The last couple of weeks have been exciting ones around here as we have marked off step by step what must be completed before we are given the invitation to travel. Today we received the final necessary document from the National Visa Center, and our agency is forwarding it all to their representative in China.
The plan is for our Article 5 request to be dropped off in Guangzhou on Monday. Don't know what that is? From the Bureau of Consular Affairs - "If everything has been done in the required order
and the child is likely eligible to immigrate as a Convention
Adoptee, the Embassy or Consulate will issue a letter, called
the “Article 5/17 letter”, notifying the central authority of
the child’s country of origin that the child appears to be
“eligible to enter and permanently reside” in the United States
following the completion of the adoption or guardianship in the
child’s country of origin."
This process generally takes a standard ten business days. However, our agency has requested a medical expedite of our case. We are hoping this translates into the representative being able to pick up our A5 on Tuesday, with a very quick Travel Approval to follow. We realize this will require an "in a perfect world scenario," but it has happened to others, so we remain hopeful.
Once our agency makes our required appointments we will be on a plane to our girl! Can't wait!
