The Process

1 ~ Caseworkers need to get the documents from the province where the baby is and check them over for mistakes. Then everything needs to be translated. After the translation everything is checked again against the original English written document.

2 ~ Then everything gets checked over by the orphanage that assigned the child, the adoption office and the Justice department. This is where we are now....It took MONTHS for the Vietnamese to release these papers to our agency. That happened this week.

3 ~ Once everything is deemed OK , it is double checked and our case is filed at the American Embassy Sometime next week, at the latest...we are FILING!!!

4 ~ About 10 days later the American Embassy sends us the Acknowledgement Of Receipt of our I 600. In some cases they will attach their request for DNA testing. This seems to be what is happening lately. We will also apply for our visas around this time. We will get one for 90 days and pay the regular fees and a "slower" form of mailing so that we have it when we are ready to go. We have to actually mail our passports!!

5 ~ Once we received the DNA request, we forward it to our caseworker who completes the paperwork and the lab will send the test kits out to Vietnam that day. It takes 3 days for the Embassy to receive the test kits.

6 ~ It is up to the Embassy to get the kits to the SOS clinic. The clinic then tells the Vietnam staff that they can do the DNA testing. The arrangements are then made to get the baby, nanny, and birthparent(s) to the clinic. We will be notified when this is scheduled and completed. The DNA testing is done once a week. (another added expense and time buster...the US added this policy last March)

7 ~ Once the test is done it is sent to the lab here in the US (3 days traveling back). The Lab takes a couple of days to run the tests. The results are sent to us and the Embassy (3 days back again).

8 ~ Usually a week later, we receive our official approval to travel. We will probably be given less than a week's notice to be in Vietnam.