what we are waiting for and the rest of the process

I have had so many people ask us what's the next step, what are we waiting for and what the rest of the wait is and when we will travel and on and on and on.

So, I'm going to do my best to explain what the rest of the process till travel looks like. This is just my understanding of the approval.

We are currently waiting on approval of our i600 and i600a approvals. They are called i171 and i171h. This approval comes from the USCIS office in Memphis. This is approval to issue a Visa to come into the country.

They send us a letter of the approval and send the paperwork to the National Visa Center.

Once the paperwork is at the NVC, I can call to see when he is "logged in" and "logged out". This turn around appears to be fast, as in we can be logged in one day and logged out the next.

Meanwhile, in Korea, they are working on issuing an EP (Emmigration Permit). This is permission to leave the country. Korea only issues so many EPs a year to different agencies. Last year a few agencies maxed out their quota and there are people who have been waiting since the fall for EPs at other agencies. So sad!

Back in the States, once he is NVC in and out, I can (and will!) call a hotline in Washington DC and they can track his visa as it moves through the final steps. I plan on adding this number to my speed dial and calling at least once daily.

Once he is NVC in and out and has a EP the US Embassy in Korea will issue a "P3" which stands for Packet 3. It has to do with something like this is the third step in the process to get his Visa packet complete, but I don't care what it means, I just want it! This P3 contains all the supporting documents that go with a Visa. He will have a Visa interview at the Embassy and have a picture made.

Makes me laugh, he has an interview! I'm sure he will dress nice and be on his best behavior. I hope his foster mom is practicing interview skills with him. Before my first interview my mom took me to get my first black business suit, maybe they will get him a new outfit too. Wonder what they will ask him?

Ok, so it's not a "interview" just more like he just has to show up at the Embassy.

Waiting on the P3 can take 2-12 weeks. Better be more like 2, I'm just sayin'

Then we wait by the phone for the long awaited, much anticipated- TRAVEL CALL!

After I FREAK OUT- we call our travel agent, pack our bags and GO GET OUR SON!

Then we get home and start the paperwork to make him a citizen, get a social security card, birth certificate, and re-adopt him in the US- but I can't think about all that yet. I'm just trying to get to the TRAVEL CALL!