Steps

Adoption Steps in Haiti. This list compiled by researching information and reading blogs on the internet. Some people only list the majors while others added details.

As I like to make lists and cross items off I'm going to include the details as I understand them.  [Some of these steps may overlap-they may not be all accurate] Will update when I learn more, completed steps in bold print].

No one can predict how long each step will take as each case is different. Adoptions in Haiti can be very complex, challenging, unpredictable and frustrating. Taking generally a couple years minimal.  Delays to be expected and often without explanation.

Phase One- Applications, Dossier. 252 Days

1. Primary Agency application.       Approved March 26, 2013
2. Secondary Agency application. 
3. Home Study. Done June 17-19. Finalized August
4. Apply to USCIS, I-600a Advanced Processing of Orphan Petition. Aug. 26
5. Dossier complete ! Sept. 3
6. Dossier [15 documents] translated to French.  Done Sept. 4
7. Translated documents legalized. Sept. 6
8. Dossier to agency Sept. 10. {25 weeks steps 1-8}
9. I-600a fingerprints done Oct 1st
10. Dossier to Haiti: Told Oct 24th
11. I-600a Approval Nov. 21 [252 days since 1st application sent in mail.] Arrived Dec. 10th

1. Presidential Dispensation-needed as we have 2 biological children [This step used to take months to over a year!] No longer needed after Nov. 2013. Published...

Phase Two- Haiti Adoption [Not sure how many of these steps changed with the new process. Will update as we learn more.] As of April 2015 time in step 2 at 15 months.  As of June 2016, waiting at step 7 for 13 months. 

1. Pre-IBESR
2. Dossier enters IBESR Jan. 14, 2014. File #43
3. Referral  May 7, 2015
4. Match-notarized acceptance letter.  May 12
5. Socialization Visit with child. 2 appointments with social worker. May 9-18
6. "Central Authority, within the 10 days after the socialization period, delivers or rejects authorization for the adoption based on the evaluation rapport." Article 53 This part may say 10 days but reality is that some families remain waiting to exit IBESR for many months after the socialization period. [Informally told in Oct. 2015]
7. New Document requested by IBESR June of 2016
1. Wait for courts to open in Oct.
2. Have judge ask family to appear
3. Family to appear, sign new documents [think this one is done-Jan. '17 awaiting confirmation]
4. Three doctors reports.  March 3
5. Family declared will to have F adopted in front of Judge. April 24
6. Judge to finish court report from April 24th.
7. Second judge's makes final verdic and writes letter to IBESR
8. [not sure about steps 6,7 as a law clerk strike complicated matters. IBESR agreed to have one staff and their psychologist look at our case and decide if we can exit without final judgement]
9. July 14. New request for 6 signatures from 5+ years ago to be redone. July 15. 4 of the 6 found and before judge. Judge signs papers for IBESR. 
10. Present documents to IBESR
11. IBESR to accept documents 
12. IBESR To finish 5 needed signatures for exit. 
8. Adoption Authorization. Signed August 30, 2017
9. Exit IBESR: ( Institute of Social Welfare and Researchers) - Haitian Social Services Now over 1 year in this stage. I-600 paperwork turned in more than 6 times-May and Aug 2015 and then more than 4 times early 2016.  [Added step 7 in June of 2016, Added step 7.4 Dec. 2016]   EXIT Sept. 8, 2017 after 1, 333 days in IBESR,  1, 209 days after socialization vist. 
10. Tribunal/Lower Courts-Judgement homologation [meaning "to approve or confirm officially"]. 1-3 weeks after exiting IBESR
11. Adoption Decree/Judgement: 30 day wait for Adoption Judgement to be issues after step 9. [F becomes legally ours and carries the Thede name]
12. Parquet: Lots of court steps: Dep. of Justice, Dep. Foreign Affairs, Archive Office, Notary, Immigration Office [about 11 steps]  
1. Legal or Legalization – Adoption Decree steps: 1st legal-Parquet Court, 2rd-Ministry of Justice and 3rd  legal-Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2. MAE (Ministère des Affaires Etrangères) - Ministry of Foreign Affairs must legalize the signature of the person in the Ministry of Justice. 3rd lega.
3. Attest or Attestation - After court papers are finished, the Act of Adoption must be sent to the National Archives and they declare that the signature on the Act of Adoption is legal. [some folks Parquet->enter MOI = 5 weeks]  Done by mid-Nov.
13. MOI: Ministry of Interior. All adoption passports must go through the Ministry of the Interior for approval before Immigration will print the passport. [about 15 documents needed for each child] [some folks only takes 6-8 weeks] Entered some point before Nov. 15th. Told we exited on Dec. 14th but returned for a correction. Assuming correction done in less than 1 week-as we moved on to step 15 on Dec. 21/22 
14. Passports 2-5 weeks  Told paperwork submitted after Dec. 25. Passport done Feb. 16.

Phase Three- Getting ready to go to USA.

1. File first I600 paperwork/interview at Embassy: Appointment May 26, 2015
2. June 30th, F and his aunt went to appointment at USA Embassy.
3. August F's mother went to Embassy appointment 
4. I600 provisional approval Jan. 31-email that documents are in review. March 28, 2018 
5. Medical exam done April 2 by US Embassy approved doctor: included TB test. Test read on April 4th. 
6. Printing/Passport: Dossier in Haitian Immigration waiting for the passport to be printed. [step 14 above] Submitted Dec. 26ish Done Feb. 16. Picked up by Feb. 23
7. Final I600 Interview April 3,  a.m.
8. US Visa App  Issueing of USA visa. April 11. Picked up April 16th
9. Exit Letter/Exit permit to leave the country with your child. Issued by IBESR 3-5 days after issuance of visa. April 17th [This letter is only good for 1 month.]
10. Travel to USA Tickets for May 3. 

Prayers for a couple of complicated steps. Prayers for no missing parts, or errors. 

When cases go to Ministry of Interior to get the Haitian passports issued need:

1. Four passport sized pictures of child
2. Birth Certificate, attestation, and extract
3. Relinquishment
4. Proces Verbal of adoption
5. Adoption approval judgement
6. Adoption Decree, attestation
7. Power of Attorney for creche director 
8. Stamp from DGI
9. Notary letter for passport
10. Identification card of facilitator or attorney
11.  Biological parents' identification cards
12. Adoptive parents' MOI form, identification, and passport photos. 

For USA Visa/Citizenship Paperwork needed [most of them with translations or copies]:
Grandfathered in under the I-600 visa paperwork. Fingerprints expired June 21, 2017.  Cory's refreshed but Kris' not confirmed yet on Dec. 22, 2017. Fingerprints electronicly done at Embassy March 9 for both. 

1. Child's first birth certificate 
1. and an exact from Nation Archives as F is more than 2 years old
2. Court minutes from family relinquishing child to orphanage
3. IBESR custody authorization
4. Death certificate from National Archives for F's dad.
5. A statement by the orphanage that has the custody of the child
6. All documents must be authenticated by the Ministry of Justice before being submitted to the USCIS office
7. Evidence of the orphanage's authorization to operate. 
8. Child's passport
9. IBESR Adoption Authorization
10. Adoption certificate
11. Adoption final court order
12. Minutes of adoption consent
13. Minutes of family Council and Civil court homologation