TA’s, CCAA site, wait time rumors
I am reminded that CWTS warned their clients that travel would be delayed two weeks due to the move. I originally reported this on 7/11 on this post. Is this because CWTS is moving, too? Or is this because TA’s are going to be delayed? I don’t know.
Lot’s of people are concerned that the CCAA hasn’t updated their website yet. They don’t always update it right away. Back in February referrals arrived and people were called and had pictures emailed to them before the site was updated.
In the comments to the last post I stated that no NSN TA’s had arrived yet. That’s not completely correct, since a handful of them went out before the move started. What I should have said is that I have not seen any NSN TA’s come that would have been sent after the move.
There is a letter out there that comes from someone who seems to have an official position in Australia related to the adoption community, and who appears to have recently spent a good bit of time in China. This person was also at the big meeting in Australia with the CCAA. This person spoke with the CCAA about the wait and was told the same thing that this agency was told - they don’t know. This did not come from the director of the CCAA, it comes from a name I have not seen before.
July 27th, 2006 at 11:01 am
Sorry to sound like such an idiot but what is CWTS and NSN and SN mean before TA?
Amber
July 27th, 2006 at 11:07 am
From the FAQ, number 10:
The adoptions specific terms are:
BLAS — Bridge of Love Adoption Services - translation and travel company that shares a building with the CCAA
CWTS — China Women’s Travel Service - travel company that also works closely with the CCAA.
APC — http://groups.yahoo.com/group/a-parents-china/
LID — Log in Date
DTC — Dossier to China
TA — Travel Approval (called other things in other countries, this is the Notice of Coming to China)
CA — Consulate Appointment
SN — special needs
NSN — non special needs
PA — Pre-approval (part of the SN process)
LOI — Letter of Intent (again, used in the SN process)
July 27th, 2006 at 11:11 am
I’m also in the dark about what CWTS means.
Regarding your last paragraph, the agency that was told about the wait — “they don’t know” — to me that’s more optimistic than the 18-month wait scenario. Maybe I’m a “the glass is half full” type of gal”, but when I hear this I think there’s a possiblity they really are trying to keep it within the 12 month time period.
11-13 months is so much easier to get your head around and plan for than the uncertainty of 18+ months.
July 27th, 2006 at 11:13 am
Amber,
NSN = Non Special Needs TA’s and SN = Special Needs TA’s.
as far as CWTS … I don’t know myself!
My apologies for my bad attitude, however, I know that referrals and TA’s are not linked but I guess my thoughts would be that once the CCAA was moved in, there would be a sense of urgency to get TA’s out to families who have been waiting. It’s not as though we don’t know who our child is and you would think that any human being (no matter the culture or language) would understand how desperately we want to move forward and finally meet the child we have longed for all these LONG months. I would hope that they would get that! I am just a little flustered that we still have no word on ANYTHING! My agency has given us a “tentative” date but still we have no word on how long we’ll have to be there (Guangdong) and when we’ll actually leave. That is rough on a Mommy who has two small children that will be here with Grandparents during the trip. Not to mention careers that are being left behind and employers to deal with. Leaving for 3 weeks to fly half way around the world takes more than a few days to prepare for! Maybe that’s just me and my planner mentality!
I know the Lord has a timing … but this Momma sure needs the cliff notes!
Waiting not so patiently for my TA for our beautiful Maliah!
July 27th, 2006 at 11:17 am
RQ -
Thanks for the “vocabulary list”. You think of everything!!!
July 27th, 2006 at 11:23 am
For those who haven’t visited the FAQ, I’ve tried to put most of the questions that keep coming up onto it.
http://chinaadopttalk.com/faq/
July 27th, 2006 at 11:31 am
RQ - You are truly wonderful! (-:
July 27th, 2006 at 11:59 am
One blog I watch daily is stating the following as if it’s a “for sure”: (What’s your take on it?)
One of the big China-only agencies….. {edited out direct quote from another blog, see comments below for explanation }
July 27th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
I posted about this at 7:26 am on Wedsnsday morning.
http://chinaadopttalk.com/2006/07/26/july-13-stork-alert/
Yes, the cut-off is the 13th and referrals are expected to start arriving at some agencies hopefully tomorrow or Monday.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:18 pm
lmjohanson, I think you took what someone wrote on their blog and copied it here verbatim. Is that okay with the blog owner? Did you check? Otherwise I think RQ should delete that.
Also, what she says is correct. Referrals have indeed been sent.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:20 pm
ah Novary, didn’t realize that was a verbatum quote, thanks for pointing that out. Sorry lmj, I need to edit that part out if you didn’t get permission to copy it. It’s bad netiquette to directly quote someone without permission.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:22 pm
Yes, from “one of the big agencies” all the way down is verbatim. From one of my good friend’s blogs.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Thanks for letting me know NOvary. And for anyone else out there, if there’s ever something like that that I don’t catch - please let me know.
For those who may not understand what is and is not okay:
* It’s okay to paraphrase information from a public site into your own words. It is considered good form to state where you got the information.
* It is okay to paraphrase the piece and quote only a small section without permission if you give credit to the original author.
* It is not okay to use a direct quote of an entire article or post without the permission of the original author.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:45 pm
Hi everybody - this is probably a stupid questions, but in my lurking I have seen some posts from people who were LID 5/31 who may not have their travel documents yet. Do we know what up to what date the travel documents have been issued? (oh that was an awful sentence) That would allow us - waiters LID 7/14 (so crossed fingers for next month) to plan a little in advance. I guess are we talking 5 weeks, 8 weeks, longer? Again, my large China only agency tells us nothing. So Rumor Queen you are my shining star.
July 27th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
TA’s are not done by LID date.
The CCAA will not issue TA’s until your agency sends referral acceptances in for the entire travel group. If it takes your travel group a week longer than other agencies to get the acceptances back, then you’ll probably get your TA a week later than other people. Your agency must send all acceptances back together, so you’ll only be as fast as your slowest travel partner.
AFAIK, each agency has a different policy on how long you have to accept or deny your referral.
July 27th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
I have a friend who had a 5/31 LID and has been to China already. They have been home since June 16th. Those referrals were received in April. (My friend’s referral was received on April 27th.)
I know there are June LID’s from the last batch that are still waiting.
LID 8/24/05 and starting to feel like my referral will never come
July 27th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
ReyMim32,
Keep your head up high! Your turn is coming, and it’s closer than you think!!! Your referral IS coming…..that I can promise you!!! At the VERY latest…and I mean VERY….your referral will come by October. REally. I think you are in good shape for a September one, though, with me!!!
LID 8-08
July 27th, 2006 at 2:16 pm
RQ…and friends. Some of you know how it feels to be standing where I am today. I struggle to explain…but feel a need to try, especially for our adopting friends who have not yet gone through the referral process. As of yesterday, the day that we got word that the referrals were in flight, I have had an immediate weight lifted. I think over time…the weight slowly gets heavier and heavier. When the process takes a few years I figure I had been carrying a HUGE weight. It’s wierd though…it is almost an unconscious thing. Until it’s lifted…you almost didn’t recognize how much it had been bogging you down! Nevertheless…today — I feel it lifted!
ReyMim32 — you will get your referral. It does feel like forever…but it will come! One thing is for sure…we all become stronger through this very difficult experience. And…we are not alone.
July 27th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
“The CCAA will not issue TA’s until your agency sends referral acceptances in for the entire travel group.”
Our agency sent them in (just 3 of us couples for Guangdong) about 3 weeks ago. The expectation at that time was that we would be leaving for China around 8/18, and that the CCAA moving would not drastically affect this.
BUT, that was before the rumors of TA delays here and elsewhere around the web.
July 27th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
So when I see a post that says, “TA’s are on their way!” that is just for one particular agency? I thought that everybody’s TA was sent out at the same time, like referrals. Could somebody explain this?
LID 7/8/05 (not getting a THING done today!
July 27th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
Most agencies get their acceptances back within about the same time period, so those agencies will get their TA’s at (usually) the same time. But, my point was that TA’s are not given out by your LID- someone was asking what LID date they have given TA’s for, and I was trying to let them know it doesn’t work that way.
July 27th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
wiscmomee, thank you for the kind words. From the bottom of my heart. I know I have been feeling discouraged lately and you lifted me up today. Much needed, can’t tell you how much. RQ, you have a serious fan here in NM! :)
LID: 11/23/05
July 27th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Our agency had to have our acceptance letters back by the Thursday following our referral on Monday (the call) and Tuesday (the package). They said if it wasn’t in their office by Thursday that we would have to wait until the next batch and that all acceptances were being mailed out on Friday. That’s not too long between the day referrals arrived and the day they were returned. That would put us at 4+ weeks.
SO … here’s to hoping that we are in the first available batch! I worked tirelessly to get that package overnighted and sent from Texas to Virginia in a JIFFY!
Thanks!
July 27th, 2006 at 4:40 pm
Hi RQ, I just talked to my son-in-law…works at a radio station. He said there is word of a typhoon that hit the province where the CCAA is located. Storm hit last night and there is much flooding. Some loss of life in the area. Everyone at the CCAA is working to help fight the floods. (I’m not sure where he got that.) I assume you will check this out before posting, I don’t want my first post to be a misinformed bad rumor. I hate to think of the possible additional delays that this may cause, while worried about the children in the orphanages.
July 28th, 2006 at 10:59 am
Looks like I’ll spend my Friday off from work painting a fence instead of visiting my agency. Sigh. Monday then?