From another agency
This info comes from one of the really big agencies.
They are telling their people the wait is probably 10-14 months at this point. They are suggesting their clients write letters to our congresspeople to get the USCIS to extend the length of time for which the I171H is good to 24 months.
They also have told their clients that the CCAA is working on matches and that there is someone in-country who can sign off on them. They estimate matches will go through at least the first week of June. Their newsletter says that if the matches only go through June 8th, it will take three months to get through June. If the next set of matches goes through June 15th, the rest of June will be matched next month.
posted by RumorQueen at 4/17/2006 06:17:00 PM
15 Comments:
I'm kind of waiting to see what some of the agencies draft out. My thinking is that they should have the knowledge to say what needs to be said and stay away from things it's better to not mention.
If there is anyone out there who is familiar with Washington politics who wants to come up with something that would be great, too.
I work with the Government and Congress. Is what we're looking for a basic letter we can all download and send to our reps?
i have mixed feelings about all this focus on extending expiration of documents. i KNOW it must be done and having documents expire right and left is horrible for us, I know that, but i can't help but feel that instead of focusing on encouraging the ccaa to keep doing everything in its power to keep the process MOVING, agencies are instead putting the pressure on US to encourage procedural change with our govt. again, theres nothing wrong with writing these letters and believe me i will be writing one myself. but there is just something about this that bothers me, its as if the ccaa is getting off the hook, because, heck, now our documents last 3 years, so why not have a 3 year wait to referral!
sorry, this 18 month wait stuff just really gets to me since i am a feb lid and i know the 18 month warning means ME.
Stephanie - that's exactly what we are looking for.
Oscar/Elmo - I don't think they are saying anything at all about the actual wait time. I think their response to a US agency pointing out the hardship due to the expiration time of the I171H was that the other countries don't expire so soon and we should try to get that changed. I'm not even convinced they think it will necessarily go out that far, I just think that was their response. Kind of "don't blame that on us, that's a problem within your own country" kind of response.
My agency sent an update last week and basically said the same thing. 10 months now. Will be longer, could be alot longer.
The director woman said we should petition to the CIS/Senators to get this 18 month thing changed.
I don't know what to do, the whole thing is too much sometimes.
leslie, well, there are fewer and fewer babies being adopted out of china internationally and more and foreigners lining up to adopt them. so i wouldn't say there is exactly a 'need' these days, i.e. babies waiting for homes and not enough people to take them-- there are plenty of people lining up for these girls... except maybe for special needs and older children.
with that said, if adopting a chinese baby is your heart's desire, then by all means join the line - just be prepared to wait 18 months...
I would add to what eli said - if you want to help, there are special needs children, older children and children who need financial support in China - check out Love Without Boundaries http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/ for $35 a month you can get a kid out of an orphanage and into foster care.
please nobody take this personally, but to me and my wife, we felt drawn to adopt from China. Many reasons really. I'm sure lots of people have their own reasons, but I can't imagine someone just saying..."hey think I'll adopt from China". My point is, yes this is tough to wait through, yes we're unsure what's going to happen, yes we're probably going to have to re-do some stuff (personally i'm definitely hoping to avoid the I-171H re-do but if so I'll deal with it) but we're all on this journey and shouldn't question whether we did the right thing or anything at all. There are children at the end of our red threads that are waiting for us and no matter what the hardship these children will make it all seem so trivial and our lives so much better.
thanks for letting me get that out. :)
Here's the thing, I know they said they weren't going to shut down the program, but by their actions all indicators point to something is still happening. Referrals have consistently diminished each month for almost a year now. This month, if they finish the first week of June (to the 3rd) will be 4 days worth of referrals – one day less than last month. Is this a coincidence? It seems a little too efficient to chalk it up to chance. I am still not convinced there isn't another motive at work here.
China is a great program and I'm not sure if the potention for a two year wait is enough to get me to switch. I keep looking at Vietnam with it's 4 month referal period (to start of with at least) and wish I could switch, but my heart's in China too.
i agree with stephanie v. -- i dont know what it is either, but i am really starting to fear that something ghastly is going on here. these teeny little referral batches, each one worse than the next, the ccaa coming over here with their chirpy comments and no headway being made month after month... i'm wondering if we're just not seeing the writing on the wall. am i going to look back at this 6 months from now and say 'why was i in such denial?"
but then again i dont know what else to do but sit here like an idiot hoping NEXT month will be better...
That's what we're all doing eli, hoping. What else can we do?
Stephanie - I know. I've said before if you chart the past year then you have to come to the conclusion that the program will stop soon.
But I don't think that is the case. Maybe, as Eli said, I'm in denial, but I'm seeing things that I don't think would be happening if that were the case. Like the current World Tour, and the Hague Convention stuff, and the fact that they are moving into a bigger facility.
That's not to say I think they will just suddenly speed back up, either. But I don't think it is coming to a close in the near future.
dear leslieathome-
by all means that comment was not said in response to what you posted...believe me. I am sure that the time and conviction to choose as you did was profound.
What was meant was that we all have our own deep and true personal reasons for choosing to adopt from China and that we should not to lose sight of what's at the end of this journey no matter what the hardships or inconveniences...and of course the length of all our waiting. :)
The Irish equivelent of the I171H only lasts for 12 months. We got ours in April 05 and it then took us a further two months to get our pack ready for China. Our LID is June 16th. We have had to renew some paperwork already and like some of you China don't need the updated documents either but the Irish government do otherwise we will be detained at the airport on our return from China. I hate all the rumours but I can't stop reading them. It's like being on a roller coaster but at the moment it only goes down. I feel like I'm wishing my life away ticking off the days for the referal. Sorry for the pessismism I'm normally more upbeat...
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