Our CIS Application has been processed!!!

I just recieved an email from CIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services) and our application has been processed. On Monday, I emailed them asking if they would be willing to expedite our application since we are adopting a child with special needs, who is needing surgery between 12 and 18 months and they immediately emailed back requesting a letter from a treating physician. I sent a letter this morning from Dr. Kevin Smith, an Ear Nose and Throat Physician at OU Medical Center who specializes in the treatment of cleft lip and palate. His letter reiterated the need for surgery before 18 months of age and I am so grateful for his help. Because of his letter, we are now scheduled to be fingerprinted next Wednesday, February 6th at the US-CIS office in Oklahoma City. Then, we will wait for our 171-H, more required paperwork, to be processed. Once we receive our 171-H we will be able to send our dossier to China. And, once we send our dossier to China, we will wait 3-5 months before we are given travel notice. Thank you for your support and prayers...we are so appreciative.

Mailed Appl. to CIS

Yesterday, I mailed our completed homestudy, birth certificates, marriage license and application to apply for I-600 A status, which is an international orphan petition. This must be done through Immigration Services and Homeland Security. I have heard this takes between 2 and 3 months to process so I am hoping for sooner rather than later. We are now one step closer to heading to China!

Our Referral

On Monday, November 19th, 2007, we received a call from Great Wall China Adoption Agency informing us that we had received a referral for a baby girl born in Chongquing, China on February 24, 2007. The baby girl, Jiang Xuelian, was born with a unilateral cleft lip cleft palate and had her lip repaired in July.

We just completed our Home Study for the pending adoption and will send it with our I 600-A form to Homeland Security, which should take between 2-3 months to process. This must be done in order to adopt internationally. Once our application is accepted, we will be able to send our dossier to China. Then, the Chinese Government for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) will hopefully accept our petition to adopt Mary Kate. And, we will finally travel to China!