Now What?

Saturday March 12 I got a I-797C Notice of Action form from USCIS dated March 8, saying that our I-800 was received on March 2. Today our apostilled Power of Attorney was delivered to a soon-traveling family in California. It will be hand-delivered to Toni in AbbyLand this weekend.

For the many people (including me) who are wondering what happens next, here's the general run-down from a fellow-adoptive mom who also happens to be a Joy:

For us, I sent the I-800 on Friday, December 17. It was signed for at the lock box on Monday, December 20.

It made it to our officer on Thursday, January 13. Our officer approved it on the day that she got it (1/13).

Then it was forwarded on the the National Visa Center for them to process.

They send it on to the US Embassy in ____ (ours arrived there on Wednesday, 1/26).

Next, Toni has an appointment at the embassy to do the provisional filing of the Visa. After her interview at the embassy, they have 5 days to issue an Article 5 letter. For us, her appointment was on Monday, 2/7, and the Article 5 letter was issued (and in Toni’s hands) on Wednesday, 2/9.

Once Toni has the Article 5 letter, she translates it and submits it for authentication. When authentication is complete (Tuesday 2/15 for us),

Toni submits the dossier to the MOJ for 2 signatures (the MOJ and the MOJ’s attorney, I believe). We had 1 signature by Tuesday 2/22, but the MOJ did not sign until a week or so later. When both signatures are on the paper, the MOJ submits the case to the court system. Ours was submitted on Wednesday, March 2^nd.

Then, you are assigned a judge and a court date. We received our court date on Friday, March 11. Court will be on Friday, March 25.

The dates (timeline) could be different for you, but I put ours on there so maybe you could see an average. Christmas holidays (and snowstorms) did slow our I-800 being processed, but honestly, don’t count on it being faster anyway b/c something different could always slow the process. If it is faster, that is great, but don’t count on it.

After court, you will get travel dates from Toni for your second trip. For most people that seems to be about a month (give or take a little) after court, depending on Toni’s travel schedule with other families. From the day of court, there is a 14 day {Note: this has since been decreased to 7 days} waiting period for the adoption to become final. After it is final, it takes another week for the child’s birth certificate to be issued.{Note: this has since been increased to 10 days.}

So, you really can’t travel for at least 3 weeks after court, and I think that Toni might usually make it closer to 4 weeks so that if there is a problem with the birth certificate, she has time to get that fixed. You need the birth certificate to get the passport and Visa on your 2^nd trip.

On the 2^nd trip, you pick your child up early Monday morning, then go straight to (the capital) to the passport office to apply for the passport. Then you go to your hotel. On Wednesday, Toni picks up the passport, then on Thursday you have the child’s medical appointment in the morning and the interview for the Visa in the afternoon. On Friday, Toni delivers the Visa to your hotel so you can come home on Saturday.