Progress Update...

Well, it's been near a month since I wrote last. (sorry)  It's not because I have forgotten, it's just because there hasn't been too much new lately... nonetheless, there has been some progress.  All of our documents have been sent to our agency, except for the two we don't have yet -- our Apostilled FBI results and our USCIS approval letter -- and, at least part of our dossier has been sent to Russia.  Our understanding is that we are officially on the waiting list now... so, just waiting for a referral/match.  We did get word last week that our Home Study was approved by Springfield and that "the letter" has been sent to the USCIS...  I had already sent the I-600A application about a week before.  In fact, I received an email from USCIS on Monday that our "petition/application has been received and routed to the National Benefit Center" and that we should be receiving "the I-797 form in the next 7-10days".  Not 100% sure what all of that means just yet, since it is not exactly the form we are supposed to be waiting for, but I have also been told and have seen on their website that this I-797 form and the form we were expecting (I-171H) seem to be used in an either/or fashion.  Beyond that, our Authenticated (basically embossed) FBI Background results are in Washington, DC at the Dept of State to be Apostilled.

So, what's next? ... ... Well, once we get our approval letter/form from USCIS, that has to be Apostilled and sent to our agency.  Somewhere in there, we will have to go to have more fingerprints taken for the USCIS (most likely in Naperville, IL).  And, once we get our Apostilled FBI results back, those need to go to our agency as well.

So, right now we are just waiting (mostly patiently :-] ) for forms to return, waiting for appointments, and waiting for our referral...