An update on Matt and Noelle Harris, and their efforts to bring their Ugandan daughter Apiche to the USA:
The chain of necessary events:
- Uganda gets requested documents updated and to Denver
- Denver accepts and schedules interview
- Nairobi issues visa to travel (and they buy tickets to the USA)
- In-person appointment in Denver
Praise God – step 1 is complete!
They successfully compiled all the evidence that the immigration office in Denver requested in order to prove that Apiche has been legally adopted by them — 18 documents, over 600 pages, sourced from multiple government agencies — and submitted it before the deadline. The immigration office will now review it and decide whether to move forward.
If approved, they’ll get a new stateside citizenship appointment, which lets them restart Apiche’s visitor visa process at the Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Their current Embassy appointment is September 2nd, and they’re hoping it gets expedited once they receive the new appointment letter.
Good news from yesterday afternoon: The Consular Chief in Nairobi personally called Matt to apologize for delays on the Embassy’s end, and has asked to meet Monday to review the original documents in person. He’s also pushing Washington to waive their visa bond (up to $10,000) — not guaranteed, but a hopeful sign that he wants to get this resolved quickly.
Once the visa is settled and the potential bond paid, Matt and Apiche can book flights to rejoin Noelle and their four American children (possibly five by then — a baby is due in September!) in Colorado.
Please pray for:
- The USA immigration office in Denver to approve the evidence and grant an appointment quickly
- The Embassy in Kenya to expedite their appointment once they get the letter
- Approval of Apiche’s visa
- The $10,000 bond to be waived
- No issues at the airport during immigration
- Apiche to pass her eventual citizenship interview in the USA
Thank you for standing with this family in prayer through this long process. We’ll continue to keep you posted as things develop!
