I am not a criminal part 5

I think. I'm losing track.

We got two packages from the Dept. of Homeland Security yesterday. One was the I-171-H for Russia. (happy dance!) This is our permission to adopt a foreign-born orphan. I just went and got the copies notarized and sent them off to be apostilled. I have time to do this by mail and, thankfully, don't have to run down to Austin in person.

The other package was, apparently, a new I-171-H for China. I guess when we got fingerprinted for the Russia adoption, they applied this to our soon-to-be expiring China I-171-H and updated it. So now I have an I-171-H for China that seems to say I am good to go until May of 2010. But I didn't submit a new homestudy and I thought that would be required. A letter in both of the packages tells me how to get an extension and mentions that I need to send in a bunch of stuff including "an updated or amended homestudy (if necessary)". How's that for not being clear? How am I supposed to know if it's necessary?

I've dealt with the I-171-H people on the phone before. Not dying to go through that again...but the bigger issue is, if I call up and ask if I need a new homestudy, will they then tell me that I need one? Cuz as it is, it looks like they extended my I-171-H without it. And I just sent a contract and check for $350 two days ago to Great Wall, paying for a homestudy update I thought I was going to need.

I've got a call into Great Wall. I'll be oh, so happy if the extension is already done and if they'll refund my money....