This last Friday we received all the documents we needed to file the I-800! Woohoo! We got everything together this weekend and today I headed to my friendly PakMail store (best shipping place ever!) to send them overnight to the lockbox facility. What a huge relief! Overall, the forms were not awful except for some minor information we needed, like the address of the adoption center in Olsztyn and whether we really needed to submit 3 year's tax returns and supportive documents and an employment letter.
As to the former, thank you Google Satellite Maps and Google Translator who helped me figure out the actual building we went to in Olsztyn. Because A is in foster care, they are actually the guardians/custodians and we needed that address for both the I-800 and I-864. So I googled about it, translated the page and address, typed it into Google Maps, and pulled up a street view to verfiy that it was indeed the building we were taken to for our interview with them before we met A the first time. Flipping amazing! Lina told us it would take her a week to find the address and I said "heck no!". It totally shouldn't take that long, not with today's technology. And ta da!
As to the other, the I-864 SPECIFICALLY says you that if you filed tax returns for the last 3 years (which we did) and can show adequate support with you last 3 years income (which we can), you only need to file the most recent tax return (that being 2011). You only need to include the previous 3 years tax returns, list assets, and/or include employment letters if you need to give further verification to your income and show that you can indeed support the "immigrant". We are blessed we can do that easily and we think Lina's instructions was just a generic form to cover everyone. Still, Brian checked with our case worker that did our I-800A extension just to be sure, and yup, that's what they want :)
So, the good news is we are all submitted and now just await the good ole USCIS in all its efficient glory. We hope to hear about dates soon :)
Yay! We actually did the EXACT same thing to find the address of the orphanage in Gliwice. I was kind of surprised no one (Lina/Magda) had it, since at least 2 other families had adopted from the same place within a year from ours. Maybe we can recommend to Lina that she start to build a list of addresses for future reference :) One step closer!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! We apparently sent in way more tax forms than we had to. Oh well, it's not like the government didn't already have that info. on file anyway.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! The paper work is coming to an end! or has ended? I can't remember if there is any more, but nonetheless you are so close and we are so excited for you!
ReplyDeletePretty sure that's it for now until we start visa paperwork etc, but that will probably be more in country or close to our trip.
ReplyDelete@Allison- Totally agree! They need to start compiling lists of these places to help families more.
Congratulations Laura! So exciting!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe ALSO used Google maps...