How the Review Room works
Each agency has their own review person. They know how to put a dossier together based on how their review person wants to see it, and based on the things their review person will approve or deny.
Each review person has their own assigned agencies, or maybe their own assigned country.
Sometimes one review person has twice as many files to review as someone else does that month, but the next month they may have half as many.
This means that one reviewer could be several months ahead of another reviewer, and may stay that way until their agencies have a big month and they get slowed down again. It is normal for one reviewer to still be working on February while another reviewer has made it to April.
The review room notice on the CCAA site won’t show that a month is complete until all reviewers are through with that month.
December 6th, 2006 at 7:14 am
Thanks for explaining that. I didn’t know that each agency has their own reviewer. That explains why it seems like different agencies put together the dossiers differently.
December 6th, 2006 at 7:26 am
I know the speed of the review room has nothing to do with referrals, but I can’t help but wonder what the CCAA is thinking when they’re reviewing files that won’t get a referral for another year (based on your very realistic projections). A lot can happen in a year. Oh well, who knows what goes on in the minds of the CCAA!
Thanks for posting it. I didn’t know about each agency having their own reviewer and that explains why some agencies may have different rules than others. It’s also a little reassuring when my agency tells my not to worry about my DH age – maybe they know something I don’t.
December 6th, 2006 at 7:50 am
RQ, can you pull my last comment on this thread? I know you weren’t inferring by your post that different reviewers approve or reject different things, and I don’t want things to go that direction, because I certainly have no basis for believing that! I know you have better things to do than babysit this site, but if you could pull my comment, I really appreciate it, I don’t want to start any unnecessary controversy or angst!
December 6th, 2006 at 8:17 am
I did not know this!! This is interesting AND things make sense now how they can only say that up to January 31 has been reviewed yet know April people are being asked questions!! I always wondered how that worked!!!
Thank you for sharing this!!
His,
Mrs. U
LID 9-12-05- NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.makingahouseahome.blogspot.com
December 6th, 2006 at 8:20 am
RQ,
I did not realize that either. Thanks for explaining this. I always wondered why the agencies were not doing it in a more standardized way.
Rachel, Chuck, and Sophie (bio, 5)
LID 9/12/05 – wer’e next!
December 6th, 2006 at 8:27 am
RQ
wouldn’t we also see situations where one reviewer has dossiers in a “questions waiting to be answered” pile on his/her desk while they move on to review newer dossiers? We always had this when processing any kind of paperwork at my jobs.
December 6th, 2006 at 8:34 am
I have to say that my agency made it very clear that was how the review room worked. We would fax over documents to our agency and then they would comment on what needed adjustment or what was right. This assurance made it easy for us to feel very confident that we would get through the review room without any questions. We are grateful to our agency for this.
December 6th, 2006 at 8:38 am
I talked with my agency on Friday with questions on this subject as we are currently in the review room and I was worried over the BMI (I’m 39) and my several Endo. surgeries. My agency said that they have not been called to be asked for questions for anyone to this date. When I asked about my specific concerns she pulled our dossier to review it herself. She said that I should stop worrying that my doctor and SW documented my health issues exaclty as they should have. I feel confident that my agency covered their bases at the time of paperchasing to rule out any questions the CCAA might have in review.
That said… I realize that their is always a ‘first’ and someone has to be ‘it’. But it makes sense that she wasn’t concerned since she works with the same person all the time.
Thanks RQ! I really wonder how you have time to take care of all of us!
Lynn
December 6th, 2006 at 8:47 am
This makes sense as we are Feb. LID and my agency assured me questions were asked of Feb. dossiers the first of November and now the questions are for later months. We were not asked questions re: our dossier. Hopefully all reviewers will be finishing the month of Feb. very soon!
December 6th, 2006 at 8:55 am
wheresmygirl – the fact of the matter does seem to be that different reviewers approve and deny based on different criteria. That’s why it is so important to talk to an agency about any and all problems you may have before signing with that agency, because they will know if that problem is going to be an issue or not.
As for your other part – what difference does it make whether they review right when the file arrives, three months later, or year later? The file isn’t going to change once it is there, so I can’t see that it will make a difference when it is reviewed. The CCAA did say a while back that they want to get people through the review room as quickly as possible so that they will know sooner if they are denied.
December 6th, 2006 at 9:58 am
RQ said:
“The CCAA did say a while back that they want to get people through the review room as quickly as possible so that they will know sooner if they are denied.”
Oh, I hadn’t heard that. It is a little reassuring as May could be entering the review room soon and that will releive some of my personal stress.
LID May 10, 2006
December 6th, 2006 at 10:02 am
Oops rereading that post doesn’t make sense.
I meant the sooner we’re in, the sooner we’re out or the sooner we’ll hear if there is a problem and taking away the not knowing will make me feel better.
December 6th, 2006 at 11:51 am
I have also been told by my agency that having the review room so far ahead is good. Our I-171 needs to be valid at review time and then at travel. CCAA is very aware of our expiration dates for the I-171 and will do everything to insure that the dossier are reviewed before they expire. That is something that can be accomplished regardless of how many “PAPER READY” children are available. I am very glad to see that reviews are far ahead of referrals so that the document will be valid for review!!
Pam LID 5/26/06
December 6th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
Very interesting and it makes perfect sence.
Here is some good news. . . .I live on a country road and if anyone else lives on backroads knows, there are stray cats and dogs the people just dump. Well last Thursday in St. Louis Missouri we had a really bad ice storm 4 inches of ice followed by 2 inches of show. A stray dog came found its way to us and I took her in, I just couldn’t let her stay out on a night like that. . .and to find out that she was pregant.
She had the puppies last night. . . .7 of them, all look to be healthy and all are able to nurse.
Its nice to be able to do some ‘mothering’ while we wait for our referral.
jennifer
LID 09-16-05
December 6th, 2006 at 12:45 pm
puppy update. . . .my husband is off work today and called…4 more puppies came out, one was dead so we have a total of 10 puppies!
jennifer
December 6th, 2006 at 1:53 pm
I wonder how many applications get denied per year and for what reasons. I would hope that if our agence saw anything to worry about they would have let us know.
~L~
LID June 7
December 6th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
jennifergebhart–what do the puppies look like? are they “alley” dogs or do they appear to resemble a particular breed? how cool that you helped save those puppies!!
December 6th, 2006 at 2:48 pm
Can someone answer a question for me… Maybe RQ.
We are LID 6/20/06. I have to re-new my I71-H and am in the process of getting new homestudy, fingerprints etc. but we just started so it is probably 60 days minimum until we receive the new approval.
I am wondering if our update 171-H will get to our Dossier before the late June Dossiers go into review?? I understand that each reviewer works at a different pace.
If the I71-H is expired (in Sept. 2006 fingerprints in Aug. 2006)can this pontentially cause a question and get the LID date changed?
I wish my agency would have had us work on this earlier. They told me it was fine to wait, then told me to get started…I’m a little confused.
Any help and insight will be appreciated.
Thank you,
Cinnamon
December 6th, 2006 at 3:07 pm
jennifergebhart
When do you think your puppies will be “paper ready”? Do you have to run finding ads? Would you consider adopting out siblings? When do you think you will send out these new referrals?
:-)
December 6th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
sewhopeful22:
Before we sent in our application I talked to my agency and asked if Endometriosis was considered to be a problematic disease by them and the CCAA It is classified as a ’serious’ disease, but they (agency and China) are not concerned with it since it is not considered a ‘life threatening’ disease, ie. cancer. So you should be ok with it. I am positive there are a number of people adopting from China with Endometriosis, so I wouldn’t worry about that end.
Good luck with your dossier review!
December 6th, 2006 at 3:18 pm
star6172, if you are LID 6/06, why are you re-doing your I-171H now?
It should be good for 18 months, meaning your homestudy is also good all that time.
I think you may be re-doing prematurely.
Best~
wBw
PS. jennifergebhart, you are the coolest! good luck with the babies! xx
December 6th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
As a followup to the I171 timing, while you all are waiting for review, there are two diferent issues before Congress, you can search thomas.gov for the bill numbers. One is a bill to change the expiration date or fees for the I171 document. The other is a bill to raise the tax credit and income levels for eligibility for the credit. Hopefully we will be in China too soon fo rthis to be of help, but for you 06 LID’s it could but 1500- 2000 dollars back in your pocket. I have already written my congressman.
December 6th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
star6172 STOP…..you will be paying a third time. We were LID 8/16 and we redid our 171 and prints in September 06, we have all paperwork in order and agency said they expect our TA within week. Renew all that in May at the earliest
December 6th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
star6172-
I’m new to this, but my understanding is the I-171H is not necessary for the review room… it’s required by the US gov’t to bring your child home. I think you only have to renew it once you feel a referral is nearing. You don’t have to have one in place the entire time… intially at login and then months out from referral so you’re ready to bring your child home. I hope this is correct… sorry if it’s not.
Bloomer
DTC 11/30/06
p.s. Love the puppy story!!!
December 6th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
Recent word from my agency is this: your fingerprints and your I-171H should not expire the whole time the paperwork is in China. Not just during time of review or travel. They warned us to keep up with expiration dates and begin renewal process in time for there to be no lapse in dates. I believe this was based on a problem with a or some referrals not being made but don’t know that part for a fact. So to reiterate; keep your stuff updated even if you may have to do it thrice.
December 6th, 2006 at 4:30 pm
sebago girl, mlschot. . .the mamma dog looks to be part black lab and maybe boxer or pitpull. she is VERY sweet and also VERY skinny. I am feeding her as much as she wants to eat. I am going to try to find the best homes for them as I can. The mamma dog was dumped and I want to be sure that the puppies aren’t given to someone who might dump them. They will probably be ready the first or second week of Feburary. Here is the thing. . .we have a LID of 09-16-05
so we will probably get our referral at the end of this month and 6-8 weeks travel is possibly the same time frame as when the puppies will be ready for homes.
December 6th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
Jennifer-
Do you have a blog? If so, I’d love to see some pics of your 11 (!) canine houseguests. One day you’ll tell your daughter all about the big storm and the big litter!
December 6th, 2006 at 4:56 pm
Our agency said as long as we got out of the review room with a current I171 H we are fine to wait a little bit befiore we redo it.
But you must have a current I171H for Review
December 6th, 2006 at 5:18 pm
I don’t have a blog,,,,have no idea of how to make one but I would welcome any help in setting one up. . . .anyone that knows how can email me at home. . . tjlc1@msn.com
December 6th, 2006 at 5:53 pm
Thanks, onourway! For anyone that would like to write to your congressperson, the bill is H. R. 5726. It proposes a 24 month validity period on the I-171. It also prioritizes and expedites any renewals.
Here’s a question-when you have to renew, do you have to pay the $685 again or just the refingerprinting fees?
Thanks
December 6th, 2006 at 5:56 pm
my fingerprints expired before we managed to get them re-done. How would CCAA ever know when we got them re-done?
December 6th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
Clearly I don’t have a clue about when to renew the I-171H. ;)
Thanks keywestevan for clarifying.
December 6th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
If your prints have expired and your I171H is still valid and you think you will travel before the 171H expires then you would only have to pay to renew your fingerprints. Otherwise you would need to pay the fee to file a new I600A plus the fee for the new fingerprints. Our prints expired in November and our I171H expires in February. We let our prints expire and waited until this month to redo the whole kit and kaboodle since we are pretty sure we will not travel by February with a 10/9 LID.
December 6th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
It’s getting to the point where pretty much everyone will need to renew. In my travel group of 25 families, 24 were required to renew. That was with a 14.5 month wait. With the wait getting longer it’s going to be everyone soon.
December 6th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
Is anyone out there still waiting for their Travel Approval (TA)? We received our referral on 11/2 (Non-special Need babies; LID 8/15/05) and sent our consent form back to CCAA on 11/13. We still have not received our TA yet. Thanks.
December 6th, 2006 at 8:11 pm
I notice that there are several November 2006 notes on CCAA’s website under “Update News” that are only available in Chinese. Does anyone know what the topics are for those updates and why these particular ones are not available also in English? Just curious if they contain any info that would help with insights….
December 6th, 2006 at 8:21 pm
waiting4agirl-
Thanks for the info and encouragement! My agency felt the same way and I would thank that that would be very common in the community of adoptive parents. I just dreaded the idea of running around getting documents from my doctors and then be pulled back a month in LID’s. That was my biggest concern. I’m not worried now. Just anxious to get to that matching room!
Lynn
December 6th, 2006 at 8:22 pm
sorry – think not thank!
December 6th, 2006 at 8:34 pm
waitforbaby and everyone who replied to my post– Thank you
We are a little different situation. Our LID is 6/20/06 but we began in 2005 attempting to adopt from Ukraine.
Our I71-H expired in Sept. 2006 and fingerprints expired Aug. 2006. My agency said they confirmed with the China liason that the I71-H had to be current during review (all other paperwork is fine “freezes at LID”. Once out of review we only need to have I71-H current for travel to the US Embassy.
They state that once the new I71-H is completed it is sent to China and attached to our Dossier.
I am worried that we cannot get our new I71-H in time for review and will be given a referral even later.
This is a very frustrating situation as DH and I have been working towards International adoption for 2 years and appears it could be close to two more.
December 6th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
CMBJ–
It is not that China would know about your fingerprints being expired. You must have current fingerprints to get a new I71-H through CIS. I am not aware of any fingerprint documentation that goes to China, it is a requirement of the USA. Hope that makes sense… Someone clarify if I’m wrong.
Thanks,
Cinnamon
December 6th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
We have a LID of early Jan. 2005 and our original I171-H expired in August 2005… 8 months after we were DTC (long story… we put our file on hold 6 months for a move.) Anyway, by the time our dossier got to Review in October 2006, the original had expired. We had already renewed our fingerprints in late Jan. 2006 and the renewed I171-H came along in February… 2 months after DTC and a month after LID. So, we were asked by the CCAA for an updated I171-H in mid-October which was immediately faxed to Beijing. Our agency has strongly assured me that we did not lose our place in line, have our LID changed, etc… and I want to believe them… but I’ve been at this long enough to know that anything is possible!!!
December 6th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
kakadumadu,
We received our referral on 11/2 and are still waiting for our TA. The majority of families with my agency received TA’s last week, but several of us did not receive them. Crossing our fingers that our TA will arrive VERY soon!
December 6th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Star6172,
There’s lots of conflicting info, but it sounds like you need a valid I-171H at time of review. With a 6/06 LID, you can probably get that done?
December 6th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
Hi RQ & All
I have been ruminating on a thought for a few days and thought I would post and see what you think.
I noticed that CCAA have not updated the Reviewing Dossiers date as quickly behind the Allocation date as they have in the past. (could be wrong)
With the delays of late, the files CCAA have reviewed up to are not likely to be allocated for years. :-(
Is there a possibility that CCAA have moved resources from the reviewing room to the matching room to indeed catch up with those Dossiers that are already reviewed and waiting for allocation?
What I am asking is:
Is there the slightest chance at all that CCAA maybe focusing on moving what seems to me to be a ‘backlog’ of files sitting in the matching room?
Anyway that is my rumination done with for now.
Thanks RQ love the site! I may be addicted! You may have to start a RQ Anonymous Group!
Rachel
Batch 31 NSW – Aus
LID 26th Oct 2005
December 6th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
wrapping up a few things and then heading off to bed…
I wanted to say that I hope that those of you guys in the 11/2 referral group that (for some inexplicable reason) haven’t gotten their TA yet…I hope it’s any day now. I can’t imagine what’s going on with that, but I know it’s not right.
To everyone else (especially ‘newbies’)…hang in there and enjoy being a part of this community. It will help take the edge off of things when things get really goofy. IT WILL HAPPEN! :)
now…off to bed I go before “leaving on a jet plane”. ;)
Zai Jian!
December 6th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
A couple of months ago I asked our agency – large China only – about the need to keep our I-171 up to date the whole way through and was told we didn’t have to. We just needed it current at the time of referral/travel. I wasn’t too excited about having to possibly do it 3 times and was reassured that it was not an issue.
LID 4-25-06
December 6th, 2006 at 11:43 pm
Possibly the difference in what agencies are saying regarding the I-171 is for the same reason as why there is a difference in dossier prep and other differing agencies requirements. Maybe it has to do with the agencies particular reviewers requirements.
December 6th, 2006 at 11:44 pm
Oh and T and G, Have a safe trip and blessings on you and your daughter.
December 6th, 2006 at 11:49 pm
tg,
Wishing you and the dw safe travels. Please remember to check in from time to time. Would love to hear all about Autumn. Your posts are one of the many things I have enjoyed about this site.
TJ
10.18.05
December 7th, 2006 at 12:56 am
ReyMim32: I think the CCAA must have forgotten about our TA. Our agency called them today and they said that we should receive our TA either Friday or early next week i.e our TA has still not left China yet! How frustrating. We are in a group of 3 families. I hope you will receive yours VERY soon.
December 7th, 2006 at 4:46 am
Fingerprints!?
You have to excuse me for not understanding why you americans need to check your fingerprints? Just curious to know.
I live in Sweden, and we do not have to show our prints!
December 7th, 2006 at 5:47 am
Iwantmybaby & Leigh,
Thank you. I guess my agency has given me accurate information and we’re doing the right thing.
Thank you,
December 7th, 2006 at 6:12 am
T&G – Safe travels! can’t wait for news back from China!
December 7th, 2006 at 6:47 am
waitingagain:
The immigration folks (who give us permission to bring a “foreign” adopted orphan into the U.S.) take our fingerprints and run them through the FBI (sort of the federal police) to do a “background” check — basically trying to make sure we don’t have a criminal record.
The “clearances” on those prints expires after 15 months, whereas the paper giving us permission to bring the child home (I-171H to most here in the U.S.) expires after 18 months. With referrals taking so long, one or both are expiring for pretty much every American parent adopting from China now.
Pam C
December 7th, 2006 at 7:08 am
Hi
We are Sydney Australia and we have been fingerprinted twice! And we still don’t have our Baby.
The police told us that our fingerprints were loaded into the Interpol database and we were scanned for any ‘worldwide’criminal activity.
I knew it was a money making scheme on our Adoption Dept when we had to have it done again 6 months later. I asked the police and they said once is enough because once you are in the system that is it.
But our dept ordered us to have it done again at a cost of $78 each!!
Crazeee!!
Rachel
LID 26/10/06
December 7th, 2006 at 7:22 am
feeling a bit bummed today….we are one year from our LID 12/7/05 and remember last year at this time thinking with great anticipation about how this Christmas would be great with our new daughter…so much for that hope…well the streak continues, yet another holiday that we must present a brave and happy face to a holiday that just doesn’t have the lustre it once had.
December 7th, 2006 at 8:32 am
wunone,
I know what you mean. Yesterday I went to the mall and took an “Angel Tree” child to buy gifts for. I recalled last year doing this and telling my husband, “next year we’ll be buying gifts for our child,” but here we are again. Not that I mind doing for another child, I just thought we’d have our own to buy gifts for at this point. There are no young children in our family anymore (and lots of elderly people) so Christmas has gotten rather dry to say the least.
Gina
LID 9/12/05
December 7th, 2006 at 8:35 am
testing. I thought I submitted a comment but it seems it didn’t take. This is only a test.
December 7th, 2006 at 8:37 am
wunone16,
I know what you mean. Yester was at the mall and took an “Angel Tree” to buy gifts for, and recalled last year telling my husband, “Next year we will be buying toys for our own child.” And here we are again. Not that I mind helping others, but I just assumed we’d have our baby home by now. There are no young children in our family anymore, and lots of elderly people, so Christmas for us has gotten pretty dry to say the least.
Gina
9/12/05
December 7th, 2006 at 9:51 am
GinaH, thanks for the understanding, I coach a high school girls basketball team here in NJ and we ran a stuffed bears for the holidays drive so that sick children in a hospital this month could all get some kind of stuffed animal to help brighten their holiday a bit. It is a cause like this and yours that reminds me although we are without a child there are always those around us who are more unfortunate.
December 7th, 2006 at 10:36 am
I had a question about the review room, is there any kind of poll that shows how many people were asked questions in the review room that were denied to proceed with the adoption? I wonder if this is common or rather uncommon practice. I would think that your agency would know right from the beginning if you were going to make it through review or not, and if you had something that was questionable it would have been discussed with you right from the beginning. I can’t imagine that an agency would complete a homestudy, send your dossier to China and have no idea that you weren’t going to make it?? Does this make any sense???
Thanks!
December 7th, 2006 at 10:54 am
Many times an agency will tell a family they aren’t sure if they will make it through review or not but they are willing to help them try.
Most of the biggest agencies will tell you that they’ve never had anyone denied who didn’t know up front that there was a chance they would be denied.
December 7th, 2006 at 3:41 pm
Thanks, that does make sense to me!