After an adventurous morning at USCIS and meeting the man who had been holding onto my file for the past 6 months I will have to sum up what I have learned from this experience...
Be persistent. Do not feel bad if you send a second letter before you have gotten a first response. Just keeping sending the letters. Everyweek if you have to. If you really need somthing get an appt and go down in person. Go down everyday to the office if you have to until they are sick of seeing you being polite and persistent. If you have to call your congressman or senator, do it. You are paying taxes, do not feel bad about it. Call on the phone 10x a day if need be. And above all..Do not take it personally, they sure are not. And learn from my biggest mistake.. out of sight really is out of mind. So make it a point to stay right in front.
I wish I had done this months ago because the truth of the matter is my file was just sitting on his desk with thousands of others, totally forgotten. And would still be sitting there untouched had I not gone down there today. It was easy to tell that they are swimming in files. Everywhere you look..there are files piled up. Each one contains some familes personal info and pages of documents. And behind each of those files is some poor family all waiting and waiting for a reply. Like me, probably checking their mailbox everyday for months on end.
It's just so ironic that I thought there was something wrong, My husband wasn't able to come today so my dad very graciously accompanied me as I really wanted a witness and protector. And Even after getting my appt today to come back and meet with him and worrying all night about that appt. The first thing the INS officer said when he called me in was ..."So, what is this about? What do you want?" What do you mean, what do I want? I want my 171-H. He still had no clue who I was. Didn't even bother to review my file before the appt between yesterday when he granted the other officer the go ahead to give me the appt. till that moment. I brought my copies and explained to him my file was completed with all the extra documents he requested from me back in December. He said give me 10 mins and I will go check. He returned 20 mins later with my file. "Yes, I was waiting on some requested documents and it looks like you did send them in. Your file is complete and I will send you the 171-H in the mail in a few weeks." Right...like I was just going to go away satisfied with that answer. No, no...I will wait here for them in person. I'm traveling to Russia in 7 days and I really need this paper. Let me see what I can do...another 30 mins passes before he returns. Come back at 1pm and you can pick it up. Unfortunately I could not come back myself because Tuesdays is my day to drive the carpool at my oldest son's school and stay at school with them all. I was already cutting it close to making it home in time, change clothes and head back out in my grubbies, pick up all the boys and head to the mtns for school. So my dad volunteered to come back and sit and wait to get called and check over the documents to make sure everything was correct. And he was successful because when I came home tonight..there it was waiting for me!! Thanks Dad!! You're the best! And thanks mom, you're the greatest too. For dropping everything today to come over and sit all day with the boys so I could sit over at USCIS all morning and then go on to school with BW. All of this worry...over one piece of paper!! The ups and downs of the rollercoaster ride to international adoption. Yet what a relief and what a weight that has been lifted from my chest!! I feel so much lighter and so ready now to really focus on the positive and happy stuff of adoption and get on that plane!
And thanks ladies for all your positive comments in my last post. I was really feeling in a bad place last night, very beat and tired too, and your comments gave me the energy to go for it today and get it done!! So thank you! This blog and meeting all of you has really been the greatest gift in helping me survive and stay sane on this adoption journey. Thank you! Thank you!
Be persistent. Do not feel bad if you send a second letter before you have gotten a first response. Just keeping sending the letters. Everyweek if you have to. If you really need somthing get an appt and go down in person. Go down everyday to the office if you have to until they are sick of seeing you being polite and persistent. If you have to call your congressman or senator, do it. You are paying taxes, do not feel bad about it. Call on the phone 10x a day if need be. And above all..Do not take it personally, they sure are not. And learn from my biggest mistake.. out of sight really is out of mind. So make it a point to stay right in front.
I wish I had done this months ago because the truth of the matter is my file was just sitting on his desk with thousands of others, totally forgotten. And would still be sitting there untouched had I not gone down there today. It was easy to tell that they are swimming in files. Everywhere you look..there are files piled up. Each one contains some familes personal info and pages of documents. And behind each of those files is some poor family all waiting and waiting for a reply. Like me, probably checking their mailbox everyday for months on end.
It's just so ironic that I thought there was something wrong, My husband wasn't able to come today so my dad very graciously accompanied me as I really wanted a witness and protector. And Even after getting my appt today to come back and meet with him and worrying all night about that appt. The first thing the INS officer said when he called me in was ..."So, what is this about? What do you want?" What do you mean, what do I want? I want my 171-H. He still had no clue who I was. Didn't even bother to review my file before the appt between yesterday when he granted the other officer the go ahead to give me the appt. till that moment. I brought my copies and explained to him my file was completed with all the extra documents he requested from me back in December. He said give me 10 mins and I will go check. He returned 20 mins later with my file. "Yes, I was waiting on some requested documents and it looks like you did send them in. Your file is complete and I will send you the 171-H in the mail in a few weeks." Right...like I was just going to go away satisfied with that answer. No, no...I will wait here for them in person. I'm traveling to Russia in 7 days and I really need this paper. Let me see what I can do...another 30 mins passes before he returns. Come back at 1pm and you can pick it up. Unfortunately I could not come back myself because Tuesdays is my day to drive the carpool at my oldest son's school and stay at school with them all. I was already cutting it close to making it home in time, change clothes and head back out in my grubbies, pick up all the boys and head to the mtns for school. So my dad volunteered to come back and sit and wait to get called and check over the documents to make sure everything was correct. And he was successful because when I came home tonight..there it was waiting for me!! Thanks Dad!! You're the best! And thanks mom, you're the greatest too. For dropping everything today to come over and sit all day with the boys so I could sit over at USCIS all morning and then go on to school with BW. All of this worry...over one piece of paper!! The ups and downs of the rollercoaster ride to international adoption. Yet what a relief and what a weight that has been lifted from my chest!! I feel so much lighter and so ready now to really focus on the positive and happy stuff of adoption and get on that plane!
And thanks ladies for all your positive comments in my last post. I was really feeling in a bad place last night, very beat and tired too, and your comments gave me the energy to go for it today and get it done!! So thank you! This blog and meeting all of you has really been the greatest gift in helping me survive and stay sane on this adoption journey. Thank you! Thank you!
4 comments:
Woohoo! And I'm so glad you're feeling better.
YAY! You go girl! I'm glad you brough the "strong arm" with you and had your dad. I wouldn't have gone by myself either. NOW YOU'RE READY TO GO!!! WOOHOOO!!!
I never thought one sheet of paper could make me so happy. When I got mine in the mail I thought now I am on my way. I am so happy that you got this out of the way.
Joy
That paper is like getting the Golden Ticket. Congrats. Cant wait for you to travel.
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