Many people have asked us if we have to go through this process again since this is our 2nd adoption from China. The answer is YES. Everything has to be done again, like it was the 1st adoption. Below is our timeline of events as we paperchase for Emma Claire.
Monday, December 19, 2005 - Received an email from GWCA that they received our application and are reviewing it. We should hear if we are approved to adopt a 2nd time in 4-10 days!
Wednesday, December 28, 2005 - Received a phone call from our agency. They needed our height and weight for our application. Other than that material, we will be set to start paperchasing in a few days when they will send us the agency agreement and adoption manual!
Thursday, December 29, 2005 - We received the agency agreement via email from GWCA. Matt and I sign it and get it ready to mail out.
Friday, December 30, 2005 - Mail out agency agreement and 1st installment check.
Tuesday, January 3, 2006 - GWCA confirms that they received our agency agreement and sends the 1st chapter in the adoption manual. Heard from our social worker and make plans to start homestudy.
Thursday, January 26, 2006 - after a slow start to paperchasing due to trips to New York, we order certified copies of Shannon's birth certificate and our marriage certificate; write our Letter of Intent to adopt to the CCAA, prepare documents for I-600A and begin getting employment verification for Matt and SAHM letter for Shannon.
Friday, January 27, 2006 - Shannon visits and receives a letter from her specialist on her ability to parent.
Monday, January 30, 2006 - Shannon has her physical exam for the adoption; Shannon's birth certificate arrives in the mail.
Friday, February 17, 2006 - Matt has his physical exam; we complete the autobiography and email it to our social worker
Monday, March 6, 2006 - Shannon receives a letter from another specialist on her ability to parent.
Wednesday, March 8, 2006 - Talk with social worker about setting up in-home meeting.
Sunday, March 26, 2006 - We have our homestudy meeting with our social worker.
Monday, March 27, 2006 - We receive a copy of our homestudy from our sw for review; we call our agency with some questions on our homestudy; we go to get our police clearance letters from our city police department.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 - We pick-up a letter from Matt's doctor regarding his ability to adopt.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 - Call our agency again to get criminal checks on Shannon's parents, with whom we are staying until we move. Once the criminal checks are received, we can file our homestudy with the BCIS and await our fingerprinting appointment and then our I-600A. Otherwise our dossier is almost complete.
Friday, March 31, 2006 - Received an email from our case manager at GWCA that Shannon's parents cleared their background checks. I am sure it is coincidence (not), but our "Dossier Tip of the Week" from our agency listed what you should do if you move during your paperchase/homestudy and how to file for twins (it was eerily similar to my 3/29 conversation).
Sunday, April 9, 2006 - Meet with our social worker, and hand in our I-600A paperwork so we can file to get our I-171H.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006 - Our homestudy was emailed by our social worker to GWCA for approval.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006 - Our homestudy and CIS application was received at Dallas BCIS.
Friday, April 14, 2006 - Our agency approved our homestudy; our social worker sends out our notarized copies via mail.
Thursday, April 20, 2006- Receive confirmation from the Dallas BCIS that our homestudy and application was received.
Monday, April 24, 2006 - The notarized copy of our dossier arrives from our social worker.
Saturday, May 6, 2006 - Receive our appointment for our fingerprints from Dallas BCIS. Our appointment is for May 18.
Saturday, May 27, 2006 - We changed our fingerprinting date to Tuesday, June 6.
Tuesday, June 6, 2006 - We go to get our fingerprints done at the local BCIS office. Our letter from BCIS overlooked and did not include Shannon's parents and BCIS will have to send out another fingerprinting letter so they can be fingerprinted (ugh!)
Monday, June 12, 2006 - The new fingerprinting letter for Shannon's parents arrives via mail.
Thursday, June 22, 2006 - Shannon's Dad goes to get fingerprinted for the I-600A
Monday, June 23, 2006 - Matt gets his letter of employment signed (yeah!)
Tuesday, June 27, 2006 - Shannon's Mom goes to get fingerprinted
Friday, June 30, 2006 - Finally send off our dossier for certification in Texas. I am only missing Matt's letter of employment and the I-171H for certification. Shannon's physical will be 6 months old at the end of July and the Chinese consulate will not authenticate it. So, we have to send it in to be certified and authenticated NOW
Monday, July 10, 2006 - Receive our documents back from the Texas Secretary of State certified.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006 - Sent our dossier to the Chinese Consulate in Houston via FedEx.
Thursday, July 20, 2006 - Received our authenticated documents back from the Chinese Consulate in Houston.
Thursday, August 3, 2006 - AAARGH! Received a letter from Dallas BCIS that our homestudy requires and addendum for Shannon's parents. Contacted our social worker. BCIS should have it next week and hopefully we will have our I-171H soon.
Friday, August 11, 2006 - send an email to Dallas BCIS inquiring as to the status of our filing and if they received our addendum. NO REPLY.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - send another email to Dallas BCIS on the status of our I-171H; also got their telephone number and will call tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - Made and attempt to call Dallas BCIS- got answering machine that said to only leave a message if it was an emergency.
Friday, August 25, 2006 - Received a response from Dallas BCIS to my 8/22 email!!! We are in line to be looked at today and should hear something soon!! Yeah!
Saturday, August 26, 2006 - WOOHOO!!!! Our I-171H arrived!!!!!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006 - Sent our I-171H to the Texas Secretary of State for certification.
Tuesday, September 5, 2006 - receive our certified documents back from the Texas SOS; send them off to the Chinese Consulate in Houston for authentication; also send our dossier (minus our I-171H to GWCA for a look over).
Thursday, September 8, 2006 - Hear from our dossier consultant at GWCA--our dossier looks good but we need to re-do our family photos. Instead of printing them on a sheet of paper, we need to have the actual photo. Easy enough.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006 - our authenticated documents arrived back from the Chinese Consulate and off they went to GWCA. Our dossier is now complete and will hopefully be sent to China this Friday!!!
Amount of Time to Complete Paperwork: 8 MONTHS, 4 WEEKS
