Changes in the wind

We may be changing agencies after all. In calculating the costs we will end up paying for Mr Li's, AAI's in country attorney, travel expenses , and what we get for our money just doesnt seem worth it. AAI ends up being over $3000 more expensive than the other agency we are looking at, Families Through International Adoption(FTIA).

AAI wants $5075 up front to send our dossier to China. FTIA only wants $3000.
AAI charges $3350 for the referral and associated expenses, FTIA charges $1000.
AAI will then want us to pay $6180 in China for the remaining adoption fees, plus, we have to pay for Mr. Li's airfare, room, board and expenses if our daughter is in a province other than Guangdong, where he lives, plus, we have to pay his taxi fares and a daily fee regardless of which province she is in for Mr Li to complete the paperwork portion of the adoption, and then, he won't even spend any time helping us get to or from the airports, or help us navigate China when we aren't on official appointments.

FTIA charges $7560 in China, and provides a full time guide who stays in the same hotel we are in, and accompanies us at all official appointments, assists with the paperwork, and will be our escort wherever we go, including to and from the airports. Baseline difference is $3045 which would end up closer to $4000 to $5000 with Mr Li's expenses, depending on where in China our daughter is.

So, we are seriously going through the process of switching agencies, just waiting for the new list to come out just in case she is on AAI's private list. If she isn't, we are switching.

This week will likely have our paperwork moving forward again, with the i797c USCIS approval, finally.

Then, onto the Utah Secretary of State, and then the whole dossier goes off to Washington for the paperwork courier service to have US certified and Chinese Embassy authenticated. Then, we are done.

It's all coming together, I think.