So What Comes Next...

I know I haven't blogged in a million years, but lots of people have asked "what comes next" now that we are out ~so figured this was the easiest place to share the info. I'm taking this info from other blogs just to give you an idea.

We are currently waiting for Tentative Travel Dates to know when we can go visit Clemene and go to Courts in Haiti. So we are still checking our email every five seconds, even after getting the best news ever yesterday. :) After we agree to the dates we will have to wait for USCIS approval to travel to visit/courts. We will keep everyone posted once we know when we get to go.

As far as the rest of the process, you can start on #6 to know what comes next~ but had to include the IBESR part (#5) cuz it makes me super happy to see it and know we are done with all of that!!!

Each of the steps after #6 have to happen before Chloe came come home. Trying not to focus on how hard it will be to continue to wait and only rejoice in the face that we get to move forward. SO very thankful for that. It will be at least 6 months until she is able to come home.

SO~ for those of you who want to know all the gory details, here you go. Enjoy.

5. IBESR (Institute du Bien-Etre Social et Recherches – Institute of Social Well-Being and Research).  IBESR is the Haitian Social Services.  When your dossier is at IBESR, social workers will study it to see whether you meet the Haitian requirements to adopt a child.  They also judge whether your referred child is a good match for your family.  Your dossier needs 4 signatures before it can be released from IBESR.  The four individuals who sign the approval are the director of IBESR, the IBESR lawyer, the head of adoption services at IBESR, and the head of social services.  If, for example, one of these individuals is on holidays, there is not another individual who can sign on his/her behalf, which will result in additional delays.  Once all 4 signatures have been received, IBESR issues a Certificate of Authorization informing Parquet and the courts that IBESR has approved you to adopt your Haitian child.  Time varies from 3 to 6 months, but could be longer if you need a Presidential dispensation.  A presidential dispensation can take an additional 3 to 6 months or longer.  You need to be aware of this as you go into the adoption process.

6. Travel. Your first trip to Haiti occurs after you are approved by IBESR. On your first trip, you will meet with the local judge, file your I-600 / Adjudicate Orphan Status First application with USCIS, and appear before the civil court. Both adoptive parents must travel.  See instructions in the Travel Packet on how to complete the forms for your I-600 filing. You can expect to be in Haiti for 3-5 days.

7. Parquet (District Attorney).  GLA prepares a letter for Parquet, as well as submits a couple extra documents in the dossier for submission to Parquet.  An additional two documents are completed and signed in Parquet that approve your adoption. 

8. Court.  GLA types up two court documents (Act of Adoption, and Civil Court document) and submits your dossier to the court for finalization of the adoption in Haiti. 

9. Attestation Signature.  An attestation signature is required on your child’s Act of Adoption.  The attestation signature is completed by Archives recognizing that the signature on the Act of Adoption corresponds with the signature that is on file for this individual.  It is similar to legalizing or notarizing the signature. 

10. Legalization at the Minister of Justice.  Each of your child’s adoption documents needs to be legalized in order to apply for his/her passport. 

11. Legalization at the Minister of Foreign Affairs (MAE).  Each of your child’s adoption documents must also be legalized at the Minister of Foreign Affairs before applying for his/her passport. 

Passport.  Once all documents have been legalized, GLA can apply for your child’s Haitian passport.  This is a 2 step process – Studying the application at the office of the Minister of Interior and finalization and printing the passport at the Immigration department.  In MOI the passport application is studied and approved, and in printing, it is exactly that, the printing of the passport.  The majority of time spent in this stage is in MOI.  

13. Paperwork review.  Once your child’s passport has been printed, and all original documents have been returned, GLA will review the paperwork and have any errors corrected (spelling errors are very common in Haiti). 

14. US medical.  A medical on your child is completed by a US approved physician in Haiti and the results are submitted together with the visa application. It can take up to a week until GLA is able to pick up the completed medical report.

15. USCIS and US visa.  Families must first have their I-600 approved by USCIS in Haiti before the child’s paperwork goes to the Adoptions Officer with the Consular division of the U.S. Embassy. GLA will submit your child’s complete visa packet (adoption documents, passport, US medical, passport photos, DS-230) to USCIS for your I-600 approval. Once your I-600 has been approved, USCIS will forward your adoption file to the Adoptions Officer, who will then schedule your child’s visa interview. Your child’s visa interview is usually held 1-2 weeks from when the Officer received your child’s adoption file.  At the same time, GLA must obtain a travel document, permitting the child to travel, from IBESR.  Expect four weeks to four months for this entire process.

16. Travel.  Once your child’s visa has been approved, GLA will contact BCSI with possible travel dates for your final trip to Haiti to pick up your child.  GLA will pick up your child’s visa before you arrive in Haiti.  Expect to stay in Haiti for 2-5 days.  Please do not book flights until you have been given approval from GLA.  If only one parent is able to travel, the parent remaining at home must complete a power of attorney for the parent that is going to Haiti.  This way, the parent traveling to Haiti can sign all documents should he/she be required to sign anything.