Steps to China.......

I have had so many ask what are the steps to the adoption process in China.   Every country is different and many who I do know in the adoption world are adopting from EE (Eastern Europe) and have a much different process.  So here is my best explanation ( I did take some of this off another person's blog because her's seemed more straight forward.....you know what I mean if I ever left you a voice message.  I have a tendency to ramble sometimes :))




1. We found our son online and applied to CCAI via application and we submitted an LOI (Letter of Intent) which was sent to China telling them we want to adopt our son. (3/20-22/11)

2. China reviewed our papers to make sure we met all the requirements and sent us back a PA (Pre approval) which allowed us to lock in his file so no one else could adopt him and we began our paperwork process. (3/22/11)

3. Then we began our homestudy.  Finished and accepted into the China program with our agency. (6/22/11) 

4. Our agency sends in the I-800A to the USCIS to get a fingerprinting appt for us. (Agency sent it  6/22/11)

5.  While waiting for the appt we compile our Dossier which is a packet of documents that include Birth certificates, marriage certificate, financial statements , medical forms,etc.  These have to go through a three step process. Notary, state certification and Chinese consulate authentication - all which takes some time. (all of ours are notarized and were sent out 7/5/11 to Madison for certification)

6. Once the dossier is complete with it's 3 steps done we send it to our agency.  We then wait to get back our our approval notice for our I800A and then our agency will send it to China called DTC (Dossier to China)

7. Once the dossier is received in China it gets an LID (Log in Date) which can take 2-4 wks . Then China reviews it, translates it and then sends you a LOA (Letter of Acceptance) which you signed and return, this can take 1-4 months.   Forgot to say this is when we can show his picture!!!

8. Then all the immigrations part for our boy  takes place...I800, another PA, Article 5 and TA (travel approval)...these can take 3-4 months to complete.

So we could travel as early as Dec or it could be up to 9 months which is around April......we are going to hope and pray for a little christmas miracle!!!

Once we are in China we will be traveling to the capital city of his province.   I think we will be flying into Beijing and then fly to his province. There we will receive the child, do the adoption process and have his passport issued.  In China you receive the child in your hotel.  The director of the orphanage and usually (hopefully) a nanny who knows him will bring him to you.  You have a bit of time (I am hearing anywhere from 10 min-1/2 hr ) to ask them questions and then they leave and you have your child.  Yeah I'm a bit nervous about that.  I can't imagine how scared those kids are!!  Caleb is then with you during the rest of the process.

Week 2 we all fly to Guangzhou.  We will have the medical exams and consulate appt.  The day after the appt we are able to pick up the Caleb's visa at the US consulate. 

We are there a total of 12-17 days and when we come home we will have Caleb with us!!!

I hope this helps everyone understand it a bit more.