We hear over and over again how international adoption takes so long. Yes, it’s a long process, but often the wait and delays referenced are not accurate. I am adamant about telling the TRUTH about the wait. I am passionate about adoption and orphan care and want families to feel they can do it. But I do want to be clear, the international adoption process does take time and it is work for the adoptive parents.
Step Two
The 2nd step is typically the compilation of your dossier (documents necessary to adopt in the country). The dossier documents take approximately two months. Most of your time spent in step 2 is waiting on your Advanced Processing of the Orphan Visa approval after submission of your I-600A/I-800A application. Therefore, step 1 and 2 should take five months or less to complete. If it takes longer, you are giving the country and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) more time to make changes to your process. The faster you can work the better. However, this also depends on the processing time of your adoption service provider and USCIS. They need time to process and compile your information as well. Some states also require Court approval of home studies (Arizona) or other processing that can delay this time period.
Once your dossier is properly submitted in the country, you have started the country-specific process.
Step Three
Every country’s processing time varies. Some countries process an international adoption within three to six months (DR Congo, Samoa, Ukraine) while others can take years. The gender and age of a child may also play a significant role wait time. Additionally, adopting a special needs child may make your process faster.
Examples of average waiting times for international adoption processed in 2011 upon dossier submission:
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China 4-5 years
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Bulgaria 1-2 years
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Ukraine 3-6 months
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DR Congo 3-6 months
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Samoa 3-6 months (anticipated)
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Nicaragua 1-2 years
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Honduras 1-2 years
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Ethiopia 1-2 years
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Mexico 3-6 months (anticipated)
So yes, it could take years, but there are several international adoption programs that take 12-16 months. Compared to trying to conceive and pregnancy, that doesn’t seem like such a terrible wait. So please, when discussing international adoption be sure to encourage… because if I can do the wait, so can you!</