Once the dossier is submitted, 3 to 12 months can pass before the SDAPRC extends an appointment date for prospective adoptive parents to view children in the central database who have been approved for intercountry adoption.
Once this appointment has been made, there is usually a 3 to 4 week wait between the initial filing of the adoption petition in the local court and the final adoption.
While you wait for your referral you can also start Preparing to Parent the Internationally Adopted Child
Updated: December 2008
SOURCE: Office of Children's Issues, United States Department of State Web site
