Reality Check

We were finally able to touch base with our Dossier Consultant today, to get a more realistic idea of timelines and the process ahead. Unfortunately, even though our fingerprinting appointment is this Saturday, she told us we won't likely receive our USCIS clearance for 90-120 days. So we have approximately 3-4 months before our dossier can be sent to China. That is a bummer; we thought this part would move a bit faster.

Once we get USCIS clearance, our dossier then has to go to the Secretary of State in Austin, and then to the Chinese Consulate in Houston. When Great Wall gets it back from Houston, the next Friday it will be sent to China (our DTC - Dossier to China date). Once in China, we're told to expect about a month before we get our LID - log in date (though right now we're told it is only taking about a week).

They unexpectedly received a batch of referrals last week, for which the referral time was 35 months. There is no guarantee - on anything. They think things will speed up, but again, it could get longer. And there is no guarantee on the country staying open either... so we are truly gambling with our future in so many ways. This process is so truly frightening and a bit disheartening, and we're only just beginning...