Coming Attractions

Well, nothing can be set in stone, but here is a rough idea of the agenda from here.

Court Hearing on 12/31. At this hearing the judge will ask a bunch of questions and go over paperwork. Assuming all is well, and that the boys say (again) that they want to be adopted by us, the court will decree us their parents (pending a 10 day waiting period).

10-day waiting period. The court decree does not become effective until after the waiting period. This is to give a chance for any family to step forward and object to the adoption. This is unlikely as the possible family that is known have already consented or do not have the right to object. Possible, but unlikely.

Government shutdown until 1/12. Civil servants are on holiday for New Year's and Christmas until 1/12. Once they return there is more paperwork to be done in Lutugino. Our facilitator estimates this should take from 3-10 days depending on how smoothly it goes. Once some level of documentation is done (not sure what, but out facilitator handles that), the boys will leave the orphanage and stay with us.

Somewhere between 1/15 and 1/22, we should have our local paperwork done and will head back to Kyiv. There we have to finalize paperwork with SDA, get medical check-up for the boys, get their Ukrainian passports (that might happen beforehand, not sure), and get a travel visa from the US embassy. That should take 3-7 days.

Somewhere between 1/18 and 1/29 we should be complete and will be able to head for the US.

So I assume we will be in US between 1/19 and 1/31 (adding a couple of days for schedule slack).

As I understand it, once the boys set foot on US soil, they become citizens.

Nothing can be definitive, especially with holidays around, but this is as close as we know.