As I was reading the biglist, I noticed that some of the same year-end questions were coming up about children coming home on IR-3s. In 2004, IR-3s will FINALLY be treated as they should be (see USCIS press release). However, for many of you bringing home a Christmas baby....you will still receive a Permanent Resident card for your child (which is frustrating, but correct for the current system).
There is still a mound of paperwork to do made easier by the presence of your child (or children). So here is a quick summary of what was recommended to ME and how I handled the monumental tasks (noting that our daughter's name would change):
1. Since I had a new tax dependent, my first step was to get a Social Security card. Typically, you are issued a SS Card with the adopted name and the status of Resident Alien. Don't bother arguing with the Social Security people...this is just how it is done. If you are relatively close to an office, I recommend that you visit in person. Take everything about the adoption including their Guatemalan passport (they often request documentation IN ADDITION to what is listed on their forms).
2. Make sure your insurance is current with your new child. Use the legal name with your doctor's records and the insurance card. You may cause issues if you try and use a *new* name with one, but not the other.
3. If you travel internationally much, check the child's passport. Some expirations are just a few months and some are several years. We traveled to Costa Rica with our daughter's Guatemalan passport so there was no rush for an American passport. Just understand that you will have to meet visa requirements for a Guatemalan visitor (foreign lands are not the place to argue the citizenship of your child). If you do not travel much AND/OR can get by with the Guatemalan passport for awhile....the rest of the instructions are the standard less-hassle method to getting where you need to be.
3. Domestication/Name change - Ours took several months to get a court date...so, be prepared. Make sure that you get a signed request from the judge to make several certified copies of the decree for you. I know in Georgia, you do not automatically get this and if you walk out of the courthouse without it, those records are sealed and can only be opened with another court-order.
4. Apply for the Certificate of Citizenship. I have heard that it is advisable to get this AFTER the name change, if possible since it is NOT an easy document to have *updated* with the current changes.
5. Return to the local Social Security office and have the status and the name changed on the SS card.
6. Apply for a US passport.
There are many other ways to get everything done. I encourage those that tried different methods or had different needs to share what worked for them!
Posted by Kelly at December 28, 2003 08:35 PMDo you still have to appear in court for the name change if your child comes in with an IR-3?? Thanks!
Posted by: Katey Kingsbury at December 29, 2003 03:44 PMWe DID have to appear in court FOR the name change(or specifically, to the judge's chambers or conference area). However, we also domesticated the adoption for several reasons:
1. We wanted her birth certificate to be issued in the states in case we needed copies some day in the future (getting foreign birth certificates can be near impossible).
2. There are certain legal/inheritance issues that are resolved. She is now automatically the heir to our fortune...ha! I am not sure how it varies from state to state.
In our case, the name-change was part of the readoption (that was the way it appeared to me). The advantage for me is that NOW I have English legal documentation when I need it (I believe this will make it MUCH easier to get COC, passport and other legal stuff changed...it has already simplified changing information for the insurance company;-)
Posted by: Kelly at December 29, 2003 04:23 PMHow do I get information on the Big list?
Posted by: Debbie at December 29, 2003 08:06 PMHas anybody adopted internationally while living overseas? We are just trying to figure out what it is going to take to get our little one back to Germany with us. After we pick up the little one we will go to Virginia to get him a passport and visa. Does anyone know how long this will take? If you or you know someone that has adopted internationally while living overseas, please email us. We would greatly appreciate any information.
Posted by: Melissa at December 30, 2003 09:52 AMDear Melissa,
I am an expat living in the UK and we are adopting from Guatemala. We were told that it takes two days to get the US passport. However, be careful entering Germany without preapproval. We were told that we have to re-adopt Daniel in the US to have bona fide US adoption papers and there will be no problem. The same info was provided to a friend who lives in Italy, so I am thinking that should be the same in every EU country??? Please keep us posted, though. Good luck!
Krisztina in the UK
Thanks Krisztina for the information. We are definitely going to check on the process. We weren't told we had to re-adopt him before bringing him back with us. We are going to eventually re-adopt him because we are changing his name but in the state of Virginia we can't re-adopt him until after the final post study is completed. Did your adoption agency help you with getting the correct information? How old is your child you are adopting? When did you start the process? Good luck with everything as well!
Posted by: Melissa at January 3, 2004 03:35 PMMelissa,
We will readopt in PA, and possibly do a name change as well. Yes, our agency helped. Daniel was born on February 15, 2003, we accepted him in March. Went FC in August, got DNA in September and then waited 15 weeks for US Embassy confirmation letter. We are in PGN now, and hoping top bring him home in February. I am travelling for his first B-day, and lwyer says he will be ready?? I am crossinng everything. My birthday is that time as well, so it will be the best present ever. Meanwhile, due to the delay, we accepted a baby girl, Carmelina in December. She was born on August 10, and her papers are just submitted to FC.
Keeps me posted:
Krisztina
Do you know if readoption exists in Illinois? It is my understanding the entire adoption process has to be redone. Hope I'm wrong!
Posted by: Rose at February 3, 2004 11:18 AM