[jpfister]

Just got an email from my Agency telling me Pink wasn't issued because they did not have our visas 37 cable! That would be the cable that Diana at the CIS office PROMISED to send on Thursday around 1:00 pm GC time. I cannot call them Monday as they ONLY acccept calls on Tues & Thurs from 8-2 pm. So I guess I will have to call my congressman's office Monday morning and raise a stink!! I will also fax the EMERGENCY ONLY CIS fax #!! This Chicago CIS office is the same office that I called 8 weeks after our fingerprints to find out where our 171h was. They said they didn't have our HS yet and I said that was odd because I submitted it with our I600A and money back in March. Well. she looked and lo and behold she found it in our "old file"! Then I found out a week later that our CANTS clearance (from DCFS) had expired, so I had to make calls to take care of that. When that got submitted, CIS said that they needed a clearance letter from DCFS. Well of course THAT lady was on vacation and nobody else could take care of that!! THEN, we she did come back it took her 1.5 weeks to fax it to Chicago!

To dig the knife in a little deeper, we were supposed to be approved for 2 children last year, as we were adopting 2 at once. Through several errors on several peoples parts, we were only approved for one! I guess it was fate that we lost Chloe in January since we would have only been able to bring one child home until we could get this mess straightened out! And before David's PINK could get issued I had to have Chicago resend the cable that was supposedly sent last August! I think I'm having DEJA VU!!!

I now know that I definitely should have fought them and made them straighten out our first I600A instead of trying to take the path of least resistance, even though it cost us MORE money. I certainly did not save myself any stress doing everything over again, like they told me I had to!! I just wanted to be able to enjoy my son finally coming home after 9 long months of waiting!Is Chicago CIS the ONLY incompetent office in the US

[JohnnaMJH]

I am SO sorry. Just an FYI, our agency told us yesterday that the Embassy was having computer problems and had 'lost' a lot of the cables. Just to be safe, many of us verified the cables, but through this some found out theirs were also lost too. It sounds like there are problems all around on the US side right now. GRRRGH.

I hope it gets straightened out soon for you and I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.

JohnnaMJH

[jpfister]

Thanks Johnna. I will let Chicago know this!

[lwils89701]

I will share my frustration, because your situation is somewhat similiar and I would caution that maybe it isn't the immigration office.

I confirmed with the US Embassy in Guatemala that they were in possession of my aproval documents in May, just so there would not be any last minute scrambling...it didn't help. Last Wednesday my attorney was turned away at the window. Embassy staff told them they had no record of my wired approval. (SIGH)

So I have emailed the Embassy with a copy of THEIR confirmation and contacted the immigration office to get another copy wired and now I am praying one of these two actions will resolve this latest crisis in an timely manner.

It is so hard...we have waited so long, travel plans are made...I just want him home! At the same time, it isn't going to do me or my family any good to be sick from being totally stressed all of the time. I am trying to be take comfort that this issue can be resolve fairly simply and quickly and that I am closer to bringing him home than I was last week.

My thoughts are with you.

[cr653]

OH MY Goodness!
I am sick for you!
i cant even begin to know what this is like.
i hope your congressman can and does help you and
someone Insures that the "help" is done competently.

these weekend days are going to be LONG
you poor girl.

again,
im sorry.

cris

[DPline]

I am just so sorry. I can't even begin to imagine how frustrated you are right now. You have my prayers that your congressman will be able to get this straightened out on Monday.

(((Hugs)))

[waitingforher]

What is going on down there at the embassy. I was told by my agency today to make sure that my cable 37 got down there and if it didn't to make sure they did it in the next couple of weeks so we could try to avoid the situation that you are in. What a terrible situation for you and your family when you are so close. I hope this gets resolved quickly, so you can bring your baby home. Keep us updated.

[MammaLo]

Julie,
FYI: My agency said the Embassy was stating that they weren't receiving the Cable 37's and to call our local INS office and verifiy that this was sent, then on to Senator/Congressman if no resolution. Well... yesterday I called our Senator and spoke with her assistant who handles international adoption problems, and was told this: "We have had several request for this in the past few weeks, and it has come to our attention that the Embassy IS receiving the Cable 37, but not acknowledging them until someone from the Congress or Senate office has asked questions. So, it just may be that your local INS office is telling you the truth. Call that congressman/woman soon!

[Iris's Mom]

We did an escort, so its was a cable 38 or 39, even with the letter of the approval of the I600, they said they never recieved it I was in FT Lauderdale waiting, I called our INS office in Buffalo, the lady said she sent it nearly 2 weeks ago, she recabled it, but they were giving my escort a hard time saying even if they got it, they could not process the visa for a few days, I called the lady at INS in Buffalo, and I don't know who she talked to but we got our daughters Visa and she came to us as planned. I had the same sort of thing happen 10 years ago, when we adopted our son from Mexico, and again the INS in Buffalo helped us!!!
Hope everything works out for you. But I think they are saying they are not receiving the cables.
Maria

[jpfister]

Thanks everyone for all the Info! I guess I will be making alot of phone calls Monday morning!!

WHY can't anything ever go smoothly????

[coachmom]

what the heck is a cable 37 and why do you do it? Don't mean to sound dumb, but never heard of it-Doretta

[waitingforher]

I had never heard of this thing until last week. From what I understand and if I am incorrect someone please correct mean. The cable 37 is the INS approval (171-H) that was sent to the Guatemala Embassy from the office that you filed your i-600a at. The US Embassy needs this cable 37 in order to process your paperwork for pink. I hope this helps.

[Austx]

IS this an issue only pink process ie not initial submission for DNA authorization where they just take the 171H letter ???

[JohnnaMJH]

Yes, it is more related to issuing pink and since there seems to be a glitch where some of these have gotten lost, some agencies are advising double checking so as not to have a delay w/pink later.

Good luck, JohnnaMJH

[jpfister]

A cable 37 is what is needed by the Embassy in the final step of issuing Pink. It is the authorization from your local CIS office to bring your child home.

I have alerted my Agency of the alleged problems and they are going to check into it.

I will have to be on the phone bright and early tomorrow trying to get this straightened out, so that we are able to go and get Alicia. Just one more frustration to deal with! At least this is (hopefully) the FINAL HURDLE. Hopefully we will travel next Sunday. It would be very meaningful and ironic for Alicia to become a US citizen on the 1st birthday (7-28) of Chloe! That is the day I am targeting for homecoming.

I appreciate everyone's support and input in this matter. I know we are all dealing with our own paperwork difficulties no matter what stage we are in!! The great news is that it is ALL WORTH IT in the end!