Ok- sorry I didn't explain this in my last post, but the courts in Ethiopia close for approximately 2 months every year - usually sometime between July and August. I don't know exactly why - perhaps because of the rainy season? (If you know, feel free to chime in.)
This year I'd heard all kinds of different closing dates and, as of writing my last post, had been informed that they would close July 7th or 8th... GOOD NEWS - the actual court closure date is August 5th! I had been thinking it would be unlikely that we could get in before the courts close if we didn't get a referral this week. Now it seems more likely that we could get a referral and have our adoption processed before the closure. Families can still travel after the closure, as the only business we'll do in country is at the American Embassy, which remains open. So, if we get a referral in the next few weeks, we would have a good chance of traveling later this summer- in August or September. Exciting stuff!
HAHAHAHAHA...we're going to have to ask Tsegay when we get over there. When I first started this process, I heard they closed for "winter break." Then I realized they were ABOVE the equator so their seasons are the same as ours. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteMy I-171H is due August 3 (if you go by their 45 business days estimate)! Figures, don't it?
HORRAY!!!!!!! This is awesome news! I'm so excited for you guys. :)
ReplyDeleteHi, I just got back from Ethiopia to visit our baby girl in order to get an IR-3 visa and we were told that August 5th was the court closures. It closes every year due to the rainy season and it is closed extra long this year because of the millineum. I think it runs through September and opens at the end of September/beginning of October. There are mixed messages because their dates are different than ours! For example, in Ethiopia our court date is on June 5th- which is next Tuesday, June 12th as we know it! Our court date is next week and we are hoping to travel the end of the summer. When we were there it got pretty warm in the middle of the day, but it is at like 8,500 feet so it was also pretty chilly in the AM and PM.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I read your blog and thought I would tell you what I knew! I hope you get a referral soon!