Received our Brown Envelope!

The Brown Envelope has arrived!

It's an envelope with contents stating that the USCIS (US Citizen & Immigration Services) has notified the U.S. Consulate of Guangzhou that the Dept of Homeland Security has approved our petition to adopt an overseas orphan. It contains a lot of forms that you submit to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to process your child's visa. It has nothing to do with referrals or review of dossiers. Some parents won't receive the envelope since some USCIS offices don't send the notice to Guangzhou, and that is why some don't receive their brown envelope until just prior to traveling. Thus, those of us you didn't receive the brown envelope will receive the required paperwork from their agency prior traveling to China.

I was so excited to have received this envelope, even though, it's not necessary yet. I guess to me it's just a another confirmation that they know we exist. So, for the time being we will tuck away these forms until we receive our referral. Hopefully, referrals will speed up.