Our Article 5 Letters were picked up last week, translated and delivered to the authenticator. This week on Thursday, they should be ready to be delivered to the MOJ to await the final signature(s)? that we need, then onto court for scheduling.
Here's hoping and praying for no delay in signatures or court scheduling.
The books we ordered have shipped, so they should go over soon with Linda, another adoptive mom going on her first trip to meet her daughters.
And yesterday and today, Jim and I had our physicals updated. Those forms will be notarized and authenticated this week, so they too can make their way across the pond before our court date.
One step at a time......
Mary
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Visa Interview...check
I just got word from our Toni that the visa inteveiw went well, and we should have the Article 5 letter sometime tomorrow! YES!
The concerns the Embassy staff had were related to the additional diagnosis that were added to Christopher Martin's info. Toni said she had to give 2 "lectures" one in Bulgarian and one in English to explain the conditions, and that the letter from the MOJ indicated that he did NOT have these conditions, and was in "better shape" for it.
I'm so relieved.
Now, we wait to hear that the Article 5 letter has been released and is on its way to translation and authentication.
One step at a time.
Mary
The concerns the Embassy staff had were related to the additional diagnosis that were added to Christopher Martin's info. Toni said she had to give 2 "lectures" one in Bulgarian and one in English to explain the conditions, and that the letter from the MOJ indicated that he did NOT have these conditions, and was in "better shape" for it.
I'm so relieved.
Now, we wait to hear that the Article 5 letter has been released and is on its way to translation and authentication.
One step at a time.
Mary
Friday, September 16, 2011
Bulgaria 101
Papa wrote a wonderful cultural update on our Bulgarian experience. Be sure to pop over and take a peek...leave a note if you enjoyed it!
www.apapasstory.blogspot.com
Mary
www.apapasstory.blogspot.com
Mary
Progress Report
I stalked the National Visa Center last week, and the beginning of this week, to find out when exactly the package would be forwarded to Bulgaria to the Embassy. On Monday, they said I could call back on Friday to check and see if they had processed it yet. Then, Tuesday morning I awoke to an email from Toni that the Embassy had called her and our paperwork is there. YIPEE!!!!
The visa appointment is for Monday, Sept 19 at 2PM Bulgarian time. Toni said they requested that SHE personally come, and that she not send an associate to complete the inteverview. She is not sure why this request was made, but told me that they do go over everything very carefully.
We know that there was an error in Martin's physical paperwork update. In it, they stated that in addition to him having Down syndrome (Trisomy 21), he also had Edward's syndrome and Patau's syndrome (Trisomy 18 and 13). This is impossible, as each of these syndromes, independently, have much shorter life expectancy, if the child even lives to birth. To have all three, well, it is just not possible. We caught this while we were in Bulgaria visiting, and I questioned it. We talked about the best way to handle the situation, and it was decided that a correction should be made to the official diagnostic letter.
The orphanage made arrangements for Martin to be seen and evaluated in Sofia, which was accomlished (which means he got to ride in a car! YIPPEEE Martin...while we were there, that was his biggest desire..to go in a car!) and a letter correcting the diagnosis was written, filed with the MOJ, and Toni says the Embassy has a copy of it by now.
We HOPE that was the concern that they want to talk to Toni about in person.
After the Visa interview, the Article 5 letter is released (usually the next day), then it gets sent for translation/authentication. We are hopeful that we will be in line for the final MOJ signatures by the last week of September. At that point, everything is submitted to the courts, and we wait for our judicial assignment and date!
Moving right along...maybe at a snail's pace, but still, moving along.
Mary
The visa appointment is for Monday, Sept 19 at 2PM Bulgarian time. Toni said they requested that SHE personally come, and that she not send an associate to complete the inteverview. She is not sure why this request was made, but told me that they do go over everything very carefully.
We know that there was an error in Martin's physical paperwork update. In it, they stated that in addition to him having Down syndrome (Trisomy 21), he also had Edward's syndrome and Patau's syndrome (Trisomy 18 and 13). This is impossible, as each of these syndromes, independently, have much shorter life expectancy, if the child even lives to birth. To have all three, well, it is just not possible. We caught this while we were in Bulgaria visiting, and I questioned it. We talked about the best way to handle the situation, and it was decided that a correction should be made to the official diagnostic letter.
The orphanage made arrangements for Martin to be seen and evaluated in Sofia, which was accomlished (which means he got to ride in a car! YIPPEEE Martin...while we were there, that was his biggest desire..to go in a car!) and a letter correcting the diagnosis was written, filed with the MOJ, and Toni says the Embassy has a copy of it by now.
We HOPE that was the concern that they want to talk to Toni about in person.
After the Visa interview, the Article 5 letter is released (usually the next day), then it gets sent for translation/authentication. We are hopeful that we will be in line for the final MOJ signatures by the last week of September. At that point, everything is submitted to the courts, and we wait for our judicial assignment and date!
Moving right along...maybe at a snail's pace, but still, moving along.
Mary
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Some Progress...yay
Today we got word that we have provisional approval for our I800. I finally feel like I am beginning to understand this convoluted process. We got the approvals in the mail, but those are really just for our records. USCIS sends them on to the NVC (National Visa Center) which "processes" them--whatever that means---and notifies the Embassy in Bulgaria that the provisional approval has been issued.
Well, for at least ONE of the boys, the Embassy in Bulgaria will be notified. For the other one, with a decidedly
"Bulgarian" name, the Embassy in the People's Republic of China will be notified! Ooops!
A quick phone call, the correction was made, and emails sent out to notify the NVC that another document was just issued. Hopefully they get that one.
We are hoping that the NVC will get the clearances to the Embassy by the end of this week, and the Visa Interview can be done next week, with a prompt issuance of the Article 5 letter. Once that is obtained, it is translated and authenticated, and must be signed off on one more time by the MOJ, then court can be scheduled.
We are fervently praying that this process with go smoothly, without glitches, and the courts will assign dates quickly. There are rumors that court dates are being delayed, but we know God can overcome any rumor! We have full confidence in the good will of the MOJ and courts in Bulgaria to do what is in the best interest of the children depending upon them. "Systems" may not care, but we know people do!
We are still hopeful that our boys will be home this year, enjoying Christmas with us!
Mary
Well, for at least ONE of the boys, the Embassy in Bulgaria will be notified. For the other one, with a decidedly
"Bulgarian" name, the Embassy in the People's Republic of China will be notified! Ooops!
A quick phone call, the correction was made, and emails sent out to notify the NVC that another document was just issued. Hopefully they get that one.
We are hoping that the NVC will get the clearances to the Embassy by the end of this week, and the Visa Interview can be done next week, with a prompt issuance of the Article 5 letter. Once that is obtained, it is translated and authenticated, and must be signed off on one more time by the MOJ, then court can be scheduled.
We are fervently praying that this process with go smoothly, without glitches, and the courts will assign dates quickly. There are rumors that court dates are being delayed, but we know God can overcome any rumor! We have full confidence in the good will of the MOJ and courts in Bulgaria to do what is in the best interest of the children depending upon them. "Systems" may not care, but we know people do!
We are still hopeful that our boys will be home this year, enjoying Christmas with us!
Mary
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