Precious Time w/ Far-flung Friends & Updated Adoption Timeline

The Ericsons were in town for the weekend to celebrate Todd's 40th birthday!!

We had a great time together! 2 parties & church in one weekend!!!

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For our family and friends who are not otherwise involved in Guatemalan adoptions, here's what happens from the point of getting OUT of PGN!

(I came across this on-line, & thought it was a good explaination.)


1. Final Decree. The Final Decree is issued by the Notary in charge of the process and signed by the Birth Mother (or the child's Representative), the Mandatory and the Notary. This is the day the child becomes the legal child of the adopting parents.

On Jan 17th, the Final Decree was issued.


2. Civil Registry Issues New Birth Certificate. Once the Final Decree is signed, the Notary in charge submits a request for a new birth certificate to the Civil Registry where the child's birth is registered. The Civil Registry will issue a new Birth Certificate showing the child's birth first name and the adoptive parent's last name.
Takes about a week or so. Our case worker thought we should have this done by late this week or early next.


3. Passport. Once the new Birth Certificate arrives, the Notary in charge submits a file to Immigration in Guatemala to request the child's passport.

The passport can be picked up within 30 minutes of request.



4. The Final Package & DNA authorization. The Final Package (including all paperwork & THE NEW BC & PASSPORT) is submitted to the US Embassy. Within 24 hours the Embassy issues authorization (the Orange Slip) for second DNA test and Embassy Medical Exam.

The passport and Orange Slip should happen 1-2 days from receipt of BC.



5. DNA Sample and Medical Exam. The child is taken to the Embassy doctor for a medical exam (to ensure no strange diseases are brought into the US) and a second DNA sample (to ensure the child is the same child that got pre-approval when the process began). The DNA sample is sent to a laboratory in the States. The test results are sent to the US Embassy in Guatemala.

DNA test results are taking about 2 weeks from the date the sample is taken, although our DNA lab generally runs a bit faster.



6. Visa Appointment Scheduled (Pink Slip). Once the DNA test results are received by the US Embassy, the visa appointment is scheduled and the adoptive parents notified. The notification is called the Pink Slip. The Pink Slip is emailed (it did literally use to be a PINK SLIP of paper-I know, because I picked up Ruth's myself) within 48 hours of the Embassy receiving DNA confirmation.

The appointment dates are approximately 10 days to 2 weeks from when they are issued. This is the date/appointment we MUST be in Guatemala for, so out travel dates revolve around the date of our PINK SLIP appointment.


7. Visa Appointment. The child is taken to the US Embassy by the adopting parents to apply for the visa, & the parents swear to care for the child until they reach the age of 18. The following day the child's US Visa is ready for pick up. After that, the child can enter the United States!

The day after our visa is picked up, Nathaniel will be headed to his NEW home!