The nuts and bolts of the adoption process

What's next in the adoption?

Our I800 form arrived in TX today. This is our application to specifically bring Caleb into the US to be a citizen. The US Customs and Immigrations has already approved us to adopt a child. Now they are approving Caleb to be adopted. This should take about three weeks.

That puts us at approx. April 27th.

Then our approval is sent by our USCIS officer to the National Visa Center and then it will be cabled (sent online) to the Embassy in China. The NVC will enter the info into their system and send a letter stating that this is complete. This process takes around 10 days or less.

So let's go with a May 2nd date.

Then our agency sends our Letter of Acceptance for Caleb, and his visa application, and that letter from the National Visa Center to the Embassy in China. The US consulate in China will review Caleb's visa application, give it the go ahead and issue a letter called the Article 5. This takes about two weeks.

Let's say May 18th just to be safe.

That letter will be given straight to the China adoption authorities and then we will wait for our travel approval. The average right now is 18 days from the Article 5 step to travel approval.

So, it's possible that somewhere around June 6th we could get our approval to travel. Which means we could travel mid to late June/early July if my estimates are right. But in the adoption process, usually, they're not right, so we'll just see.

Our agency estimates three months from letter of acceptance to travel approval so that would put us closer to mid July for travel.

WHAT AN ADVENTURE!!

Comments

Rita and John said…
Mid-July still doesn't sound too bad, although I know we both just want our boys in our arms! :) I'm rooting for August for us, but we're still waiting on LOA, so we'll see! Hope it all happens more quickly than you expect!
April 6, 2011 at 8:05 PM
Laura R. said…
That should have had a warning that said "Do not read before 8:30am" (or maybe 10am...). LOL!

I am SO glad it is all moving forward in a timely fashion though!
April 12, 2011 at 7:13 AM
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