Timeline:
Besides costs, people are always very curious as to how long this process takes to complete. Once again, there is a short answer "about a year." But, that timeframe can be hugely affected by many things that are within the adoptive parents' control and many more that are out of our hands.
**Since this was originally written, referral times have slowed considerably. Therefore, if someone were asking me today how long the process takes to complete, I may say 18 mos-2 years.
***amended 1/8/07 --the wait time for new families will likely be at least 5 years.
To understand the timeline, its good to have an understanding of what the process is actually requiring families to do. In order to complete an international adoption (IA), there are three separate sets of requirements to complete:
1. The Homestudy completed by a social worker who then says it is safe for us to have a child in our home. We make enough money, have enough room, are healthy, and are not complete freaks.
2. The feds USCIS (formerly INS) --this is the quest toward a magic piece of paper, the Holy Grail if you will, to most IA families --the dreaded (if you haven't received it yet) or lovely (if you have it in your hands) I-171H. In a nutshell you are applying to the federal govt to be allowed to bring a foreign orphan into the country. Sounds simple, huh?
3. China's requirements the Dossier --this is a group of documents that China requires including an application to adopt, marriage and birth certs, medical clearance, financial statement, employment letters the homestudy, the I-171H, and pix of your house and family. Again, seems simple, huh?
The problem is that China is very particular about these docs. They have to be relatively new, certified, then notarized, then verified, then authenticated. Whew, I'm exhausted already. Also, they cannot include any revisions, whiteout, mistakes and all numbers must match up with all the other numbers on all the other docs or they're no good and you must start over. Trust me, this creates some problems.
OUR TIMELINE:
09/05/2005 --Applied to Harrah's AIM
09/07/2005 --Brett's birthday!!
09/12/2005 --Rec'd agency acceptance letter and huge packet of paperwork from Harrah's AIM
09/13/2005 --Sent 1st agency fee and agency dossier prep fee to Harrah's, ordered birth certs from LA County for Susan, Brett and Casey.
09/15/2005 --Applied for passports
09/27/2005 --Ordered Bobby's birth cert from Michigan, only $16 for 3 copies!!!
09/30/2005 --Rec'd birth certs from LA County
10/04/2005 --San Bernardino recorder's office for marriage cert, same day service.
10/05/2005 --Rec'd Bobby's birth cert from Michigan, even came in a cute little holder!!
10/06/2005 --First physical exam for Bobby and Susan, some bloodwork. Doctor's office mistakenly scheduled our evals on Thursday so TB test could not be done. Will need an addional appointment. (1st frustration with Dr's office) I carefully explain to nurses and doctor's that the forms need to be filled out completely, no cross outs, no blank spaces, etc. Doctor and nurses look at me like I am insane or a total shrew, or both.
10/07/2005 --Susan's second trip to lab for bloodwork because doctor forgot to request HIV test (2nd frustration with doctor's office) and Susan obtains her background check
10/08/2005 --First homestudy visit at Starbuck's
10/10/2005 --Back to Dr's office for TB test
10/12/2005 --Bobby obtains his background check and rec'd Susan's passport
10/12/2005 --Back to Dr's office to have TB test read, and picked up Susan and Bobby's medical forms (that's done, yeah right!!)
10/19/2005 --Rec'd Bobby's passport
10/20/2005 --Notified by Dossier Consultant (DC) that Bobby's medical clearance has a white out correction on it. Upon close inspection I realize she is correct. Back to the doctor to have him sign a new form. (3rd frustration with Dr's office). Susan's medical clearance has an "abnormal" circled. What?!?! Dr's office says I'll have to re-test. (4th frustration with Dr's office)
10/27/2005 --(1)Casey's birthday!!! (2) I-600a received by USCIS
10/30/2005 --Second homestudy visit --our house.
11/01/2005 --Susan returns to Dr's office for re-test where she is so grumpy that Dr. avoids her and makes nurses discuss forms, etc. Susan explains to nurse, not that politely, that this really needs to be done correctly. Cross your fingers!!
11/08/2005 --received USCIS fingerprint referral notice saying we must be fingerprinted between 11/8/05 and 11/22/05!!!! I was told by many that we probably wouldn't get our fingerprint notice for about 3 weeks after USCIS received it, luckily we got it in 12 days!!!
11/09/2005 --Susan fingerprinted for USCIS (yeah!) and obtained even more documents from the courthouse re: our background checks (grrrr..). Supposed to get rough draft of homestudy today. SW calls, homestudy will be ready and emailed tomorrow.
11/10/2005 --Bobby fingerprinted for USCIS. SW emails, homestudy will be ready in a day or two.
11/22/2005 --Homestudy is complete and forwarded to DC for review. Should be mailed to USCIS in about a week.
11/28/2005 --Homestudy received by LA USCIS --6 week countdown begins!!
11/30/05 --After 3 more visits, Susan finally gets medical clearance from doctor. Total trips to doctor's office = 11!!
12/01/2005 --Write and received approval of CCAA letter to adopt. Also, adoption agency gave tentative approval to the china version of the homestudy.
12/06/2005 --All docs now notarized and mailed to DC for review. Learned from online groups wait may now be 8 weeks for I171H.
01/04/06 --we have been approved to bring an orphan into the country, just waiting on having the I171 in our hot little hands.
01/11/06 --GOT IT!!! THE I171H IS HERE!!!
01/12/06 --I171H notarized by friend at work, thank you Phi, and overnighted to Dossier Consultant to get needed certifications. We're on track to be DTC 1/20/06.
01/13/06 --I171H expedited at the Secretary of State
01/14/06 --Bobby's birthday --Lordy, lordy, look who's forty!!
01/16/06 --MLK day. "I have a dream..." me too!!
01/17/06 --I171H personally delivered to Chinese Consulate in San Francisco.
01/18/06 --I171H picked up from consulate and fed ex'd to HFS!!!
01/19/06 --Notified by HFS, all documents received and complete. On track to be DTC tomorrow.
01/20/06 --DTC today!!!!! Now begins "the wait"
01/28/06--2/12/06: CCAA closed for Lunar/Chinese New Year.
02/13/06 --our LID. CCAA now stating estimated wait til referral is 12 mos. If this is true, we should have our referral by 2/13/2007 and travel possilbly 4/07.
05/23/06 --100 days since LID and we got our Brown Envelope! Current referral time 12 mos. Rumors now quoting 18 mos from LID to referral for subsequent LID's.
05/27/06 --Susan turns 40 ;-l
09/25/07 --Brett starts college!
10/27/07 --Casey turns 17!
01/04/08 --2nd I171 rec'd. Most recent info says we will not recieve a referral until late 2008 or early 2009 due to Olympics in Beijing 08/08/2008.
01/14/08 --Bobby turns 42!
06/21/2008 --Its official, we've been married 22 yrs
09/07/2008 --Brett turns 20!
09/13/08 --3rd USCIS fingerprinting (Bobby, Susan and Brett) --only 4 lids til ours!!
09/29/2008 --REFERRAL!!!!
11/10/08 --TA's arrived, finally!
11/17/08 --Consulate appointment confirmed for 12/16/08!!
12/1/08 --we will leave for Beijing!!!
The saga continues......
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