Adoptions from China

Answers To Common Questions

• How will I find out about my LID? How will my agency find out?

The CCAA notifies adoption agencies electronically of new LIDs, just like PA. There has been some recent discussion in the adoption community regarding LID notification, and whether or not it really comes electronically or snail mail (according to one agency). It is frustrating because sometimes it seems like there is not a standard process used by all agencies. This makes it difficult to figure out what is going on sometimes! But I did confirm with my agency that they do indeed receive notice of LIDs electronically. I can't say for sure that ALL agencies operate this way, but most do. I have never heard of any agency receiving LID notification by snail mail.

Some agencies send their in China representative in person to the CCAA to check on LIDs rather than waiting for electronic notification.

• How long will it take for me to receive my LOA after my dossier is logged-in to the CCAA?

According to the wonderful charts maintained on the RQ Special Needs Forums, the current 2010 average wait for LOA is 50 days.

People have been trying to figure out the cause of the variance in wait times for LOA for a long time! Although the wait for LOA has decreased significantly since 2009, there is still enough variance to make us wonder! We don't think it has to do with what province you are adopting from, and not even which agency you are adopting from. Whether or not you are through review as NSN seems to have an effect on it, as does whether you are LID before LOI or LOI before LID.

It's just......well.....sort of like being at the grocery store. There are multiple checkout lanes - some are long, some are short. Some have fast checkers, some have slow checkers. Then there is the Express lane. It's just the way it is! However, we have been very pleased to see the wait times decrease this year to a more reasonable number (50 days).

If you want more information on the wait times for LOA, I suggest you go on over to the China Adopt Talk Special Needs Forum and look for the most recent Waiting For LOA thread posted by Molpugh. Posted at the beginning of each week, this chart tracks data, statistics, and numbers like you wouldn't believe!

• I thought you couldn't be matched with a child until after you had a LID now? Didn't the CCAA make a new rule about that recently?



Partially. The new rule says that you must be LID to be matched with a child who has been on the shared list for under 30 days. If the child has been on the shared list for over 30 days, they can be matched with a family who does not have a LID.

Also, the CCAA has now classified children that have been on the shared list over 2 months as Special Focus children. A family who is matched to a Special Focus child will have 6 months to compile their dossier and submit it to China rather than the current 3 months.

Those who adopt a Special Focus child will be permitted to adopt TWO children (both special focus or just one special focus) at the same time or as two separate adoptions. The adoptions just need to be within 12 months of one another.

• I got my LOA, but my child's name is spelled wrong!

This needs to be corrected immediately! Your USCIS officer will copy your child's name from the LOA directly onto your I800 approval, so the name needs to be correct! If you notice any errors on your LOA,. contact your agency immediately and request a corrected LOA. This happened to us, and we had a new LOA at our door in about 2 weeks.

• Does my TA expire?

Your Travel Approval is good for 90 days. You must travel to China and complete the adoption within that time period. If you do not, the TA will expire and you'll have to wait for a new one! This isn't usually a problem though, as most families want to travel as soon as they possibly can!

• What is the difference between the I800A and the I800?


Form I-800A is your application to adopt a child(ren) from the country of China in general.

Once you have accepted a referral and received approval from China to adopt your child, you then file the I-800, which is your application to adopt your child specifically.

• I've been hearing about re-using your dossier for a second adoption. What is that all about?

The CCAA recently issued some new regulations regarding the Special Needs program in order to help children find families faster. If you have completed an adoption from China within the past twelve months, you can reuse your dossier to begin another adoption of a Special Focus child (a child that has been on the shared list for over 30 days or a child that has been designated as Special Focus by the CCAA).

You still must update your home study (or obtain a new one in some cases) and get I800A approval if you are not already approved for the adoption of two children.

• Is it ALWAYS a standard 2 weeks from when you receive NVC notification to Article 5?

Yes, it is always two weeks from the date that the NVC notification is dropped off at the consulate until the Article 5 is ready. It's a standard processing time. However, if it takes longer, the reasons are:

1) that it takes a few days for the agency to notify the client, or

2) the agency representative fails to pick up the Article 5 when it's ready, or

3) there is a problem with the documentation.

If you have a question about your Article 5, you should contact your agency directly.

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