[Nichole98]

We used Baltimore USCIS and recieved our I-171H in August. I know that depending on what office you use we may or may not get a brown envelope. Well, I want my envelope!! Has anyone in MD that used Baltimore got thiers?? Just wondering if Im waiting for nothing!!

[cungar]

Just to let you know, we picked up our daughter in December and were never even asked for a brown envelope. I brought it along but it wasn't even needed.

[luciasmom]

Nichole
We have a LID of 6/23/06 and we just received our envelope this week. We are in Virginia.
Melissa

[sak9645]

A couple of comments.

1. The CONTENTS of the brown envelope aren't that critical, because you can get them elsewhere. However, RECEIVING the brown envelope is important, because it is a sign that the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou has received the cable from the USCIS, saying that your I-600A was approved.

Basically, as soon as the USCIS approves your I-600A and sends you the 171-H or 797-C (different versions of the same basic form), it is supposed to send a cable to the Embassy or Consulate you specified on your I-600A. This cable lets the staff know that at some point, you will be showing up with a child, and that it is OK to issue a visa if the child's paperwork is in order, since you were approved to bring a child into the U.S.

In your case, you probably wrote "U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou" on your I-600A, so the cable was supposed to go there. And once the staff there received the cable, they were supposed to send out the brown envelope. Unfortunately, the USCIS occasionally makes a mistake in routing the cable. A cable destined for Guangzhou may wind up in Guatemala City, and one destined for Almaty may wind up in Addis Ababa.

If the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou does not receive your cable, it cannot know that you are OK to bring a child into the U.S. So after you have your referral and travel authorization, when your agency calls the Consulate to set up your appointment to get your child's visa, the staff will usually say, "Wait! We don't have proof that she was approved." The agency will then have to make a last-minute scramble to contact the USCIS and get the cable re-sent.

Worse yet, there could be a mixup and you could get a visa appointment, yet when you go to the appointment, you could be told that the Consulate doesn't have the cable. You would have to contact your agency, which would then have to contact the USCIS, and get the cable re-sent. This could delay your departure from Guangzhou. And even if you were smart and carried a copy of your dossier with you, the Consulate cannot accept a photocopy of your 171-H/797-C as proof that you were approved.

So if you do not receive a brown envelope, be sure to let your agency know. That way, it can contact the Consulate long before things start getting crazy with preparations for your group's travel, to see whether or not it has received the cable.

In most cases, the Consulate will have received the cable, but will simply have goofed up about sending out the brown envelope. In that case, your agency won't have to do anything; everything is fine. But if the agency finds that the cable wasn't received, then it will have time to contact the USCIS and make sure it is re-sent in a timely manner.

2. While the Consulate in Guangzhou won't say, "Give me your brown envelope," it WILL require some of the paperwork that is included in the brown envelope, such as the I-600 (required of all families in order to evaluate the adopted CHILD's eligibility for a visa), the I-864 (Affidavit of Support, required when only one parent travels), etc.

If you never get the brown envelope, you should make sure that your agency gives you a list of all the forms you will need to to take with you to the Consulate appointment. You can download most from the Internet; for example, the I-600 and I-864 can be downloaded from the USCIS website. Your agency may also be able to give you copies.

You will be able to fill out some things at home, before travel. As an example, the I-864 can be filled out in advance. It's a bit of a bear to understand, so you really want to be ready to call your agency if you have a problem.

The I-600, however, is intended to be completed AFTER you go to your child's province and complete the adoption of your child. While your guide could get a copy of the form from the Consulate, it is better to fill it out at your hotel, when you are not rushed, and even to have your guide, if he/she is experienced, go over things with you.

Of course, the brown envelope also will usually contain things that are not form-related. As an example, mine included a map of Guangzhou, showing the location of the Embassy, the White Swan (I wasn't staying there), stores near the Embassy that sold diapers, and the McDonald's closest to the Embassy.

You really don't need such things. Your guide will be taking you to the Consulate, and your hotel will probably have maps in case you want to explore on your own. They may be of "souvenir" interest, but you will have the best souvenir of all -- the one whom you are holding in your arms.

Sharon

Sharon