How long is the adoption process?

The length of the adoption process depends on many factors. You are dealing with three governments, the state in which you are residing, the U.S. federal government and the foreign government. Some of the timing will depend upon how quickly you get your application materials and later your dossier documents to your agency. Processing overseas will depend upon the country you choose. The official wait for a referral of a child begins once all of your legal paperwork (dossier) is registered in the foreign country.

Generally, the entire process of adoption of an international child with an agency will take about 8-12 months for Ethiopia, about 12 or more months for Russia and Guatemala and 24- 28 months for China. Depending on varying circumstances, this time frame could be shorter or longer