What’s next??

Soooo after our home studys are finished what is next??  I am actually kind of nervous about this part because it is all out of my control. My first taste of waiting! After our last interviews, our social worker will write up a report. Then she has to send it to our AWAA Social worker, then to our Family Coordinator, then back to our local social worker to make and revisions. Then the report comes to us and we have to approve it. I’m not exactly sure where it ends up, but when all those people sign off on in then it is complete! The timeline for this to all be complete is around 6-8 weeks. I hope with the holidays being thrown in there it won’t take much longer!

Once our H.S. report is complete then we can submit the 1-600A application to USCIS.
A set of forms used to officially request permission from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to classify a child in a foreign country, who fits the definition of an "orphan," as an immediate relative of its intended adoptive parents, so that there can be an expedited processing and issuance of a visa to that child, allowing it to be brought into the United States, either after having been adopted abroad, or in order for it to be adopted in the United States.- Adoption.com

After we apply to USCIS we will get an appointment to get our fingerprints. The timeline for the fingerprint appointment is 4-12 weeks. YIKES! Pray for the 4 weeks!

Once we get the fingerprints then we get our dossier documents certified. I don’t know how long this part takes, but I have a few weeks to figure it out!!

After that we make lots of copies and mail off our dossier! Then we will officially be DTE!!! *Dossier to Ethiopia**

When DTE happens ladies and gentlemen…Our wait time officially begins. The current average wait time for a infant boy is 10-15 months.  This is to get our referral for our sweet baby boy!!

After the referral is accepted, we will son in Ethiopia, Africa waiting for US to come get him!!

Then we wait another month or two for a court date. We will go to Africa for about a week and meet our baby. If we pass court he will legally become our son!  Then we come home and wait. I’m sure this will be the worst part, but hopefully it will pass by quick!

Then we will get the call to return to Ethiopia and pick up our son forever!
That my friends is what our future timeline holds. God speed.