So, Tuesday I had faxed the info I had to the Sydney office and we had a meeting to explain our story to a representative at the MP office. I think I mentioned that in my last post. Wednesday I wrote and tried to call the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Today, I found a different email for the Minister and sent the email to that address as well. I got a generic emailed response from  that, which said I could expect a response in 10-30 days! Ummm… that wasn’t flying with me. So, I sent an email to CBC 🙂

I got a response from CBC quite quickly and they are interested in our story 🙂 I got scared then. I don’t want to go public and piss off anyone making the decisions! I decided to call the CIC call center again, just to clarify what they were telling me my options were and apparently she found my file but was confused by it. Hmmm… Still not very reassuring. I asked her if she was personally looking at the submitted documents and all she kept saying was that she was personally looking at my file (did that mean that they had just made a file for us or that they actually had our application) and that they weren’t asking for any further documentation at this time. She said that as of Tuesday (the same day I had faxed and gone to our MP) a special unit was looking after our case. She didn’t know any more than that. I still did not feel overly confident.

About an hour later, I got a call from the rep. at the MP office and she said that they had a file for us… still unclear about whether that meant they had all our documents or not… and that our case was put in the URGENT category and would be assigned shortly. I’m cautiously feeling better with this news but I’m still going to be on guard until I have the approval in my hand and don’t

I’m thankful that I got heard, or am getting heard. It sure pays to go to the MP! I knew adoption would be a roller coaster but I don’t how much of these lows I can take! If anyone thinks that adoption is the easy way out they are EXTREMELY mistaken! We are not going to let CBC have our story quite yet. I will only go there if I think it will help again. We might be interested in giving them our story with CIC once we have Sofie, safe at home. Maybe that will help them get in shape for the future!

We are still painfully waiting on her picture. I called my agency about that today too and they are going to send another email. I asked for the picture even it the file hasn’t been translated yet. I don’t care. She is ours!

Back in May we decided to apply for direct Citizenship for our daughter, instead of applying her Permanent Resident Visa first and then applying for Citizenship once she is in Canada. We were told that taking the citizenship route we would be saving money, less paper work and it would be much more straight forward.

We sent in the Part 1 application to be approved as adoptive parents and received an acknowledgement letter,dated June 2, that told us we would be assessed in 8 weeks. Since the citizenship office is notorious for long waits I wasn’t too worried when I didn’t hear anything at 8 weeks. I called the only public number there, which is only a call center, at week 16. They couldn’t find our file based on the reference numbers I had, nor my name or birth date. The operator wasn’t at all concerned and just stalked it up to the fact that my case hadn’t been assessed yet. She also told me the wait time had jumped to 27 weeks and there was nothing for me to do but wait.

When we received our proposals I called again. That was week 22. They again couldn’t find my file but it wasn’t concerning to them. They just said I’d have to wait until week 27. I contacted my MP and asked them to make an inquiry on our behalf. They were told the same thing… we just have to wait.

Now we are at week 28. I called again and the operator couldn’t find our file. He said the client ID and receipt numbers that were on my acknowledgement letter and payment receipt did not match up with their system. The client ID number had letters that it shouldn’t and the receipt number didn’t have enough numbers. There was nothing he could do. I started crying at this point. He apparently felt sorry for me and gave me the non-public fax number to the Nova Scotia office, where our file is supposed to be. He told me to fax all the documentation I have along with a letter telling them what has happened and hope for the best.

Immediately, through tears I wrote the letter and immediately faxed it. Jon was livid. We also contacted our MP office, who was angry for us. She also prepared a fax to send to the number that they have and hopefully they take note of one of us and can figure this out. Jon says the next step is the Minister’s office! He is not going to accept anything that is going to keep Sofie in her orphanage longer than is needed. I love my husband!

This is potentially a huge set back. Sofie will not be allowed in country unless we have her citizenship, a PR visa or emergency Visa. To get the emergency Visa we’d have to go to Romania, where the closest Canadian Embassy is, with all the paperwork from Bulgaria before we can take Sofie home. Starting the PR route now would set our adoption back a few months and restarting the Citizenship route is looking at 9 months! I’m feeling distraught, frantic, angry, etc… The thought of Sofie having to stay alone in a orphanage that doesn’t have all the bare essentials because some stupid government agent screwed up is heart-breaking! I feel helpless.

It seems like everyone and their dog is pregnant or has just had a baby. I am so ready to join that club. I feel very over due. I need patience… or Sofie. I could do without patience 🙂 It looks like our Christmas cards will be a little late. I’m hoping to put her picture on our Christmas photo card so I’m holding out for it 🙂