So, today I got a call from our adoption agency informing me that I'd missed another step. It's amazing how many steps have duplicate names, making it easy to miss them.
Most of the forms we will need for our dossier for China have to be notarized and then later authenticated by the Secretary of State. I found out today that they also have to be authenticated by the Chinese Consulate in China.
The fee per document for state certification is $2 in Illinois and $5 in Minnesota (Brock's birth certificate). The fee per document for consulate authentication is $20 or $40, depending on how quickly we want the forms back.
There are 13 documents total that this applies to (inter-country adoption application letter, home study report, 2 birth certificates, marriage certificate, 2 medical examinations, certificate of financial status, 2 police clearance letters, 2 employment verification letters, and U.S. Citizen & Immigration Services approval letter).
I have all of them but the home study report, the USCIS approval, and Brock's birth certificate (we went it to Minnesota for the certification late last week and should be getting it back soon). I'll be sending all but the home study report and the USCIS approval in to the consulate as soon as possible and select the $20 option. As soon as we get the home study report (mid-July????) I'll send it in at the $20 option as well, plus I'll then send off our request for USCIS approval. Once we get USCIS approval, I'll send that in at the $40 option in order to continue our process quickly.
Through my phone conversation, I also discovered that for families from Illinois who are adopting from China, our completed dossier has to be signed off on by the Secretary of State before it can be submitted to China. This step adds about 6-8 weeks. I'm sitting here quite discouraged right now as I realize we'll be lucky if we get Shaling home before Christmas. I'm wondering why our informational paperwork gave us an initial estimate of 6-8 months.
This blog began as a place to share Shaling's journey from rice in China to popcorn in Illinois. However, it has evolved to include all sorts of happenings in the Reynolds family.
Keep the faith, Amy. Remember, God is in charge and He has a plan...........and He never makes a mistake!! Sometimes it's difficult to be patient, but He has never let me down and He won't let all of you down, either. In the end, I believe you will see why His plan was much better than yours.
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