Tada!
We got our I-171H today! It was waiting in our mailbox when we got home from church. I was kind of expecting a fancy looking thick envelope, possibly personally delivered by a federal agent (riding on a horse) with trumpets and fanfare, but it was just in a plain business envelope stamped Homeland Security.
It says this:
Then it goes on to say what we have to do when we get home and within the next 18 months or our fingerprints will expire (they can expire?) and that they have emailed their reccomendation to Russia.
There is also another interesting piece of paper that warns prospective adoptive parents that not all children adopted abroad qualify as orphans. They are trying to protect against taking children of people who have not had their parental rights terminated - so you can't just go get a random kid and bring them back and say they are an orphan. Also I'm sure different countries have different laws about what constitutes an 'orphan'. I think in Russia, the parents have to have had no contact for at least 18 months before they become adoptable. As far as we know, A has had never had any contact with his parents.
Also, it says that if you want to adopt a non-orphan, they have to be under your legal guardianship for 2 years before you're allowed to adopt. I'm pretty sure I've heard of countries like that - where the child comes to America as a foster child, and then after a certain time the parents are allowed to file for adoption. There was just a story in the news a few months ago about a family who had a child for years and the birth-parents (China? - some Asian country) wanted them back. Everyone was all up in arms about the birth parents coming back to take their child away, but it really wasn't their child yet - just a foster child.
Anyway - every country is different, but the main point is that we got our paperwork, and apparantly we're not terrerists.
It says this:
NOTICE OF FAVORABLE DETERMINATION CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR ADVANCE PROCESSING OF ORPHAN PETITION
It has been determined that you are able to furnish proper care to an orphan or orphans as defined by section 101(B) (1) (F) of the immigration and nationality act.
Then it goes on to say what we have to do when we get home and within the next 18 months or our fingerprints will expire (they can expire?) and that they have emailed their reccomendation to Russia.
There is also another interesting piece of paper that warns prospective adoptive parents that not all children adopted abroad qualify as orphans. They are trying to protect against taking children of people who have not had their parental rights terminated - so you can't just go get a random kid and bring them back and say they are an orphan. Also I'm sure different countries have different laws about what constitutes an 'orphan'. I think in Russia, the parents have to have had no contact for at least 18 months before they become adoptable. As far as we know, A has had never had any contact with his parents.
Also, it says that if you want to adopt a non-orphan, they have to be under your legal guardianship for 2 years before you're allowed to adopt. I'm pretty sure I've heard of countries like that - where the child comes to America as a foster child, and then after a certain time the parents are allowed to file for adoption. There was just a story in the news a few months ago about a family who had a child for years and the birth-parents (China? - some Asian country) wanted them back. Everyone was all up in arms about the birth parents coming back to take their child away, but it really wasn't their child yet - just a foster child.
Anyway - every country is different, but the main point is that we got our paperwork, and apparantly we're not terrerists.
Labels: Adoption
posted by Tracy at 8:32 PM
2 Comments:
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!! I hope the wait goes quickly!
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