Six months to one year is an appropriate time to plan on for most adoptions. Once you have a child referral, you will travel as soon as your dossier is approved and you have an invitation to travel from the foreign government. After you arrive, you will sign paper work and meet with adoption officials to complete the adoption process. Some countries require that you travel twice. Bulgaria insists you meet the child before the adoption process begins.
Some countries require both parents to travel, others only require one parent to travel.
Some countries will allow the child to be escorted home, while other countries require parents to travel to bring their children home. INS requires that both parents see the child personally before the adoption is finalized and considered legal in the United States. In any event, WIA strongly encourages all parents to re-adopt the child in their state of residence once they return home.