Where do we go from here?

Since we are adopting from the Waiting Child Program the process is slightly different from the standard China program. Here are the next steps in our adoption process.

1. Submit Letter of Intent, wait for Pre-Approval.  PA usually takes 2-4 weeks. (this should happen in the next day or two.  We have completed all the paperwork we need to and it will be in Stephanie in box by the end of today.)
   
2. At PA, your dossier will be moved to the matching room to be paired with Liping.  Once the official signs off on the match, they will send us the Letter Seeking Confirmation (official referral).  From PA to LSC can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. In order to avoid delays towards travel, you would need to have your immigration approval at this time.  Immigration is currently taking between 4-6 weeks to approve I-800A applications.INSERT PANIC HERE! WE DO NOT HAVE OUR IMMIGRATION APPROVAL AND CAN'T EVEN FILE OUR FORM UNTIL WE GET THE CHILD ABUSE CLEARINGS FROM RI AND OH!!!!
   
3. At LSC, you will file the I-800 with immigration (same as the I-600, but has to be approved before travel).  I-800 takes about 10 days to approve.  This approval is then send to the US consulate.
4. US consulate reviews I-800A and I-800 approvals and verifies the child’s information matches your approvals.  They issue an Article 5 to be delivered to the CCAA.  The consulate can take up to 6 weeks to issue the Article 5.
5. Upon receipt of the Article 5, the CCAA will begin to process your Travel Approval (coordinating with provincial officials).  TA will be issued approximately 2 weeks after Article 5 is received.
6. Departure is generally about 3 weeks from TA receipt.  

So it looks like we could travel in as soon as 4 months or as long as 6 months.  Stephanie at Great Wall tells us to realistically plan on 5 months which has been about the average time for other families.  That will bring us to about March/April 2010. Woohoo, Spring Break Beijing!