Homestudy Complete!

Our social worker sent us the first draft by email this week. We found a few typos (for example we met in 1996, not 1966). Thanks to all of our recommenders! She included some quotes, and we're rather embarrassed by the gushing. Maybe that's a second reason that recommendations are (mostly, apparently) anonymous.

In the meantime we filled out the I-800, the big government form that gets our process officially moving in the USCIS realm. We couldn't figure out a couple of questions, so we emailed that to our agency and asked for help. Can you believe it, a government form to which the answers aren't clear to reasonably average but overeducated people? We got that cleared up this week too.

So next week we should get our official copies of the homestudy in the mail, and send one out with the I-800. Then we wait for our fingerprinting appointment (probably in about a month).

First big step done

We met with our social worker again yesterday, and gave her all the rest of the paperwork required for our dossier (and some special stuff the agency requires too). The only thing potentially missing are the background checks from Texas, but since those were mailed directly to the agency we think they're probably sitting on a pile there. But we submitted all the letters and pictures and clearances we had. Thank you, writers of references!

Next we wait a few weeks for our social worker to write up our homestudy. Meanwhile we can begin filling out the I-800A (16 pages!) to petition for the privilege to adopt "a" child internationally. (Once we identify "the" child, we file another form called the I-800.)

After we submit the I-800A with the homestudy, we will wait for the government to process it, get our fingerprints done and processed, and wait again for final approval. All this should take about 3 months.