When the I800 has its provisional approval it is sent to the National Visa Center. When it is entered into their computer system there it is issued a GUZ # which basically means the number needed for the Consulate in Guangzhou. We received our GUZ# on January 26th. Once I had this number I was able to fill out the electronic DS-260 online to apply for Pat's entry into the country. Then the biggie, that rtf letter (emailed) that proves the Guangzhou Consulate was cabled the letter needed to start the final steps. I waited patiently (mostly) for the rest of the day for that email only to find out that the NVC had closed early due to the blizzard in the eastern states, and worse yet would also be closed the following day.
I don't know if the letters go out automatically in the middle of the night or what, but I was shocked to find it waiting for me in my email the next morning! This completed the documents that our agency needed to send everything to their in country coordinator for the drop off of our Article V. There seems to be some confusion as to when (if?) our A5 was dropped off as I'm getting a conflicting date report. It always takes ten business days to complete it (unless there is a holiday in there) so I'm hoping it WAS indeed dropped off right away and we are closing in on the half way mark to that approval.
What is the A5? According to Bureau of Consular Affairs "If the Consular Officer determines that the child appears eligible to
immigrate to the United States and that the information provided
indicates that the adoption process thus far has complied with the
Convention and IAA, he or she will notify the Convention country's
central authority by issuing an Article 5/17 letter. The Article 5/17
letter will inform the foreign central authority that U.S. competent
authorities have determined the prospective adoptive parents are
eligible and suited to adopt, that the child may enter and reside
permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority
agrees that the adoption may proceed."
This is the FINAL step before we are sent our TA from the Chinese government. The Travel Approval - the "go ahead and come get your son"!!!!! We are still hoping to make Pat's adoption official at the end of March.
