I was also thinking about our process in Ukraine. Here it is in a nutshell:
On Sunday, November 18th, we fly to NY by JetBlue, and then to Kiev by Aerosvit (Ukrainian Airlines). We arrive to Kiev on Monday, November 19th and have our appointment at SDA (State Department of Adoption) on Tuesday, November 20th. Then we take a train to Odessa that same evening.
Once we get to Odessa, we meet with the inspector of the region (something like a town in the States), and write an application to adopt Raisa. If inspector is an agreement that we can proceed with adoption, he/she writes an opinion on whether the adoption meets the best interests of the child. This opinion letter along with many other documents is sent back to Kiev for SDA approval. SDA takes 5 business days to review these documents and then hopefully gives us the consent to adopt. The consent is sent back to Odessa and we can schedule a court date (hopefully within the next week or so).
If the court is successfull, we have to wait mandatory 10 calendar days (sometimes more if the 10th day falls on the weekend) to get the court decree. During these 10 days, anyone can appeal the court decision (hopefully not!)
Once we have a court decree, we can apply for a new birth certificate where we listed as the parents, and with the new birth certificate we can apply for the passport. Getting passport can take up to 10 days or more, but very often it takes 2-3 days, depending on the region and on the expediting fees.
With the passport in hand we go back to Kiev for the medical exam and to apply for a visa. This process takes about 3 business days, and after that we can go home! So it's hard to predict when we'll come home, but I really hope it will be before the holidays.
I also wanted to say a huge thank you to my friend and co-worker for your generous gift toward our adoption expenses - I don't have words to describe my appreciation for your kindness. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
19 comments:
Hi Nataliya,
We will be in Kyiv the same time as you and have the same appointment date at SDA! Maybe we could meet up at some point. You can email me if you would like at kdralle77@hotmail.com
Kelly Necker
How kind of your co-worker to give you a gift! I know that this process is so long and costly that I am constantly uplifted by the genrerosity of friends, family and even several strangers!
10 days! Awesome!!
I'm starting to feel the pressure of our impending date. That is good. It helps me to focus and get things done! I am hoping to be done packing by Thanksgiving so that we can kind of "coast" until we leave on Dec 7th.
Wow, you have a lot of info. I hope I know as much as you do when we travel, but it is probably different because we will be traveling blind. Are you going to keep blogging when you're in Ukraine?
Those pictures are precious!!!
TEN DAYS!!!!! Woohoo! Like you, I'm starting to see the wisdom in skipping the list and just enjoying time with the kids. We have most of the big stuff taken care of...the little stuff will just have to take care of itself.
I hope we're able to run into each other while we're in Ukraine. I'd love to meet you in person!
How exciting that some of you might meet while in Ukraine... Wish you were in Moscow!
Victoria looks so, so happy in those pictures. Glad you two had a great Mommy/Daughter day.
I'll be thinking of you! Can't wait to see a picture of Raisa.
It's getting close!!! I am so excited about all of you guys who are traveling now. I am reliving our own journey since we were there last year at this time. I will be following along!:)
Victoria is beautiful. I was surprised to see the winter Xmas backgrounds at the mall already but then I hardly ever go to the mall so the local one probably has them too.
You all must be so excited knowing that you are leaving in 10 days. I am amazed at the process that you have to go through when over there and when Raisa is already family since she's your husband's niece. Red Tape! I hope everything goes smoothly and takes the shortest amount of time. What a wonderful Xmas holiday the 5 of you will have once you are back home in NY.
I hope you will be able to blog while you're over there. I like reading your blog. I found it from my daughter's blog, American Girls in Moscow.
How neat that some of you might be able to meet while over in the Ukraine.
Best wishes!
Thank you, Tina! I love your daughter's blog too! And I'm planning to blog from Ukraine, so please check back!
Glad to hear that you'll be blogging while in the Ukraine so we can follow your path to bring Raisa home.
Raisa must be counting the days until you are there (as are you & your husband).
You must have been blown away by your friend/co-worker's generosity. What a wonderful thing for her to do to help out her friend.
Is this your first trip back to the Ukraine since you left to move to the US?
Your grasp of the English language is amazing as I never would have known that it was not your native tongue from reading your blog. You definitely have a gift with languages.
As you can tell, I have a Dachshund and love her dearly.
We adopted a Raisa! :) We didn't know that was her full name though and no one told us until it was too late. We didn't know Rya was short for Raisa, or anything for that matter. It's a beautiful name, but we like Rya too. :)
You will not be going alone my friend. All of the love and warm wishes you've sent out to all of us over the last few months will be generously and enthusiastically sent your way.
Nastia and Galya are so excited about your trip! This is going to be one joyful reunion for you and Oleg in Odessa, and we pray for all God's blessings on your journey.
Your reminder of just spending time with Victoria was exactly what I needed to read. Thank you!
10 days. That's so exciting.
I can't wait to hear how things go when you get to Ukraine.
Enjoy these next 10 days to the fullest!
Nataliya,
So excited for you and your family. Wishing you God's speed as you make your way through Ukraine.
Stefanie
natalyia, love victoria's photos! she's looking so grown up! and very stylish, just like her mom! don't know how you manage all this, love reading about it all.
Your little girl is too cute! It is hard to get ready to go. You never feel really prepared...I am finally done with my list and am still feeling like something is missing! Oh well....hope our paths cross in Ukraine!
Joy Rae
Good call spending time with your daughter, everything else will fall in place. Praying for you!
Wow, I can't believe you are almost ready to go. I think that passports for Odessa will only be about 7 or 8 days...that kinda seems like the standard for Odessa now, don't know why but hey the passport office is within walking distance of where you will stay and a good travel agency is down past the park with the fountain and across the street...Take warm clothes and enjoy. Looking forward to the wonderful stories you will share with us. Prayers for you two as you leave your one daughter at home to get your other daughter ;)
Good luck to you with checking things off your "to do list" in these last few days before you fly to the Ukraine to bring Raisa home and to visit your homeland and friends. I hope everything goes smoothly while you are there and that you luck out and have all of the necessary forms, paperwork, court date, passport, etc. go through as quickly as is possible. It sure would be fantastic if you get to meet some of the other families over there at the same time.
Just a few days left!!
Post a Comment