ADOPTION STUDY

If you live in Minnesota, Iowa or Western Wisconsin, Washington D.C., Maryland and counties in Northern Virginia or Richmond you will first complete your adoption study through Children's Home Society & Family Services. If you live outside these areas you will first complete your adoption study through a local adoption agency. If you are not currently working with a local adoption agency, we recommend using one of our partner agencies.

Your adoption study will be reviewed for approval by CHSFS.

DOSSIER 

You will then be sent instructions from your country specialist about preparing your official dossier for Mexico. The dossier for Mexico includes information about yourself such as: an approved adoption study, a psychological evaluation summary, US-CIS approval, a financial statement, a statement from your employer, your birth certificate, and your marriage certificate (if applicable).

 Once your dossier is compiled, CHSFS will proofread the documents. After CHSFS’ review, you will then certify and apostille the documents with your local secretary of state. At this point your dossier is sent to Mexico where DIF Representatives review the documentation and issue a pre-approval.

REFERRAL 

As this is a pilot program it is difficult to estimate when you will receive a referral of a child. The referral consists of a health report, development report and 2-3 color photos. We estimate that families will receive a referral in approximately 12 to 18 months from the time of dossier submission for children age 3 to 5 years old. Older children, sibling groups and special needs children may be referred faster. For details on these children, please contact Diane Lowry-Luther at 800-952-9302, ext. 2285 or 651-255-2285.

TRAVEL – FIRST TRIP 

Travel is generally 4 weeks after you receive your referral for the first “attachment period” trip called a convivencia. Families will travel first to Mexico City for preliminary paperwork processing at the US Embassy and then on to Hermosillo to bond with the child. Mexican law in Sonora dictates that families must have progressively more extensive visits with the child over a period of 3 to 5 weeks, depending on the child’s age. One parent may leave during this attachment period after the initial 10 days.

 LEGAL PROCESS   

After the “convivencia” (or attachment period) the adoptive parents return home and the judicial proceedings begin. Adoptive parents may visit as often as they like during this time, and ongoing communication can be maintained. As this is a pilot program, we estimate that this process will take 6 to 9 months.

TRAVEL – PICK-UP TRIP 

Adoptive parents will return to Hermosillo to pick up their child (2 to 4 days) and then begin the final processing of the USCIS visa paperwork. From Hermosillo, families will travel to Tijuana to briefly process the child’s transit visa (2 to 3 days), and then on to El Paso, Texas/ Cuidad Juarez, Mexico to conclude immigration paperwork and for the required US medical exams for the child (3 to 5 days).