Biometrics Appointment

Chris and I had our appointments this morning with USCIS to have our biometrics taken, which is part of the approval process for our I-800A application.  "Biometrics" we learned, is Immigration's fancy term for fingerprinting done with a scanner.  I wasn't sure what to expect from the appointment, but they scanned our fingerprints and off we went.  It was easier than going to the DMV! 

The immigration office was located in a non-descript storefront in a strip mall next door to a Wal-Mart.  Our appointment was at 9:00 a.m., but we showed up a few minutes early.  We presented our driver's licenses and filled out a short form. After a clerk reviewed our forms, he handed us numbers and pointed us towards a room where we waited to be fingerprinted.   It was 9:06 a.m. when I got back in my car to go to work. 

With the biometrics appointment behind us, all we can do is wait.  I still don't know how long we can expect to wait for approval.  Two weeks?  Or possibly weeks longer.  With less than a month between the date we mailed our I-800A application and our biometrics appointment, I'm hopeful final approval won't be too far off.  It's exciting to think we can see the finish line on completing our dossier, but I also know pulling together the loose ends can take longer than the initial work.  We still have plenty of documents to complete and notarize, passport photos need to be taken and then we have to visit the Secretary of State's office to have everything state-sealed.  Meanwhile, my Pennsylvania birth certificate still hasn't arrived yet!