"Packet 3"

Okay...so I call the "Embassy Hotline" today and was told that our I600 approval was received in Seoul yesterday (happy, happy, joy, joy) and that "packet 3" was sent to our Korean agency today. I had heard this term thrown around quite a bit but because I've been figuring out the details of this process step by step I just put it in the back of my mind.

So today, over my lunch hour I went to a wonderful online forum I belong to that is Korean adoptive parents and did some investigating...turns out Packet 3 includes our I600 approval and some other paperwork that our Korean agency (Eastern Social Welfare Services) must complete, return to the Embassy in Seoul, and then Sophie's Visa appointment can be scheduled!

This sounds simple and if all goes smoothly it can be simple, but it could still be January before we travel. As with everything...paperwork delays, appointment delays, etc are very common. I really want to wait a full week before calling the Embassy Hotline back to check on our status...but don't know if I can hold out that long! I can't see the packet being returned more quickly than that though so I'm not sure I want to set myself up for disappointment over the weekend.

I am very thankful that I even have this number to call where they can tell me if the Visa appointment has been scheduled, etc. It is just wonderful. I am also grateful that there is this wonderful network of adoptive families out there who can share the information as our social worker is too bogged down to be concerned with every minute detail of what goes on behind the scenes...for my borderline OCD self though, these are the details that keep me holding on through the long wait!

I'll post more when I hear it!