Five Big Steps Still Ahead of Us!

I just hung up with the National Benefits Center (again). I called one more time hoping to hear our I800 had been approved and cabled to China. Instead they told me my I800 still hasn't arrived in their office. It has been 14 days. Our agency estimated it would take 10 days (did they mean business days?), the NBC said 14 days (ummm that's today???) and the average as reported by other families is 19 days.


As a side note, it is interesting to me that everything the Chinese officials needed to do was completed ahead of schedule (10 days for a PA, 15 days for the LOA) but everything anyone in the US was responsible for has taken LONGER than expected, (Home Study Update 3.5 months, I800A 48 days and now the I800 14 days and counting!) Add your own commentary...

It's has been so long I am sure some need a process update. Goodness knows I struggle to keep it all straight. Here is what we still need...


1. We need the I800 approval. Hopefully this will happen any day now.

2. The I800 and I800a need to be reviewed and a Cable sent to the US Consulate in China. That typically happens within a few days after the I800 approval.

3. The US Consulate issues the Article 5 Letter to China which notifies them that we are at long last suitable adoptive parents for Macy. This could take as long as 6 weeks! However the average time at this point is about 14 days.

4. China issues TA/Travel Approval. Our agency estimates this at 2 weeks after the Article 5 Letter but the average right now is 20 days. Not sure at this point how CNY might affect this.

5. Departure for China. Our agency estimates this to be 3 weeks after the TA is received.

Based on other families who have recently traveled it looks like we are still 38 days away from our TA. Coincidently that puts us to March 26th for a TA, the very day we thought we would be boarding a plane. Based on this, I am revising my travel guesstimate to April 16th.