Around the first week of January we received Desi's Certificate of Citizenship in the mail. As it was in Guangzhou (when I told our guide) they had misspelled her middle name. Instead of Michal, they had it typed in as Michael. I immediately notified Great Wall and asked for their help in getting this resolved. They contacted the Consulate in Guangzhou to see what needed to happen to have her name corrected and a new COC issued. Thankfully they got a very quick response from the Consulate confirming that THEY had made the mistake and sent the link to the form that needed to be filled out to have a new one issued. Because it was a typographical error on their part, we do not have to pay the $350 to have a new one issued. We filled out the form, returned the ORIGINAL COC to them (as stated in the directions) with passport photos and other supporting documents. Great, right???? WRONG!!!!
Here's why......you see, even though we asked them in Guangzhou to automatically send Desi a Social Security card, they DID NOT. That means I had to go into the SS office to apply for one (which I did this past week). Guess what THEY need to issue her a SS#??? The ORIGINAL COC!!!! Yeah, remember the one I sent BACK. I said ok, then let's issue it in her Chinese name and then we'll do a name change once we get the new COC back (we'll discuss this in greater detail). The wonderful lady at the SS office typed in all the information and I thought we were good to go. NOPE!!!! Homeland Security has Desi Michael Hua Malone associated with Liang Ruohua's Visa number and so it comes back as a name mismatch!!! No, I'm not making this up!!!! After almost an hour and a half I finally leave the SS office almost in tears. They have taken the documentation and sent it to Homeland Security HOPING that they will give them permission to issue Desi a SS#. We won't know about this for probably a month or more.
The lady at the SS office was so nice and was trying to do anything to help so she sent me across the hall to the IRS office to obtain an ATIN. That's the Adoption Taxpayer Identification number. We could get this and be able to file our taxes UNTIL we get the COC and the SS#. Great, right???? WRONG AGAIN!!!! The nice lady at the IRS office explained that to get the ATIN we have to file it 4-12 weeks BEFORE we are going to file our taxes:-( That's right, 4-12 weeks BEFORE!!!! Seriously ya'll, I thought about having a tantrum right there in front of God and everyone in that IRS office. I end up filling out the document with her help and taking it with me to give to our accountant Monday morning at our meeting. He will look it over and mail it for us.
Remember the COC discussion in greater detail? Well, our WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL (gag me with a spoon) Homeland Security Department will have Desi's new COC issued in.......wait for it.......seriously, you're going to LOVE this......drumroll please......ONE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's right folks, it will take them ONE YEAR to take the E out of her middle name, print a new certificate, stick her picture on it and mail it back to us. You think I'm joking......call me and I'll give you her receipt number and you can call for yourself!!!! I contacted John Boozman's office and they are going to try to get it expedited for me. Expedited? Here's the slowest EXPEDITED I've ever heard of. We could actually have her corrected, EXPEDITED COC in SIX MONTHS!!!!!! Whew.....lightening speed, huh!!!! Don't you just LOVE our government?!?!?!?!
So anyway, it looks like we will be filing our taxes WITHOUT Desi on them for who knows how long. Either we'll get a SS# in a month or so, an ATIN in probably 3 months OR her original COC might show up somewhere around August or September:-( I'm almost afraid to ask what might happen next because it seems like this adoption nightmare is NEVER going to end.
Please pray that one of these numbers/documents show up sooner than later. I am pretty sure I am living every adoption nightmare every adopting parent has ever had:-( Thank GOD, Desi is such an amazing child. If she weren't I'm just not sure how much more of this I could take.
I'm adding a picture of my Chinese Princesses just to make me feel better.
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