One of the most common questions in the adoption forums is “How long does it take?” It’s phrased differently. Some ask how long it takes to get a referral after their homestudy is done. Others ask how long it takes from the referral to get a travel date. No matter how it’s asked, everyone wants to get a timeline.

When we adopted my son, the timeline was simple:

• Application completed in January.
• Last homestudy visit in February.
• Referral in March.
• Travel in June.

Does this mean that everyone’s timeline will look like this? Absolutely not. I’ve heard a lot of frustration in posts because their agencies will not give them a specific timeline. Everyone wants the reassurance of knowing what will happen when. The problem for the agencies is that they don’t know what the timeline will be. There are too many variables – number of children available, changes in laws, political unrest, governmental backups, visa quotas, etc… Timelines depend on the agency that you go through, the agency that they use in Korea and the time of year. Though it sometimes feels like they are deliberately being cruel, generally your adoption agency is trying to protect you by being vague. If they tell you March and it turns out to be June, everyone is disappointed. If they tell you it could be as late as August (which ours did) and it turns out to be June, everyone is happy.

Though there are so many factors that we can’t control, there are some things that we can control.

• When you decide to start the Korean adoption process, make an appointment with your doctor. You are going to have to have a medical form filled out and different tests (HIV, Cholesteral, etc…). Sometimes it’s hard to get non-emergency appointments with doctors so make the appointments as early as possible.
• Decide who you want to write your letters of recommendation and give them a deadline. Don’t leave it open ended. Some people worry so much about what they are putting in their letters that they forget to actually send it.
• Keep all of your documents in order and make lists. There is a lot of paperwork that you have to decipher and get out the door. If you miss one, it can slow down your timeline considerably.
• Ask questions! If you are not sure how to fill out a document, make sure you ask someone before you send it in. Our agency reviewed all of our documents before they were sent, but some agencies leave it up to you.

If you would like to comment, but not on this page, please e-mail me at adoptkoreablog@adoptionmail.com.