NVC Out

It's quite interesting to think back a few months to when I had no idea what "EP" or "I600" or "NVC in and out" meant. Now those things are part of our daily vocabulary. About 10 minutes ago we found out that we were "NVC out" on August 19th. What this means is that Charlie's visa left the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on its way to the American Embassy in Seoul (ok, I think the American embassy...though it might be going to the Korean Embassy...guess I don't understand this process all that well after all!).

What I DO know is that this step is important. From now on, everything that has to happen for Charlie to be able to come to us takes place in Korea. Right now the big thing we are waiting for is to hear that we have "EP" approval. "EP" is emigration permit, which, rather obviously I guess, is permission from the Korean government for Charlie to emigrate to the U.S. The steps after EP approval are still a bit nebulous to me, but from what I understand, Charlie goes to have a "visa physical" and a "visa interview" (by the way, this cracks me up -- I just picture in my mind some stern Korean government official interviewing drooling, crying babies -- "So, baby, why do you want to emigrate to the U.S.?"). If during his visa physical, the Korean doctor feels that Charlie has enough medical issues to warrant it, then we are required to do a "Class B waiver" (this part seems pretty random to me; some babies who have clear medical issues don't have to do the waiver and some babies with really no big issues -- like Charlie -- are required to do the waiver). The waiver apparently adds 1-2 weeks onto the process.

We are expecting to get EP approval in the next month or so. I think it could happen as soon as 2 weeks from now, in the quickest case scenario. After that, it takes anywhere from 2-6 weeks to get the "travel call," which is permission to book a flight to Seoul to meet and bring home little Charlie Jin-yeong.