The Hold Up

So we are working on getting our Dossier paperwork together. I have been asked by a few to explain what exactly a Dossier is. Well, this is all the paperwork that has everything about us in it. There are a few documents that tend to take a while. We need approval from USCIS (united States Immigration) to adopt a child, but wait! We had done that and recieved approval but hten we changed coutries so we needed to file an addendum, which is what we are now waiting for. We need FBI fingerprints to make sure that neither of us has a criminal record. Those should be on their way soon as I had called an checked on the progress on Thursday and was told that they were underway. Then we only need about 30 more documents. At least two copies of each.

The documents that are needed are the following: medical form (one for each of us), bank letter, mortgage letter, agencies and social workers letters and licenses, Homestudy, certified marriage license, certified divorce decree, employment letter, passport copies, letter of Intent, Letter of Commitment, Monitoring Commitment Letter, Post Adoption reports Commitment Letter, Consulate Registration Commitment Letter, Financial Statement, and Power of Attorney.

Once we have these forms filled out, we then need to have them notarized. However, as we found out with the Russian paperwork, there are stipulations around these notaries! The notaries has to live and work in the county they are notarized in and their commission cannot expire for at least one year. Yeah, so that is not easy to find! We have found two people that are eligible for this. I can only hope that our schedules will connect!

After notarization...
We then have to travel to the capital of Michigan to get one copy of each apostilled. This is where you recieve the gold seal of approval that the notary is who they say they are and that they are licensed. Ugh...
However, once again we have something beyond the norm. Since Tony's previous marriage was in Ohio, he had to go to Toledo to get the Certified Divorce Decree. He then, as of this morning, had to send it to Colombus to be apostilled. Thank goodness that he could mail it!

Once all the documents are apostilled, we have to make several copies. So in total we are looking at probably over 200 documents! The documents are then sent to our agency to be translated, then they will send it to Kazakhstan to be viewed by three different government agencies (I belive). After we get final approval, we will get an LOI (Letter of Invitation) to travel. We then get our visas and tickets. Then we travel.

Wow, so thats is where we are right now. We are trying to get this done, which is turning out to take longer than desired! If it was up to us we would have had this done, but since we are relying on others, we are on their schedule.

So please, put us in your prayers. Thanks!