Rumors: Australia, cutoff expectations, extended travel times
Been following a few different rumor threads this week but not getting satisfying confirmation on any of them. Here's the jist:
CCAA's Trip to Australia... A group from the CCAA (supposedly including the head of matching) was in Australia this week to meet with the government agencies who manage Australian adoptions. Families also got to meet with the CCAA, over afternoon tea. When asked, the CCAA personnel said that they expect the referral time frame at 12-13 months. At one of these meetings, two families with late November LIDs were reportedly told by a CCAA official that they only have another four months to wait. (I interpret this to mean they'll be in the Nov referral group, which would be consistent with trying to keep to 12 months and would also seem to indicate the CCAA has to go back to full months soon).
One Powerhouse Agency Prediction... One of the powerhouse agencies is unofficially expecting for referrals to go through the 14th or 15th this time around, in part because July is smaller in comparision to June & August.
Extended Stays in Guangdong... I've had a bunch of email about this one. Apparently, beginning on August 1st, if you're adopting a child from the Guangdong province, there will be new minimum stay requirements due to paperwork processing. The new announcement says that Guangdong province is requiring ten business days to process adoption paperwork and issue the child's passport. So, the length of stay in Guangzhou will now require the ten days of Chinese adoption paperwork processing and then two more full days for the US Consulate office in Guangzhou to issue the child's visa. Yikes. So best case, this is what you're looking at:
* Day 1 (Tues): land and get settled and meet your child
* Day 2 (Wed): adoption begins
* Day 16, 2 wks later (Wed): child's passpost issued
* Day 17 (Thurs): Visa appointment
* Day 18 (Fri): Pick up visa and leave late that night
So if you were planning to zip in and zip out in in a really shortened trip, or if you want to stay anywhere else beforehand or afterwards, you're going to be in for a looooong trip...
CCAA's Trip to Australia... A group from the CCAA (supposedly including the head of matching) was in Australia this week to meet with the government agencies who manage Australian adoptions. Families also got to meet with the CCAA, over afternoon tea. When asked, the CCAA personnel said that they expect the referral time frame at 12-13 months. At one of these meetings, two families with late November LIDs were reportedly told by a CCAA official that they only have another four months to wait. (I interpret this to mean they'll be in the Nov referral group, which would be consistent with trying to keep to 12 months and would also seem to indicate the CCAA has to go back to full months soon).
One Powerhouse Agency Prediction... One of the powerhouse agencies is unofficially expecting for referrals to go through the 14th or 15th this time around, in part because July is smaller in comparision to June & August.
Extended Stays in Guangdong... I've had a bunch of email about this one. Apparently, beginning on August 1st, if you're adopting a child from the Guangdong province, there will be new minimum stay requirements due to paperwork processing. The new announcement says that Guangdong province is requiring ten business days to process adoption paperwork and issue the child's passport. So, the length of stay in Guangzhou will now require the ten days of Chinese adoption paperwork processing and then two more full days for the US Consulate office in Guangzhou to issue the child's visa. Yikes. So best case, this is what you're looking at:
* Day 1 (Tues): land and get settled and meet your child
* Day 2 (Wed): adoption begins
* Day 16, 2 wks later (Wed): child's passpost issued
* Day 17 (Thurs): Visa appointment
* Day 18 (Fri): Pick up visa and leave late that night
So if you were planning to zip in and zip out in in a really shortened trip, or if you want to stay anywhere else beforehand or afterwards, you're going to be in for a looooong trip...
posted by M3 at 4:22 PM
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9 Comments:
This is the first I've heard about the extended stay in Guangdong province. Our agency (big China only) is telling us we probably will travel in August and just told us to apply for the travel visa and to indicate 14 days as the length of our stay. Our daughter is in Guangdong and I would think we would have been told something if this rumor is even remotely true. At this point, nothing would surprise me, but such a change seems very sudden. Maybe in a few months, but to come out and say the next group has to stay longer, seems odd.
By
Anonymous, at 9:03 AM
I have read that some folks adopting from Guangdong only stayed in China 10-12 days since they only had to travel to Guangzhou. The extended stay may just mean that you must stay in Guangzhou a full 14-16 days, or the same length of stay in China you would have if you adopted from another province.
By
Anonymous, at 9:44 AM
Extended stay or not, I do not really care as long as we have our little girl in our arms. I do care about those referral times though. Come on full month's worth!!
By
Anonymous, at 9:55 AM
Hmmmm... second time I have heard this one. You are right.. we are planning on going to Beijing first for some tourning ... that would make for a long trip. But Anonymous is right... as long as we have Gracie with us!
Lisa : )
By
Lisa, at 10:34 AM
This has only been announced this week. I have a friend who got this statement directly from her agency. I think it was Tuesday.
By
Angel, at 10:58 AM
I just called my agency. Our Director says that he doesn't believe that travel will be longer than two weeks.
Donna
By
Donna, at 11:19 AM
Hi guys, I'm looking right at the notice that a small but reputable agency reprtedly sent to its clients about this. So it looks pretty official to me. In addition, one of the powerhouse agencies has confirmed that Guangdong did indeed put out a notice that changed procedures and I trust what they say. I'd say this one is definitely true.
By
M3, at 11:53 AM
So, when you come back, make sure you bring me a "Someone I know went to Guangdong to adopt a baby, and all I got was this stupid t-shirt" t-shirt, 'kay?
All this LID stuff is a mystery to me, but from what I can glean -- seeing as how your one-year LID anniversary is on Saturday, you'll be 12 months out. That would mean, all things being equal, you should get your referral by next month, right? Am I getting it right?
Know what else? (Because its all about me, I mean.) I just realized I've been reading this blog since a month BEFORE you sent in the final paperwork, because I remember you're freaking out about it (Mary-Mia? Freaking out? Naaaawwwww?)
Wow. That's a long time.
~C~
By
The Catharine Chronicles, at 3:45 PM
I wonder if the whole Guangdong thing came of a bunch of agencies "expediting" their Guandong families. When we were there (for two weeks) in February, we talked to MANY, and I'm talking 6 or 7 families that were only there for 6, yes SIX days, TOTAL!
I bet the CCAA got sick of that!
By
Stacey T., at 5:14 PM
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