Legals!!!

Hurray! We got our legals! One step closer!

Legals are the documents that legally give custody to our agency and also prove that S is an orphan and legally available for adoption. That paperwork then goes to USCIS to be processed and we will hopefully receive our I600 approval in about a month. Here's a quick overview of the steps left for us:
Things on the US side and the Korean side are being done in parallel but do not directly effect each other at this point.

US side:
Yesterday our legals were sent to USCIS.
I600 approval means that we are approved to have S immigrate to this country and we are approved to adopt him.
This is where I'm hazy - adoption friends PLEASE correct me!
Then our paperwork goes to the National Visa Center where they do some processing
Once that's done they send our info (P3?) to the Embassy in Seoul (NVC out).

Korean side:
Next step is usually his Visa Physical. They do this a little before they expect to submit for his EP. We won't be notified of this unless we have to sign any paperwork which is completely up to the doctor.

Then our paperwork gets submitted to the ministry to be approved for our Exit Permit (EP)
Once that is approved we are very close to travel.

He will then have his Visa Interview (VI) - which probably isn't much of an interview since he's one, but he has to go.

And his Embassy Appearance? I think.

Once both sides are done they will issue him his passport and say that he is ready to travel and we will receive our much coveted Travel Call (TC). Then we have about a week to fly my parents out here and us over there to bring him home at last! :)

I'm guessing that's clear as much. I'm amazed at how much I understand of this process compared to when we started. I used to read blog posts like this and be completely confused! Now I have a pretty good understanding though parts are still a little fuzzy. :)

Right now we're praying that the ministry allows the agencies to start submitting for EPs. We've heard that's going to happen in Feb. and that once that happens things should start moving normally! :) We're still hoping for TC by May (and not-so-secretly hoping for April). :)