Does anyone know how long it takes to issue a birth certificate? We were out of PGN on June 16 and have no idea how long it takes to issue a birth certificate.

Hi -- can you clarify exactly what number this is and where it appears? I was confused and sent several numbers to Buffalo and never heard back from them. Thanks.

We got our passport exactly 3 weeks after we got out of PGN. (which was exactly 3 weeks after we had BMI)

hope that helps

The time it takes for a re-issued birth certificate can vary depending upon where the child was born. We were out of PGN 5/31 ( one of the first cases out!) and we are still waiting.

It is the number that appears on the green card / alien registration card for those who came home on IR4 visa. I don't know what number to use for the IR3s.

Dear Jan,
Click FORUM button on upper left of home screen & register to join. See the PGN section - it has alot of info on how long BC are taking.
Rene'

I think the A # is on the passport or Visa.

Is this the site I contact regarding COC information too, or it it just for the original documentation paperwork?

Thanks

Yes, the A number is written in the Guat passport. It might also be on the visa page in the passport.

Beth in MN

Bernie: Are you by chance waiting for a BC from Mixco?

We were "released" from PGN a month ago with a previo, which was satisfied that SAME day. We still are not out of PGN.......Has anyone gotten out who was "released" with a previo?
Jane (Wondering if we will ever get Nathan home.)

Can someone help me on the forums? I got my name and password but never got a confirmation from the admin. Have sent 3 emails and got no response and cannot access the forums. We are out of PGN and are waiting for Mixco to give us a new birth certificate. We are beginning week 4. OUr agency says they can take 30 days. Any info on forums would be appreciated.

I find it completely discouraging to hear of folks coming out of PGN after 4 weeks when others have been waiting for months and months and are still not out. I can't help but wonder how this is happening? I'm sorry, I guess it is time to sign off of the forums for awhile because this is not good news to me or to the majority of folks who are patiently waiting to get through this process. It is so completely unjust.

I agree with discouraged. We have been in PGN for 5 months(and I know others have been in a LOT LONGER)then someone gets out in 1 month???? What is going on??? I thought the corruption was gone? How can this be legit?

We were out of PGN on June 3rd and had our BC from Mixco by June 19th. Waiting on PINK!

Kevin, Can you please tell me where to send the G-884 if my child came home on an IR4 Visa?
Thanks

I am truly discouraged. I have to pay $350/mo foster care until I go get my child. My agency gives no hope of going any time soon. They do not provide me with updates on when I'll come out of PGN. I don't understand once out of PGN, why can't we go get our children?

while my 10 month old just got out of PGN (7 months) my 3 YEAR OLD is still stuck. hard to believe.

I thought people said that things were moving fast?

Sharon,
You WILL get out...Our agency was less than forthcoming with information, too. We called PGN directly. We had better luck when my cousin, who is fluent in Spanish, made the calls for us. In fact, that's how we found out on the 4th of July that we were out as of the 2nd!

just got KOed of PGN - FIFTH TIME!!! we had BMI 3 weeks ago. I am soooooo tired of this. my child is 3 years old. I am really starting to think that she's never coming home. i can't stand this anymore.

A couple of things that might be helpful.
1) The guatadopt moderators posted that they were going to be out of touch a good bit this month, so for folks trying to join, this might be the delay. Each request has to be 'approved' by them first (to keep out spam and such). I'm sure they will respond as soon as they can!

2) Unfortunately for many of us, it seems that there is not a whole lot of order to how things are processing in PGN. I'm one who has been waiting 6+ months and it is frustrating but I do believe that they are trying to work through some corruption. Just try to picture thousands of folders piled on desks and a few people trying to go through it all and input data into the computer...it just isn't always going to mean first in/first out.

3) If you are waiting for updates, be proactive and call your agency/facilitator. Unfortunately there are many times when they really don't know anything to tell you, or they don't want to share info until they have confirmed it, which is legitimate.

4) Calling PGN...not a bad idea if you just want to confirm that your case is in fact in the system, but other than that the information does not tend to be very reliable. Computers are not necessarily up to date and the folks sharing the info don't always seem to have all the facts. Recently there have been a lot of folks getting mixed up between approved/previo...BIG difference! Also, one woman seems to just tell everyone 'two more weeks.' I think she just doesn't have all the info.

Anyway, the forums are a wealth of info and hopefully folks waiting to be approved will be in soon and can track BC's and all the rest!

Good luck to all!

lauren

JJs mom - thank you for your encouragement. How much longer for you since you're out of PGN? I need good news.

Waiting for 2 - I am praying for you as I'm ready to giveup too.

Is anyone else having to pay foster care because it's taking so long?

I am trying to get a grasp of how many of us are in the situation of being "released" from PGN with a previo. Next week I will doing some major campaigning to get those files out, and I really need some numbers to work with. If you are in this situation or have information about how many files are stuck in the "released" but not really, please let me know.

To all who are still waiting: My case was an abandonment. Referral accepted in Oct 07, in PGN Apr 7th and out of PGN Jul 7th. Please have faith all. Pray to St. Jude, patron of hopeless cases and call your facilitator. The adoption agencies are fairly uncommunicative but your facilitator knows the attorneys and will help you through this. Your adoption will happen. I am so positive that they will finish all that was started in 07 and before. And also, please be encouraged by a previo - someone is looking at your file. Yahoo! I will continue to pray daily for everyone.

We were out of PGN 3 weeks on 7/9 waiting on birth certificate but were told yesterday that it will take an additional 2 to 3 weeks now they are requesting additional paper work and possibly an additional 2 weeks for passport, anyone else heard this? We are frustrated as well!

My child is in foster care. If your child is, please advise if you are having to pay foster care until you travel. I want to make sure I'm not getting ripped.

I am one of the "released" but with a previo cases. We were one of the released cases on June 6, took 3 weeks to get back in, and we've been back in for 2 weeks now. Sad thing is, the previo was a mistake on the reviewers part, not our end of things.
Does anyone have any idea how long these resubmits are taking? How long are pinks taking after approvals?
Also, regarding the question of paying for foster care. We are now paying $300 a month, however, we were aware of this when we signed the contract, that after 6 months, we would have to pay this additional care if our adoption was not yet complete. Though I would much rather have my daughter home with me, I believe this is reasonable. Too bad that PGN doesn't have to pay these fees, maybe then they would move things more efficiently. I hope that this transition PGN is going through will be for the good of all children waiting on permanent homes. Let's all remember and pray for the children who have been placed for adoption since the new law went into effect who have no family identified for them yet.

Yes, I am also paying for foster care.
Julia

Hi everyone we are also on the "waiting for our previos to be fixed so we can travel" list. Emelie - you are right a previo means that our file is being looked at, and I am okay with them changing the way they do things due to all of the corruption. Jane - we were "released with a previo" last month and I was hoping to hear some good news soon, but not sure if it will happen any time soon. Sharon we are also having to pay for foster care due to the LONG PROCESS. I am okay with that because we would have to buy anything for him if he was home, so I pay. Anyhow, everyone I am praying for all of us too.
Teri

Hello all, I am glad to hear from a couple of you who are "released" with a previo. I have done a lot of research and phone calls about this issue. PGN has two lawyers that are suppose to only have to look at the previo then truly release the file. Our file has been back in PGN now for 5 weeks. That seems really crazy to take 5 weeks to look at one piece of paper. I believe it may be time to get really active and write our senators and represenatives, the state department and JCIS about this particular issue. Clearly, they are not releasing these files. I have asked everywhere and to the best of my knowledge not one file in this situation has been released.
Jane (Now in PGN for 7 1/2 months)

Sharon,
We don't know how much longer we have. We're waiting on a birth certificate. This timeline varies tremendously. We are NOT a RENAP town, city, whatever, which means our BC should come faster. I've seen some from Amatitlan coming in 3-6 days. Obviously ours hasn't...Once we get the BC, it should only be a matter of a few weeks till we're "pink"... I've become obsessed with the forums, looking at other families' timelines. I feel guilty admitting that we were one of the quicker cases. We were very lucky. Of course, we've been waiting 3 years (one to go) for China... Good luck to you! We're praying for all those who are stuck.

Sharon,
In reading the forums, it seems as though many people are being caught off guard as they reach the end of the process. Once the BC is issued, it's almost always very fast. Maybe I'm focusing more (too much) on those cases and not on the slower ones, but if it keeps me in a happy panic, that's okay with me! If nothing else, I'm getting lots of helpful info./tips for travel for when the day finally comes!

We are paying foster care too.

For those of you that are paying for foster care, how long has your baby been in foster care?
Just curious if I need to prepare for that request.

For those of you who are having to pay for foster care and know where your baby is, be happy, we were just told that our case got thrown in the to be investigated pile and the baby was taken from her foster mom who she loved and put in an orphanage and our agency is not allowed to know where the baby is. So there is no way to check on the baby and know if the baby is ok or what is happening. So count your blessings if yours is still with the foster mom. This is the worst feeling not knowing where the baby is. Plus now we have absolutely no timeline to work with until they "get to" the investigation. I guess anything can happen at this point.

We just got the notice that as of 8/1, we will have to pay foster care. We knew this was a possibility going in, as we were told. We just hoped we were close enough to the end to not have to worry about it....

Sandra,
Our child assignment was in November, accepted in December. I thought foster care "charges" (part of the fees) began at DNA match,and covered 6 months, but apparently I was mistaken. Our DNA was in Feb.

We have been in PGN since September 2007. We have been kicked out 3 times now for errors in the file that the notary could have and should have avoided. The file was just (allegedly) resubmitted again this week and we are being told it is a new clock of 40 business days to wait for another determination. Is this what others are being told? As for the foster care, we paid initially as part of the agreement, but I have to say that I will GO OFF on them if they ask for another dime given all the shoddy work they've performed their end of the contract. The continued foster care payments need to come out of the exorbitant fee that the notaries/abogados charge since it is their fault that the case has lingered this long in the process. Now we struggle to get information about the baby's health and pictures, not to mention trying to get them to pay attention to the file and docs required for PGN submission.
If anyone has recently received a previo and then have gotten out, can you let us know how long between resubmit and approval? I think I read on another post that the file doesn't "start over" so I can't believe that it's really a new 40 business days - hoping that the agency liaison is being conservative!

To JJ's mom,
My daughter has been in foster care for 10 months and I have not been notified that I need to pay foster care. I also agree that going into the adoption that part of the international fees included foster care. During the adoption process my adoption agency has yet to bring it to my attention. I am currently waiting for a BMI. I hope that she is home before fees are asked from me.

Has anyone else been denied by pgn due to paperwork issues? If so, what happens? So worried, so stressed!

Anon,
We were "released" from PGN with a previo on June 10. The previo was addressed that same day and the file resubmitted. At that time we were informed through communication with PGN that the file did not go back to the beginning since we had already been through all three reviewers and have had our BMI. PGN told my very fluent Spanish speaking friend that they had two laywers working on just those files to confirm the previo was addressed and that it would be "two weeks". However, after 5 weeks of no news, I just found out yesterday that they have since revised this and files like ours have been set aside until they finish with all the files that do not have previos. (I won't even go into how bogus our previos were.) So at this point I am trying to find out what is really happening with these files. I will share what I find out. I would be very interested if anyone else has different information.
Hoping for us all. Jane

To Anon,
We had the BMI on or about 5/26, were told by PGN on 5/27 that we were with the 2nd reviewer and it would be "2 more weeks," then got kicked out on 5/30. We were re-submitted on 6/5 and out for good on 7/2. So,less than 40 days. I had called around 6/18 and was told another month. Glad they were wrong on that one!

Anon,
We were given a previo about a month after our BMI. Our attorney resolved the previo and resubmitted within a few days. We were signed off about a week later -- so I don't think it's always the case that you start at square one again. Even though we were signed off on July 3, our file wasn't released until just yesterday. So there is an extra two week delay in there some times. So, take heart, it may happen faster than you think.

Hi,

I have been in PGN a little over 5 weeks. Does anyone have any idea how long they are taking to make arrangements for the BMI or how long it takes to come out? I havent heard a thing. Wishing us all a speedy exit.

Thanks

Wow - guess it's safe to say (once again) that there is NO consistency and not to hope for anything in particular here. So different from our first adoption in 2004. I'm really sad because I just assumed we would just continue adopting until either we ran out of room in our house or ran out of money... certainly rethinking this strategy now that this has been such a negative and upsetting process this time around. I hate to be so negative, but it's frustrating when you see so many stupid errors being made and there is nothing you can do. If you call people on them, you risk them getting ticked off and deliberately sabotaging your case and refusing to give you information about your baby. I've not felt this helpless-ever. AAHHH!!

For those who asked above about the A#, it is the INS Registration number on the COC or it is also on the Visa in your child's Guat passport as the Registration number.

For any families that have recently brought home their child. How long did you have to wait for your "e-mail appointment time" from the US embassy to be issuesd once the embassy recevied the results of the 2nd DNA test? What time of the day was the e-mail sent? Also how long did you have from the e-mail notice to the appointment, I have heard they are about a week a part, is this accurate? Thanks in advance.

We are still having trouble with the BC been out of PGN for 5 weeks. Anyone have any thoughts? Know anyone to contact? Any progress with RENAP?

For anyone you has brought home their child recently. After the 2nd DNA test is received by the Embassy long has it taken to get the Visa Inteview appointment?

A - I have the same question. From what Ive heard - lots of people got their "pink email" the same day as the DNA results. Not me. Here I am.......waiting......

Soooo thankful to be at this point with at least one of my girls but at the same time I think people see my name on a file and say "lets make this one wait at little more!"

We just had our BMI and was told by our lawyer that everything went fine. How long does everything else take? Exit from PGN,2nd DNA, etc? Thanks

A - did you ever get pink? I'm wondering b.c I didnt.

Hi,
Just got the pink slip e-mail today, the appointment is for next Wednesday.
A

I to waited for 2 weeks for my pink. My case worker told me to e-mail the US Embassy because She said that I should have received the E-Mail bt then. Sure enough when I E-Mailed them they said I missed my appointment (I NEVER RECEVIED THE FIRST ONE). They were very nice about it and sent me a new appointment the following week.