Thursday, August 31, 2017

another step closer & what comes next ...

Today I got this email:


and you better believe I was absolutely thrilled!!!  Yesterday I sort of had a feeling - I kept checking my email and thinking how cool it would be to get the I-800 approval on the hub's birthday ... and we did!!!  

So what's next?  I thought it might be helpful for me to do a little timeline here - let's start at the beginning and you can see where we're at!

China adoption timeline:

*Let me preface this by saying the first step (& therefore some subsequent steps) can look different for each family.  If you choose to adopt and let the agency match you to your child, then choosing an agency is step one.  As you all know, that was not us.  We were matched by divine intervention while looking at an advocacy site (Reece's Rainbow) and so for us, and many families, we "found the child first" and then signed with the agency she was listed with.  I will be sharing the steps as they've been for us! (*our dates)

1. submit pre-approval for identified child 
*December 7, 2016

2. wait for CCCWA to reach a decision (1-2 weeks)

3. receive pre-approval from CCCWA
*December 25, 2016 - we found out December 26, 2017

4. start home study (3-4 months to complete)
*January 23, 2017

5. simultaneously with #4, start dossier paperwork and gathering documents (3-4 months to complete)
*we started ordering documents in December 2016 and filling out paperwork as soon as we had pre-approval

6. complete home study
*March 21, 2017

7. submit I-800a (this is general approval from US immigration to adopt, 6-8 weeks to be processed)
*March 22, 2017

8. fingerprint appointment (you get a letter that your I-800a was received and then wait for a letter telling you your appointment to go in for fingerprints)
*April 14, 2017

9. DTC (send authenticated dossier to CCCWA, 1-2 weeks to log in)
*May 30, 2017

10. LID (log in date for dossier: the dossier gets logged into the system, then goes into translation, then is "in review" ... 8-10 weeks to LSC)
*June 13, 2017 LID   *June 23, 2017 I found out we were already "in process of review"

11. LSC (letter seeking confirmation: this is China's official approval to adopt the child and you sign to agree that you want to!)
*July 24, 2017

12. submit I-800 & signed LSC to CIS (this is immigration approval again, but for the specific child - you've been working on this while waiting for LSC ... 4-5 weeks to get this "provisional approval")
*August 2, 2017

13. I-800 provisional approval
*August 28, 2017 we received an RFE (request for evidence, I blogged about this - I somehow left a form out that then needed to be sent)
*August 31, 2017 I found out, via an email reply from our officer at the NBC (National Benefits Center) -I had emailed August 25- that we were granted provisional approval August 30!!!

Where we are TODAY: August 31, 2017

14. NVC letter (aka GUZ # ... 2-3 weeks)

15. complete DS-260 (more visa stuff, filed online)

16. article 5 submitted (more paperwork that must be dropped off at the US consulate and then picked up about 2 weeks later - it is then sent to CCCWA (4-5 weeks according to timeline from my agency)

17. Travel permission

18. agency requests CA (consulate appointment)

19. once CA is confirmed, you make your travel arrangements!

20. GO GET YOUR PRECIOUS BABE!!!












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