And the wait continues.....

My dossier is still at the Ministry of Education, it has been there for nine weeks now and it may be there for quite a bit longer. As December and January approach, many offices and the courts in Kazakhstan close down for holidays. They try to work it so that you are not traveling and waiting for the courts and offices to reopen. Timing is everything! Hopefully I'll hear something soon.

On To The Misistry of Education

I found out today that my dossier was moved from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of Education on September 28th. (September 28th. just happens to be my Grandmother's birthday, so I know it's a special day.) CHI told me that the Ministry of Education will search a database and pre-select a child for me based on my dossier. Once they do – they will forward my dossier to the region where the child is and then we’ll start working on my travel arrangements. I'm moving along...

Still Waiting For My Dossier To Move

Six weeks ago today my dossier was registered in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kazakhstan. It hasn't moved yet but I've been told by my coordinator that it should be moving to the Ministry of Education soon, I hope so! Each phase seems to have a time frame and so far I seem to be on the long end of each time frame, I hope this changes as I move through the next steps. In the mean time I have been keeping busy painting rooms and trying to get things together for my travel. Hopefully I'll have an update on my dossier soon.

My Dossier is in Kazakhstan!

I received word today that last Friday August 24th. my dossier left the Kazakhstan Consulate and was sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kazakhstan. It will spend about six weeks there before it moves again but this is a big step because it is now 'in-country'!

Consulate of Kazakhstan

On Friday June 29th. I received word that the translation of my dossier had been completed and that it had been sent to the Consulate of Kazakhstan in New York. This is very exciting, my dossier has taken on a life of its own now and its next stop will be Kazakhstan. While in the Consulate, my dossier will be checked again and registered. It will spend quite a while in the Consulate but once they are done, it will be on its way to Kazakhstan. Great News!!!

My Paperwork Is Done!

I received my I-171H from CIS, that's Citizen & Immigration Services. This is the last document I was waiting for. I have completed all of the required paperwork and my dossier is currently being translated so all of this means that the wait for my son has begun!

Waiting for my I71-H

This week I went to CIS to get my digital fingerprints taken. This will result in the final document I need, my I71-H. Once I get that document from our government my dossier will be completed. It will take another four weeks or so to get this form from CIS. In the mean time, I also had all of my other dossier documents notarized, authenticated and apostilled. They are on there way to the adoption agrency's main office for review and translation. Once I receive my I71-H it will have to be authenticated and apostilled and it will also be sent to the main office for review and translation, and the waiting continues.

My HomeStudy is Complete!!!

On Friday May 11th. I received word that my home study was completed. CHI is sending me a notorized copy so I can send it to CIS to be processed with my I-600A which CIS has had since April 30th. The I-600A will eventually turn into the paper that will allow me to bring an orphan into the United States. This is the last document I am waiting for and I don't expect to see it before the end of June. I have a call scheduled with CHI for Thursday, at this point I will complete more documents and get everything notarized and apostilled and continue to wait for CIS.

On Saturday April 28th. I received my FBI criminal record clearance back. I mailed it in on April 11th. and was told it would take about two months to process, I was happily surprised when I got it back so quickly. So, on Monday April 30th. I was given the go ahead to send my I-600A into CIS. This form is expected to take six to eight weeks to process. By the time I get it back my dossier will be just about completed. Moving along......

Things are moving along, last week I had my medicals done and on Saturday I had the final meeting with my social worker. My homestudy is just about complete and once she submits the draft to the adoption agency I will submit my I-600 form to US Immigration Services. This will be the last form I am waiting for to complete my paperwork. Everything has slowed down a little for me now, I have done everything I can do up to this point, in a few weeks I will have more to do but timing is important on the paperwork so I wait.

Today I got good news, when I go to Kazakhstan I can take my laptop. This is something that is relatively new, it seems that the hotel or apartment where I will be staying now has internet access so it will be better for me to communicate with you and the doctors I need to communicate with in the US.

So now it's April 1, 2007, I have been quite busy. I have been fingerprinted twice and cleared by New York State, the FBI, and I have received my child abuse clearance, I created my Home Study Autobiography, I have filled out more questionaires than you can count, I have had the first two meetings with my social worker, I have been interviewed by a psychiatrist who has approved me to be an adoptive parent, I finally received my passport, I sent out documents to be notarized, I have taken, tested and passed the required ten hours of Hague Accrediation education for adoptive parents, I have received my recommendation letters (special thanks to those of you who took the time to write these for me), and I have created the first draft of my Dossier documents for review by CHI. Much more work to do in the coming weeks, I am trying to get the paperwork aspect of this done as quickly as possible. I'll keep you posted.

Welcome

Hi, This is my first 'blog'. I have been talking to other adopting parents and they told me that while you are traveling the best way to communicate with family and friends back home is through a blog. So, I'm giving it a try.

Today is March 14, 2007, I am into the Home Study process and have been making appointments that are required for my Dossier. The home study is done through a social worker, it is done to evaluate me as an adoptive parent and to prepare me for adoption. The dossier is a lot of paperwork that is required by the US and Kazakhstan governments. The home study and dossier need to be completed before CIS will give me approval to bring home an orphan child.

I'll update this as I go. Please feel free to add posts to my blog.