We Need Your Help to Get Juneau Home

We got some bad news a couple days ago. Due to some issues that have been arising in the Vietnam adoption process, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has instituted a new statute.

Under the current system, the main form (I-600) that has to be processed for an internationally adopted child to be classified as a citizen was processed following the adoptive parents' arrival in Vietnam and an initial meeting with the U.S. Embassy. After that meeting, if everything was in order, the paperwork was processed and about 10 days later, the family had a final meeting with the U.S. Embassy and were free to come home.

However, the problem would arise if any red flags came up during the initial interview. If the U.S. government decided something seemed fishy regarding that child's adoption, they could launch an investigation, significantly delaying the time the family had to remain in Vietnam. Or, worst case scenario, the U.S. government could come back and say the I-600 was not going to be approved and the child could not be classified as a U.S. citizen. By that point, the family has some serious issues because although they can appeal the denial, they have already taken custody of the child - the child can't go back to the orphanage but can't come into the U.S. either.

In order to fix some of these problems, the new statute will require that the initial I-600 processing be done through the mail before the parents go to Vietnam. The forms will be sent to Ho Chi Minh city and processed at the U.S. embassy there. So, if an investigation has to be done to confirm the child's eligibility for adoption, it will take place before the parents arrive in Vietnam. However, this process is projected to require 60 days.

While this is a long overdue change that needs to take place, the problem is that USCIS has decreed that this policy is to be implemented immediately. This means that families (like us) who are right on the verge of traveling will be pushed back at least 60 more days.

Our expected travel has already been pushed back 2 months once and the thought of being delayed another 60+ days is pretty hard to handle right now. Our little girl is waiting for us in an orphanage and we want to get her home by Christmas. That was looking possible and actually pretty likely. However, if we are pushed back due to this policy, that won't happen.

The online adoption community is trying to respond to this change in a way that will help those, like us, who are getting stuck in the middle. A push is being made to contact all of our U.S. senators and representatives to ask them to influence USCIS to implement this new policy over a reasonable period of time to allow a smoother transition for those whose travel plans are imminent.

We are asking you to consider helping us get Juneau home in the follow ways:

1. Contact your Congressmen: If you follow the links below, you can identify your state and you will be instantly provided with contact information for your senators and reps. Taking a few minutes to send an email...or even better, make a phone call...on behalf of adoptive parents may help us get Juneau home by Christmas

Senator http://www.senate.gov/
Congressperson http://www.house.gov/
You just click on the link, then select your state, and their names pop up

2. Pray for our adoption agency and our interactions with them. We have been dealing with a lot of frustrations lately with our agency and what we feel are shortcomings on their part to do everything they can to get Juneau home.

3. Pray for us to handle whatever delays may come. Up to this point, it's been hard to be patient but we've been handling it well I think. At this point though, the delays are going well beyond the range of what is considered "normal" as part of unpredictable international adoption process. We are venturing into the range of being one of those stories you hear about and hope it doesn't happen to you. As a result, we are both starting to get depressed with the whole thing.

One of the biggest issues is also that if we do get pushed back to January or February, it is very likely that due to her work obligations, Emilie will not be able to travel to Vietnam. This is obviously part of a "worst case scenario" for us. (Somebody's going to have to get their passport updated and volunteer so I'm not going to Vietnam by myself)

We'll keep you all updated obviously but any of the above that you could do would be greatly appreciated. We're holding out hope that Juneau will get to celebrate her first Christmas with her family :)