FINAL visa interview scheduled

Mr and Mrs.  Schell,

Your daughter’s visa interview is schedule for October 31^st, 2013 at 9:00am. The letter was given to your adoption Agency representative today from God’s Littlest Angels. Please let us know should you need any other information.

Regards,

The Adoption Unit

What this means:  There are 6 families from GLA that are all at this same point in the process.  Next week, a representative from the orphanage will take all the children down the mountain and into the city to the Embassy for this appointment.  The Consulate will go over all the final paperwork with a "fine tooth comb"  they will make sure everything is correct and they will look at Jennifers medical exam to make sure she is healthy enough to come to the U.S.  At the end of that appointment the representative will be told whether the visa will be granted or not.  

We don't expect any problems with this, but I guess you never know.  The visa is usually picked up two working days later (Friday is a holiday, so most likely picked up on Tuesday, Nov 5).  This will allow us to enter the U.S. with Jennifer.  We will also need an exit letter from IBESR allowing us to leave Haiti with her.   This could take 4-5 days.  

Since so many families are going to travel, the guest house will be full.  We will not get official travel dates until after the appointment on the 31st, but it will be sometime that nest week.  Its perfect because here in NJ it is teacher convention week.  The kids are off school Thurs/Fri and Matt is off Tues, Thurs, Fri, Mon so travel plans will be a little easier.  

We will most likely fly into Miami and stay over.  Head to Haiti the next morning, stay two days and travel home (hopefully all the way) on the fourth day.

The wait is ALMOST over...!

Visa Approval!

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Schell,

USCIS in Port au Prince, Haiti is pleased to inform you that the I-600 petition, which you filed at this office on April 17, 2013 on behalf of Dieunifer Paul, seeking to qualify her as your immediate relative has

been approved. Your case has been transferred to the Adoption Unit of the Consular Section for the visa process. This completes all action by USCIS on the referenced petition. The Consular Section will soon

contact you to follow-up on your case.

Should you have any question regarding the visa process, you may send your inquiry to the consular section at papadoptions@state.gov.

Regards,

Adoption Team

Department of Homeland Security

US Citizenship & Immigration Services

Embassy of the United States of America

Tabarre 41

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Printed Passport, September Pictures, Visa Process, and a 3rd birthday celebration!

   

On Friday, September 27, we got the good news that Jennifer's passport was perfect.  We were finished with the Haitian side of the process.  This was a huge milestone and a huge relief.  On Monday, September 29 our file and Jennifers file were submitted together and sent to the U.S. Embassy in Port-Au-Prince to begin the visa process.  

This is a two part process.  The first is where the visa is approved.  This could take anywhere from 1- 6 weeks.  Tomorrow is the 3 week mark.  Once it is approved USCIS will email us and tell us that the visa has been sent to the Consulate.  The Consulate will email us anywhere from 2-7 days after they receive the file and issue a "visa date".  On that day someone from GLA will take Jennifer to the Embassy for this final appointment.  After the appointment is successful, we can purchase tickets! The visa is usually printed two days after this final appointment and IBESR issues a final exit letter.

On October 6, 2013 Jennifer turned three.  We made Haitian rice and beans (which everyone ate!)  and some cake and ice cream.  At the orphanage they celebrated her birthday with all the children that had an October birthday.  We sent a small gift of a nesting toy.

So now we wait for that visa approval (hopeful that it will come this week).  Five other families are waiting for the same email, one from the Main House, 3 from the Toddler House.  A lot of other families have also just been submitted to the Embassy. Lots of children will be home for Christmas.  With the excitement of that, comes the reminder that some won't be home this year in time and some still have no family.