USCIS Update

We are still waiting on our I-800A approval.  It's been silence from the USCIS since we attended our November 4 biometrics appointment.  To calm my anxious nerves, I tried contacting the USCIS and learned that the next step is for our application to be assigned an immigration officer, which has been averaging 60-75 days since they first received our application back on October 8.  We can receive I-800A approval in as little as one to two days after it's been reviewed by the immigration officer - or the dreaded "pink slip" requesting more information. 

We need 1-800A approval to complete our dossier, so as I was on the phone with USCIS, my mind was updating our timeline and I realized it's unlikely we'll be ready to ship our dossier to China before Christmas.  I had hoped to get our dossier off U.S. soil before the holidays when work slows down as people take time off. 

At least my conversation with USCIS confirmed that they had our application and the process, albeit moving at its own place, is inching forward.  One of the hardest parts for me about the paperwork and applications is dealing with the anxiety of going about the process incorrectly or missing a vital document.  I feel like I'm mailing irreplaceable documents into a black hole with nothing more than crossed fingers to guarantee arrival on the right person's desk.  There's no person I can contact to make sure my envelope arrived and turnaround times, if they're offered, are often quoted in weeks.  Some days are harder than others to remind myself that I have to let go and be comfortable that the process is out of my hands.