even better, make a phone call...on behalf of adoptive parents may help us get Juneau home by Christmas
Senator http://www.senate.gov/
Congressperson http://www.house.gov/
You just click on the link, then select your state, and their names pop up
2. Pray for our adoption agency and our interactions with them. We have been dealing with a lot of frustrations lately with our agency and what we feel are shortcomings on their part to do everything they can to get Juneau home.
3. Pray for us to handle whatever delays may come. Up to this point, it's been hard to be patient but we've been handling it well I think. At this point though, the delays are going well beyond the range of what is considered "normal" as part of unpredictable international adoption process. We are venturing into the range of being one of those stories you hear about and hope it doesn't happen to you. As a result, we are both starting to get depressed with the whole thing.
One of the biggest issues is also that if we do get pushed back to January or February, it is very likely that due to her work obligations, Emilie will not be able to travel to Vietnam. This is obviously part of a "worst case scenario" for us. (Somebody's going to have to get their passport updated and volunteer so I'm not going to Vietnam by myself)
We'll keep you all updated obviously but any of the above that you could do would be greatly appreciated. We're holding out hope that Juneau will get to celebrate her first Christmas with her family :)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
still holding our breath...
but no travel dates. Rumors are flying everywhere about the I-600. Not sure really what to think about it. In brief summary, as of now you apply for an I600 in Vietnam, the investigation happens in-country. The new method is to apply for the I-600 stateside, decreasing the chance that you get stuck in vietnam for an investigation, or worse, a NOID. I think the new way sounds pretty good, but there are also rumors about a 60 day wait once the I600 is submitted. Which, if we submitted our I600 right this second, then waited 60 days, would put us at 7 months between referral and travel.
Makes my brain hurt thinking about it.
anyway, i didn't find out any of this from my rather oblivious agency. I did send them a rather long email on Monday. i will give them some time to process my wordy email, and then see what they have to say.
anyway, our internet is out at home, so i am writing from work. Maybe it will be back up by friday, but i'm not sure. and i really want to get out of this crazy train office. so hopefully i will have some news in the next week or so after my agency addresses my 1 million questions and 5 million concerns.
in the mean time, cris got a great haircut, but i can't post pictures because i have no internet in the vicinity of my camera. but i will. and i will also post pictures of the CoCo wheat we got in the mail, since apparently CoCo Wheat has not immigrated to hawaii from the mainland, and Cris' lovely sister paid $14.00 in shipping to send us a $1.00 box of coco wheat because she loves us so much. in fact, maybe that will be dinner tonight.
Makes my brain hurt thinking about it.
anyway, i didn't find out any of this from my rather oblivious agency. I did send them a rather long email on Monday. i will give them some time to process my wordy email, and then see what they have to say.
anyway, our internet is out at home, so i am writing from work. Maybe it will be back up by friday, but i'm not sure. and i really want to get out of this crazy train office. so hopefully i will have some news in the next week or so after my agency addresses my 1 million questions and 5 million concerns.
in the mean time, cris got a great haircut, but i can't post pictures because i have no internet in the vicinity of my camera. but i will. and i will also post pictures of the CoCo wheat we got in the mail, since apparently CoCo Wheat has not immigrated to hawaii from the mainland, and Cris' lovely sister paid $14.00 in shipping to send us a $1.00 box of coco wheat because she loves us so much. in fact, maybe that will be dinner tonight.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
a cute little smile
a surprise photo update was waiting for me yesterday. it had only been a couple of weeks since our last one, so i was really surprised to have another 2 pictures waiting for me. AND we have our very first documented smile. Too cute!!!
Still no travel news, but 2 Thanh Hoa families have recieved G&R dates.
Congrats to Gene and Deanna, as well as Beverly and Robert. Both of these families got referrals before us, but hopefully this progress means travel dates are soon to come.
Normally i don't post so much of the photo, at least until we officially have her in our arms, but i couldn't resist posting this adorable face!!!
Still no travel news, but 2 Thanh Hoa families have recieved G&R dates.
Congrats to Gene and Deanna, as well as Beverly and Robert. Both of these families got referrals before us, but hopefully this progress means travel dates are soon to come.
Normally i don't post so much of the photo, at least until we officially have her in our arms, but i couldn't resist posting this adorable face!!!
Friday, October 5, 2007
a wink and a smile
That's right, folks. Our baby girl has learned how to smile. And almost wink. Soooooo cute beyond words. Maybe she knows we are feeling a little down about our recent delay, and needed to see a cute little smile.
still no travel news.....
but the pictures certainly help!
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