Adoption Acronyms

Here's a handy list of adoption acronyms specifically related to China adoptions. I copied and pasted it from a China Adoption FB page, so I can't take credit :)

1. HS - Home Study
2. I-800A - Application to USCIS to adopt a child from China
3. I-797 - Notice Of Action I-800A approval
4. DTA - Dossier To Agency
5. DTC - Dossier to China
6. LID - Logged In Date
7. OOT - Out Of Translation - dossier has been translated into Chinese and is "in progress"
8. LOI - Letter of Intent
9. PA - Pre-Approval
10. LOA - Letter Of Acceptance also called LSC (Letter Seeking Confirmation)
11. I-800 - Application to adopt a specific child from China
12. A5 or Article 5 - Final approval from the United States for the adoption to take place
13. TA - Travel Approval
14. Gotcha Day - A day like no other
15. CA - US Consulate Appointment in China

SW - Social Worker
WC - Waiting Child
AP - Adoptive Parent
SF - Special Focus
SN - Special Needs
NSN - Non Special Needs
PAP - Pre Adoptive Parent
USCIS - United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
NVC - National Visa Center
CCCWA China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption
SWI - Social Welfare Institution
CWI - Child Welfare Institution

Dossier - a series of documents, that you compile, that tells the CCCWA about you, your family, your health and your finances

Cabled - where the NVC sends the Embassy in Guangzhou notice that the I800 has been approved, so that once the agency's person in Guangzhou takes the family's DS230 paperwork (the paperwork for the child's American visa to be created) to the Embassy they can match it with the cable of approval to start the Article 5 process.