“Wae-yo?” (Why?)

As in, “Why does it take so long?” This is another question we get all the time (especially from anxious grandparents). Meaning, once you accept a referral for a specific child, why does it take up to three months before you can bring the little bugger home?

The short answer: we are dealing with two federal bureaucracies (the USA and South Korea).

The long answer: there are roughly 9 steps or tasks that need to be completed for a US-Korean adoption. Some of these steps are interdependent, some are parallel. Zan and I have been struggling to get a handle on what the steps are and what they mean. Fortunately, some other experienced adoptive moms on the CFSFS “Korea forum” have been able to shed some light on this for us.

We just got through step 5 of 9 (according to the list below).

No - that doesn’t mean our timeline for bringing Jae home has changed. We are still operating under the assumption that will happen sometime in September. Not all the steps take the same amount of time to complete!

Here are the steps with some context (thanks to Carrie for this explanation - disclaimer, this isn’t official, just what she’s pieced together after adopting from Korea several times):

Explanation of Terms and Process:

1. HS-Homestudy (Done.)
2. Referral (Check!)
3. AK-Acceptance to Korea (Done.)
4. I600A- Application for Advance Process of Orphan Petition. This form is sent to USCIS (U.S. Center for Immigration Services, formerly the INS) typically before you receive a referral. The USCIS approval comes on form I-171H. Timeframe for approval depends on the USCIS office that is used. Some offices require that the I-600A be approved before the filing of the I-600, some do not. (Done.)
5. I-600-Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative. This form is sent to USCIS after you receive your referral, and typically after you get your I-171H. The USCIS approval of comes on form I-171. Timeframe for approval depends on the USCIS office that is used. (We completed this step this week - yay!)
6. NVC-National Visa Center. After you receive your I-171, your paperwork is sent to NVC. NVC IN is the date your paperwork was received at NVC. NVC then forwards your paperwork to the US Embassy in Seoul (This is NVC OUT). You can call NVC at (603) 334-0700 to check your status. I think it is filed under the name of the petitioner of the I-600. When you hear that your paper work has been sent to Korea, ask for the SEO# assigned. The SEO# will allow you to track the next steps in the US visa process.
7. P3-“Packet 3”- This is when the US Embassy in Seoul sends information to the Korean Agency about applying for the US VISA. The term P3 is apparently no longer used, and may now be referred to as “Instructions for Immigrant Visa Applicants.” But the term P3 has stuck around in forum-land. The Korean agency must return your child’s Korean passport (also known as the travel certificate, issued by the Korean government) to the US embassy in Seoul for the Visa process to move forward. You can call the Visa Services, Department of State in Washington DC at (202) 663-1225. Make sure you have your SEO# to facilitate the process. (Please note: In order for your child to be issued a Korean passport, your child must also have a Emigration Permit(or Permission?) (EP) from the Korean Government. The passport and EP are all things that happen on the Korean side, and cannot be (as far as I know) tracked by adoptive parents in the US.)
8. VI=Visa Interview. I don’t think there is an actual interview. This seems to be when the Korean agency has all the paperwork together to return to the US Embassy in Seoul. The Visa can be issued the same day, or shortly thereafter. You can call the Visa Services, Department of State in Washington DC at (202) 663-1225 to see if the interview has been scheduled or the visa issued. Make sure you have your SEO# to facilitate the process.
9. TC=Travel call. CHSFS notifies you that your baby is ready to come home. Congratulations.

Now, it should be noted that Zan and I went through a WHOLE BUNCH of other steps in order to get to step 1 above. On her blog about Ethiopian adoption, my friend Enat (Amharic for “mother” - her screen name) has a nice little flow chart of the homestudy and approval process. Some of the steps are different for Ethiopia, but you’ll get the idea. Here is that link in case you are curious.

Now for an editorial comment and observation…yes, at times the adoption process can be very onerous. It can also be a pretty wacky and interesting journey. The best analogy I can think of is that it is like going to graduate school to become a parent (more on that later).

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