Adoption Update

Yesterday, we received our approval letter from the National Visa Center and Holt sent it to China. It still looks like maybe March for travel (fingers crossed). We are hoping that they speed up our paperwork and issue our travel approval before Chinese New Year, which starts on February 3rd. Could we be spending St. Patrick's Day with the Chinese Leprechauns this year? Here's the latest update from Holt:

I sent your NVC Letter to our staff in China today, one step closer! Based on current processing averages, we estimate that your travel approval will arrive in our Eugene office from the CCAA within five weeks and that your China arrival will be between four and six weeks later. The Chinese New Year holiday could impact the TA issuing by either speeding it up or delaying it a bit. We’ve seen both happen in the past so cross your fingers they’re in a slate-clearing mood before the holiday!

Here is what happens next with your paperwork:

1. Our Guangzhou staff will review your documents to ensure every detail follows Consulate guidelines. If necessary, they will ask for or make revisions based on changes in Consulate procedures we may not yet be aware of. These steps may take time but are critically important because if we submit forms that do not conform to guidelines the Consulate may not inform us for several weeks that changes are needed. After this careful review, your documents will be submitted to the Consulate.

2. About three weeks after the Consulate accepts the forms they should issue a document called an “Article 5” for your case. The Article 5 will be forwarded to the CCAA and notifies them that the Consulate has accepted your paperwork and invites them to issue your travel approval. Jamie Miller will email you when we hear of your Article 5.

3. After receiving the Article 5, the CCAA usually sends travel approval approximately 3 weeks later via DHL directly to our Eugene office.

4. When your travel approval arrives we will let you know by email, then double check the paperwork we have to provide to the Consulate to apply for your visa appointment.

5. After consulting our China staff we will apply for your visa appointment.

6. The Consulate usually confirms appointment requests within a few days. When they do, we will identify your travel dates. Most families arrive in China about four to six weeks after travel approvals arrive in our office.