TA Rumors
I know a lot of you are in panic mode because we have word of referrals and not TA’s. And to make matters worse, there is now a rumor circulating that some TA’s were lost by DHL.
As I understand it, some SN TA’s that should have arrived last week with the other SN TA’s have been lost by DHL. I know for sure this effects one agency’s SN TA’s, I don’t know if there are more agencies or if it’s just the one. The CCAA is recreating the TA’s, or maybe they already have.
I have not heard anything about NSN TA’s being lost by DHL.
Also, I am hearing various reports that some departments at CCAA are settled into their new offices and working, while others are still unpacking and getting settled. I’m not seeing anything about specific departments, so I don’t know how the TA department is coming along.
It has been said before and I’ll say it again - TA’s and referrals are not tied together. They are handled by different departments and occasionally referrals are sent out before TA’s. Yeah, I know… it doesn’t help any right now. It’s your turn and things aren’t happening as they usually do and it’s just another level of stress.
I’ve scoured all of my haunts looking for something, but there’s nothing out there. I hope we hear something soon for ya’ll.
July 26th, 2006 at 10:11 pm
I just can’t understand why things just can’t run smoothly. This last month has been such a high and then a low. I know that we will all get our TA’s soon, but is it soon enough, I don’t think so. When we started our adoption process in December 2004 we were told just like the rest of you that the current wait from LID to referral was 6-9 months. We got our referral at 12 months. We were aslo told the wait from referral to travel was 4-6 weeks, I do believe we are at 4 weeks already. Well I am so ready to go to China in the Fujian Provance and get our Daughter Grace and bring her home. So for now we are waiting for Grace still. I look at her picture everyday and can’t wait to hold her in my arms forever.
Waiting for Grace
July 26th, 2006 at 10:22 pm
Thanks RQ for posting about TA’s. Even if there is nothing to post. :) The wait between Referral and TA has been the absolute worst. I have a child, she is somewhere that I am not. She is growing every day without me. And I can go get her. I have the time, the money, the need . . . let’s go. WAIT, I need a piece of paper from China inviting me, when I have already jumped through every hoop and paid every fee? When it is inevitable that they will invite me? Has anyone every accepted their referral and then had China say, “Uh, no . . . we won’t invite you to travel . .. sorry.” I’m guessing not. To me this is a worthless step, a worthless 4 weeks that Gabby could have been with me. SCREAM!
You all know this, I know. . . preaching to the choir here. Thanks for letting me post it though.
July 26th, 2006 at 10:30 pm
Silly question but here goes: How many times is DHL gonna screw up and lose something as important as TA’s or referrals before CCAA finds another courier?
July 26th, 2006 at 10:30 pm
Can anyone confirm this?
I thought I heard that although the TA is issued by China, it is because our US Consulate requires we have it before they will set appointments. My agency rep said that other countries (European maybe) may decide not to require the TA before a family makes their Consular Appointment. If this is true, this is a hoop that looks put up by China, but is made in the USA.
Is this something we could address with our government officials while we contact them about the need to extend the I171-H. If we didn’t wait for the TA to make the travel arrangements, some families wouldn’t have to renew. We could eliminate the 3-4 week wait. Very much in the interest of the child, I would say.
July 26th, 2006 at 10:46 pm
Thanks RQ—someone told someone on her that her agency recieved TA’s today and that DHL had lost some. Which, if they were NSN TA’s would be totally uncool. However, these TA’s that her agency recieved could be SN or the replacements for the SN that were lost in the last batch….right? You have not heard from any agency’s getting NSN TA’s yet, correct?
July 26th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
Correct - I have seen no reports of anyone receiving non-special-needs TA’s.
July 26th, 2006 at 11:04 pm
I’m just holding my breath. I have already asked our agency and stated to my DH jokingly that ours is probably lost in the mail. We are on day 141 now for SN and maybe we will hear something soon. Thanks for the info and giving me hope to sleep and get through one more day.
July 26th, 2006 at 11:11 pm
This may sound ignorant, but what is DHL?
July 26th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
DHL needs to be put out to pasture. Things can ‘happen’ once perhaps but they are forming a track record as bunglers. DHL = Dreams Have Lost!
July 26th, 2006 at 11:19 pm
DHL is a mail service, like UPS or FedEX…
July 26th, 2006 at 11:45 pm
Ours was one of the lost TA’s. DHL did indeed lose the package, but our AWESOME agency went to CCAA and had them reissued so we heard today that we do indeed have travel approval and hope to leave in 2 weeks.
These were SN TA’s.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:31 am
Thanks for keeping on top of this RQ. This is indeed frustrating. With the news of Guangdong extending the stay required by 5 days, and delayed TA’s, I am likely to miss family that is coming to visit in early September — family that in part was looking forward to meet “Lana”.
July 27th, 2006 at 6:31 am
Hei there,
why does not CCAA update their page. Anyone have a clue?
Regards from Norway, Oslo (lid 30th of june 05)
whats going on within CCAA??
July 27th, 2006 at 7:05 am
Just a quick note.
Our small canadian agency sets the travel dates as soon as they get the referrals. I understand that in ten years there has never been a time when it has had to change because the CCAA didn’t issue the “notice of coming” in time. I think for americans the whole TA thing is complicated more by the need to ge a consulate appointment more than anything else.
July 27th, 2006 at 8:32 am
Ditto babydreamer on this. We need to add this to our political appeals - would help add some time to our 171-h AND we’d have our babies a couple of weeks sooner, maybe?
July 27th, 2006 at 8:53 am
Nabine,
Someone reported that there are technical problems with the website since they moved. I’l like to see that change up there, too.
July 27th, 2006 at 9:12 am
I would also like to see the CCAA website change, we are LID on 11/22/05 and for all we really know is that we are still in the review room. I know some people have posted that they are past Nov. But I want to see that we are in the matching room. Am I the only one that feels that way?
Debbie NY
July 27th, 2006 at 9:16 am
I am not sure what a TA looks like. But since DHL has lost things in the past - I have a better idea. Why not set it up so each agency receives an email that TA’s are available. They have a special login with CCAA and password. They then download the TA’s and print them. Or why not just send them with the referral and be done with it.
The time between referral and TA is aweful, and then it gets worse once you have a travel date. Then you are in China a few days, and all you care about is your baby. Then you finally get your baby in your arms, and all the waiting is forgotten.
Congrats to all who will be receiving referrals soon.
Lori
July 27th, 2006 at 9:25 am
Lori, I have tons of advice I could give them on speeding the process up - LOL.
A few countries are part of what I hope is a pilot program that almost does away with TA’s - you get them once you arrive in China. I’m hoping they soon make that available to more countries.
July 27th, 2006 at 10:12 am
Thinking of the TA issue more this morning and came up with another point. If an entire department at the CCAA or certain time of the month wasn’t dedicated to sending out TAs, then couldn’t the CCAA use the staff/space/time to process more waiting babies, applicant families, and matches?
Makes you wonder if the CCAA isn’t secretly bothered by this requirement of the US government.
Thank you windthrow for chiming in on how Canada handles this. Seems like we could learn a thing or two.
July 27th, 2006 at 10:19 am
The CCAA is the one saying we must have TA’s in order to travel. That was their rule.
Countries all handle this differently - some countries let you go ahead and make plans with the understanding that it will be here in about 4 or 5 weeks.
The U.S. says “well, China won’t let you travel without this document, so we won’t give you a consulate appt until you have it”. It’s not the U.S. requiring that China issue it, it’s China saying we have to have it.
Except for the pilot program, where people are allowed to travel without it, and they receive it after they arrive in country.
Anyway, onto ya’lls point, yes, it would be nice if the consulate would allow agencies to make appts before TA is received. But I can also see that a problem could crop up as a result if there was a delay in TA’s and airplane tickets had been purchased and then everything had to be changed because the TA didn’t arrive when it should have.
July 27th, 2006 at 10:49 am
“The time between referral and TA is aweful, and then it gets worse once you have a travel date. ”
Even if it was longer than expected, I’d feel better being able to actually start planning. Just give me a date! I’m sick of having to change the date I’m expected to go to China every time my co-workers, boss, friends, etc. ask.
July 27th, 2006 at 11:36 am
I have to agree with you michitakem - I am always being asked “when are you going to China” AAGGGHHH……………….I DON’T KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!
I would love to answer all these people who have been waiting like us, but as you all know the date changes every hour. I have started answering the when are you going question with “When you find out please let me know” I have been wanting to meet my daughter long before we started the adoption process. Now Grace has a name, Birthday, I know what she looks like, and I know where she is, Lets go to China and get her.
Waiting for Grace
Waiting for TA
Waiting to hold her in my arms forever
July 27th, 2006 at 9:24 pm
This may be a little off topic, but what exactly do you do once you receive your TA. Do you have to file for visas or do you
have a travel agent do that. And what travel agency(if you can name names) has anyone used or would you recommend?
I know you need to wait for a CA but how long does that usually take. This is the part that is really confusing me.
July 28th, 2006 at 12:11 am
thewayitis, if you are in the NSN program, you really need to apply for your visa once you have your referral in hand. Don’t wait for your TA because some people have traveled in the past on very short notice.
July 28th, 2006 at 6:44 am
Agencies all handle this a bit differently - some have you wait two weeks and apply for your Visa, some have you apply right away, and some have you wait a little longer.
So, check with your agency and follow their instructions.