One year since I said yes
Wanna laugh? I can use a good laugh.
This is one of the six e-mails I received from my agency a year ago today. The first was telling me she'd send pictures soon, the second was the pictures, the third was telling me she'll fax information, the fourth was telling me she faxed the information, this was the fifth, and the sixth was telling me how excited she was for me.
Get ready to laugh. Oh, and I was asked by the agency not to comment about the e-mails they send me that I post on this blog, so I will no longer be adding my personal comments in another color. All of the bold and underlined were done by the agency. And one more thing, my I-171H was faxed to the agency on December 3, and my completed dossier arrived on December 12. So according to the agency, I've only been waiting a little over 10 months.
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 13:52:17 EDT
Subject: Fwd: Steps to Adoption - October 2005
From: (agency)
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 13:51:59 EDT
Subject: Steps to Adoption - October 2005
Each and every case is handled the same but each and every case will be processed differently from another. Your case might go through the Family Court process very quickly only to get bogged down in the PGN court. Another case might be slowed down in the DNA process while going through the PGN court in record time!
Please be assured that we are monitoring each case on a daily basis. We are constantly in contact with the attorney to be sure that they are following up on your case. The following is a list of the steps for your case.
The timelines are estimates and can be affected by workload, strikes, bad moods and good luck and bad luck. We will advise you of any significant delays or issues if they occur.
Please remember that in between each step the file needs to be picked up, logged, re-packaged and then taken to the next step. As a result each step is not handled the very next day after the previous step. The good news is that some of the steps can and will be completed, or at least started, at the same time.
REMINDER----- DAY ONE counts the day we have the INS clearance (I-171h) and the Dossier in our office. We can start the case with one or the other as long as it does not take too long to get the other.
10 STEPS TO YOUR ADOPTION
STARTING YOUR CASE
· Your dossier is sent to the attorney in Guatemala via FedEx.
· The entire dossier is translated into Spanish for the courts.
· The case is presented to the Ministry of External Relations. The Ministry of External Relations registers the case and certifies all the documents.
· This takes about 2-3 weeks.
DNA TEST
· The attorney submits the Request for the Authorization for the DNA test to be administered. You must have your INS I-171H to get the authorization.
· The Embassy issues the Authorization for the DNA test.
· The attorney will fax the Authorization to our office.
· We send your Payment Authorization to Labcorp who will process the DNA test
· The lab will send a receipt showing payment to our office
· We send the paid receipt to the attorney.
· The attorney can now make an appointment with one of only three approved doctors to administer the DNA test.
· This takes about 1-2 weeks.
· The birth mother and the child will be tested.
· The specimens will be sent to Labcorp via express mail
· The test will be administered.
· This takes about 1 week.
· The results will be faxed to our office. We will email you.
· The certified and notarized results will be sent to the US Embassy in Guatemala.
· The Embassy will open a case review of the adoption file. They are ensuring that all of the documents are in order.
· The Embassy will release the case once they are satisfied that all is in order. This is called the CONSENT
· This takes about 4 weeks.
The Embassy can call the Birth Mother into the Embassy for a personal interview at any time. They claim that these interviews are done randomly. This will not stop your case but it will slow it down as the Embassy will not approve the case to go on until they have had the interview which can take several weeks to schedule and complete.
FAMILY COURT
· The case will be presented to the Family Court.
· A Social Worker will be assigned to the case.
· The Social Worker will arrange for an interview with the birth mother.
· The Social Worker will arrange for an interview with the foster mother to see the child.
· The Social Worker will prepare a report for the courts.
· The Family Court judge will approve the case to continue.
· This takes about 5-6 weeks.
Some of the attorneys will tell us when the interview is and others do not. We are tracking it and following up so as soon as we know, we will let you know.
PROCURADURIA COURT (PGN)
· The case will be presented to the Procuraduria Court (PGN).
· A PGN attorney will be assigned to very carefully review your case file. The PGN attorney can ask for any additional documentation from the attorney or from the adopting family. NO information is given out about the case when it is in PGN until it is either released or sent back for additional information.
· This USUALLY takes about 7 weeks but it can take as long as the PGN attorney needs. If the PGN attorney requests additional or corrected information from you, it will delay your case. We are following up on each case will let you know the moment we hear anything from the PGN about your case- good or bad.
BIRTH MOTHER SIGNING
· The birth mother will come in to sign off on the final paperwork.
· This takes about 1 week.
BIRTH CERTIFICATE
· Once the case is released from PGN, the Civil Registry where the child was born will issue a new birth certificate. The name will remain the same with your last name added to the end. This is the name you will use for the flight reservation for the child.
· This takes about 1-2 weeks depending on where the original birth certificate is from. Right now it is taking at least three weeks to get a new birth certificate for babies born in Guatemala City.
PASSPORT
· A Guatemalan passport will be issued with the new last name of the child.
· This takes about 2-3-4 days. Up until about a month ago it took almost 6 weeks!
FINAL EMBASSY REVIEW
· The entire case is presented to the US Embassy once again for another review of the case. · The Embassy will confirm that all of the documents are in order.
· The Embassy will issue a "PINK SLIP" that will authorize the Final Medical exam.
48 hours not counting holidays, Fridays or lazy days
The Embassy now gives an appointment to the adopting family once the Pink Slip is issued. The appt is usually about one week after the Pink Slip is issued. You will not want to make travel arrangement until the Pink Slip is issued and we know the date of the appointment.ALSO....the Embassy now issues the Travel Visa the NEXT day after the appointment listed on the Pink Slip. So if your appointment is on Tuesday, you need to go back on Wednesday afternoon and then you can leave on Thursday. If your appointment is on a Friday then you will have to wait to go back on Monday to get the Travel Visa. We will help you with coordinating your travel plans etc.
FINAL MEDICAL EXAM
· The child will go to the INS doctor to get a final review of the medical records and to be sure that all of the vaccinations are current. This is needed for the child to get the Visa to travel to the U.S.
2-3 days
TIME TO TRAVEL!!!
· Pack your bags and go to Guatemala!!!!!
this takes about 15 minutes!!!!
This is one of the six e-mails I received from my agency a year ago today. The first was telling me she'd send pictures soon, the second was the pictures, the third was telling me she'll fax information, the fourth was telling me she faxed the information, this was the fifth, and the sixth was telling me how excited she was for me.
Get ready to laugh. Oh, and I was asked by the agency not to comment about the e-mails they send me that I post on this blog, so I will no longer be adding my personal comments in another color. All of the bold and underlined were done by the agency. And one more thing, my I-171H was faxed to the agency on December 3, and my completed dossier arrived on December 12. So according to the agency, I've only been waiting a little over 10 months.
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 13:52:17 EDT
Subject: Fwd: Steps to Adoption - October 2005
From: (agency)
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 13:51:59 EDT
Subject: Steps to Adoption - October 2005
Each and every case is handled the same but each and every case will be processed differently from another. Your case might go through the Family Court process very quickly only to get bogged down in the PGN court. Another case might be slowed down in the DNA process while going through the PGN court in record time!
Please be assured that we are monitoring each case on a daily basis. We are constantly in contact with the attorney to be sure that they are following up on your case. The following is a list of the steps for your case.
The timelines are estimates and can be affected by workload, strikes, bad moods and good luck and bad luck. We will advise you of any significant delays or issues if they occur.
Please remember that in between each step the file needs to be picked up, logged, re-packaged and then taken to the next step. As a result each step is not handled the very next day after the previous step. The good news is that some of the steps can and will be completed, or at least started, at the same time.
REMINDER----- DAY ONE counts the day we have the INS clearance (I-171h) and the Dossier in our office. We can start the case with one or the other as long as it does not take too long to get the other.
10 STEPS TO YOUR ADOPTION
STARTING YOUR CASE
· Your dossier is sent to the attorney in Guatemala via FedEx.
· The entire dossier is translated into Spanish for the courts.
· The case is presented to the Ministry of External Relations. The Ministry of External Relations registers the case and certifies all the documents.
· This takes about 2-3 weeks.
DNA TEST
· The attorney submits the Request for the Authorization for the DNA test to be administered. You must have your INS I-171H to get the authorization.
· The Embassy issues the Authorization for the DNA test.
· The attorney will fax the Authorization to our office.
· We send your Payment Authorization to Labcorp who will process the DNA test
· The lab will send a receipt showing payment to our office
· We send the paid receipt to the attorney.
· The attorney can now make an appointment with one of only three approved doctors to administer the DNA test.
· This takes about 1-2 weeks.
· The birth mother and the child will be tested.
· The specimens will be sent to Labcorp via express mail
· The test will be administered.
· This takes about 1 week.
· The results will be faxed to our office. We will email you.
· The certified and notarized results will be sent to the US Embassy in Guatemala.
· The Embassy will open a case review of the adoption file. They are ensuring that all of the documents are in order.
· The Embassy will release the case once they are satisfied that all is in order. This is called the CONSENT
· This takes about 4 weeks.
The Embassy can call the Birth Mother into the Embassy for a personal interview at any time. They claim that these interviews are done randomly. This will not stop your case but it will slow it down as the Embassy will not approve the case to go on until they have had the interview which can take several weeks to schedule and complete.
FAMILY COURT
· The case will be presented to the Family Court.
· A Social Worker will be assigned to the case.
· The Social Worker will arrange for an interview with the birth mother.
· The Social Worker will arrange for an interview with the foster mother to see the child.
· The Social Worker will prepare a report for the courts.
· The Family Court judge will approve the case to continue.
· This takes about 5-6 weeks.
Some of the attorneys will tell us when the interview is and others do not. We are tracking it and following up so as soon as we know, we will let you know.
PROCURADURIA COURT (PGN)
· The case will be presented to the Procuraduria Court (PGN).
· A PGN attorney will be assigned to very carefully review your case file. The PGN attorney can ask for any additional documentation from the attorney or from the adopting family. NO information is given out about the case when it is in PGN until it is either released or sent back for additional information.
· This USUALLY takes about 7 weeks but it can take as long as the PGN attorney needs. If the PGN attorney requests additional or corrected information from you, it will delay your case. We are following up on each case will let you know the moment we hear anything from the PGN about your case- good or bad.
BIRTH MOTHER SIGNING
· The birth mother will come in to sign off on the final paperwork.
· This takes about 1 week.
BIRTH CERTIFICATE
· Once the case is released from PGN, the Civil Registry where the child was born will issue a new birth certificate. The name will remain the same with your last name added to the end. This is the name you will use for the flight reservation for the child.
· This takes about 1-2 weeks depending on where the original birth certificate is from. Right now it is taking at least three weeks to get a new birth certificate for babies born in Guatemala City.
PASSPORT
· A Guatemalan passport will be issued with the new last name of the child.
· This takes about 2-3-4 days. Up until about a month ago it took almost 6 weeks!
FINAL EMBASSY REVIEW
· The entire case is presented to the US Embassy once again for another review of the case. · The Embassy will confirm that all of the documents are in order.
· The Embassy will issue a "PINK SLIP" that will authorize the Final Medical exam.
48 hours not counting holidays, Fridays or lazy days
The Embassy now gives an appointment to the adopting family once the Pink Slip is issued. The appt is usually about one week after the Pink Slip is issued. You will not want to make travel arrangement until the Pink Slip is issued and we know the date of the appointment.ALSO....the Embassy now issues the Travel Visa the NEXT day after the appointment listed on the Pink Slip. So if your appointment is on Tuesday, you need to go back on Wednesday afternoon and then you can leave on Thursday. If your appointment is on a Friday then you will have to wait to go back on Monday to get the Travel Visa. We will help you with coordinating your travel plans etc.
FINAL MEDICAL EXAM
· The child will go to the INS doctor to get a final review of the medical records and to be sure that all of the vaccinations are current. This is needed for the child to get the Visa to travel to the U.S.
2-3 days
TIME TO TRAVEL!!!
· Pack your bags and go to Guatemala!!!!!
this takes about 15 minutes!!!!
posted by Stacy @ 4:56 AM
3 Comments:
At 8:52 AM,
Lauren said…
If I understand correctly, the DNA test which should have taken 1-2 weeks took 8 months? Wow.
Well, I am raising my glass (of water) to toast some movement and to a quick release from PGN so that you can finally get to the end of this process. And most importantly get Ingrid home with you!
I do have a quick question. Are you able to have any contact while you are waiting?
At 8:59 AM,
Stacy said…
Lauren - Nope, no contact anymore. When I started, the agency gave me the foster mother's phone number and encouraged me to call. During my visit trip in February, the foster mother asked me not to call so she doesn't get in trouble with the attorney's office. The agency kept telling me it was OK to call. I only called once after my visit trip, on Easter. After that, the foster mother stopped answering the phone. Then the agency director tried to call and couldn't get through. Eventually, the agency director told me the attorney got mad at her when she asked for a new phone number to give me. The agency director has called and spoken to Ingrid on the phone.
I can send down a package with the agency when they visit. Their last visit was in mid-September. Their next visit will be December 3. (Their advertisements say they visit every 6 weeks.) Ingrid's birthday is next week, and I have no way to wish her a happy birthday.
I don't get medical reports. The only medical report I ever got was from last September, received one year ago today. I do get pictures when the agency visits, about 15 pictures on average of Ingrid sitting on a chair. And then a few weeks later I get a DVD that I can't fast forward or it gets stuck, so I can only really watch it once. This month it was THREE MINUTES of Ingrid singing the same song twice, and that's it. No other information about her.
So in answer to your question, I guess according to the agency I do have contact with her. But according to ME, no.
At 9:19 AM,
Lauren said…
Oh. That must be so hard. I really give you credit. I don't know if I would be strong enough to go through this process.
I know this doesn't really help but hang in there. There has to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
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