We sent a letter today with a $160 check to the "U.S. Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service" requesting to be refingerprinted... well, they call it "biometric scanning," in Indianapolis. Our prints expire in a month. Feels like we were just there! We need updated fingerprints to refile our I600A to extend our I-171H. Most people's fingerprints don't change while waiting for an international adoption... but my left index finger is still sporting a new groove and lingering loss of sensation since a kitchen mishap in January.
I have a feeling this is just the beginning of an onslaught of paperwork to come soon so we can get the ball rolling and get our little peanut home. Bring on the prayers that staff at St. Lucy's will review and approve our family soon. Thank you.
Updated at 6:15pm:
We have to be refingerprinted because the fingerprints expire after 15 months, not because of the kitchen mishap. :) I talked to my homestudy agency today before I wrote the letter for the fingerprint appointment. They told me that yes, we'd have to pay again to be fingerprinted, but wouldn't have to pay for the one time extension. My homestudy agency said they didn't know if you could make an infopass appointment online for refingerprinting. I've read online that some USCIS offices let you make fingerprinting appointments online and some don't. Of course, the USCIS website isn't helpful enough to clarify things like this. We'd rather not drive hours to Indianapolis and then find out that they won't fingerprint us and send us home. We'll just write a letter nice letter. I know someone who wrote to the Indianapolis office this month and got a letter back one week later with their fingerprint appointment. I'm not worried. There's plenty of time. It's all good. Cindy, I know several families in-process that were given referral information before they had formal approval.
Updated 7:17pm
I already sent the letter with the check. The homestudy agency swears that we'll have to pay for the fingerprinting only but not the huge renewal fee. Oh well. I don't care about $160 as long as we get to bring our daughter home. If USCIS doesn't want the money, maybe they'll just give me my check back. Maybe I'll show them a cutie patootie picture of a double chinned baby in Taiwan and they'll say, "Here's your check... and let's all ditch work early here at USCIS and hit the mall with that money instead because this baby girl looks like she needs some bargains at the Semi-Annual Big Red Balloon sale going on now at Gymboree." Sure... that could happen, right? We're still choosing not to share photos online until after formal orphanage approval. Ya'll will just have to start praying with us to be approved SOON for this little one who's already ours in our hearts.
The fun never ends, does it!? I'm a little confused about your approval from SLC. Haven't they already approved your family and matched you prior to your receiving the referral? I hope all goes well with your fingerprints.
ReplyDeleteCindy
http://adopttaiwan.wordpress.com
Argh! Sarah, I'm sorry for the glitch with your fingerprint. That approval's got to be coming soon. I can't wait to see Hannah Claire's face....eeeekkkkk! I just get so excited thinking about it! Hooray for you both- each day is one day closer. Christmas in Taiwan maybe? Oh, wait a minute... let's hope for better than that- THANKSGIVING!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Tisra
What's the 160 bucks for? Ours were free. All I did was make an info pass appt. at USCIS and then when we got there told them we needed to have our prints redone. They then gave us a slip to take to the fingerprinting place and everything was done and taken care of in like 10 minutes. No fees either. Smoothest gov't appt. ever!
ReplyDeleteKristy
Get ready for the paper roll to begin!! I thought Indiana was going to suspend the fee for refingerprinting due to the extended waits for international adoptions??? Must not be in effect yet!
ReplyDeleteSarah, is this the third time you need to be refingerprinted. We paid for the second, b/c the new rules weren't in place yet, but we're waiting for notice right now to redo ours for the third time and since the new rules are in place we didn't have to pay again. Our office requires a letter then you have to wait for notice to come in. It took a little over two weeks to get the letter saying they rec'd our letter. Now we're waiting for the notice to get printed. If you want a copy of the cover letter we sent so we didn't have to pay I can email it to you, just let me know.
ReplyDeleteOh and when do we get to see a picture. I'm dying over here to see her cute little face?
Well, as you know, I am not one to give advice about fingerprinting as I am a terrorist. :) LOL. Hopefully the kitchen knife incident didn't turn your index print into the print of Osama Bin Laden or something. (So encouraging, aren't I???) :)
ReplyDeleteCOME ON SLC, let's get this show on the road!!!!!!! Praying for some more good news and SOON.
Love,
R
Your homestudy agent is WRONG!The USCIS just returned my check today, with a letter stating"Check # xxx is being returned. You are allowed 1 free biometrics apponitment which is sheduled for 7/1/2008." So there you go, Sista! You can spend that $160 at Gymboree! :)
ReplyDeleteProbably better to submit too much paperwork than too little.
ReplyDeleteIf you get it back, great! $160 US will buy quite a few bowls of beef noodles in Taiwan and approximately 243 tea-leaf eggs at 7-11 in Taiwan. IIRC they were NT$20 each...