Homestudy/Fingerprint Updates

Fingerprints: We had our first set done in October 2002, which meant they would expire in January, so we had them redone in December, 2003. (I just sent a letter to the INS office that serves our state/city and asked for an FBI fingerprint update appointment to be added to our current adoption approval, already on file. I also sent a cashier's check for the $100 fee.) When we showed up at the fingerprinting site, the idiot at the info desk tried telling us that FBI fingerprints "are only good for one year!" (Obviously he didn't know about the length for adoptions, which IS 15 months!) Homestudy Update: In most states a homestudy is good for one year (and according to the U.S. embassy in Panama, we had to send them our update after it became a year old). This 6-month rule is ONLY for when you are first applying for INS approval to adopt (the I-600A). That means that if you are just now thinking about adopting from Panama and your homestudy is already 6 months old (or older), you WILL have to get an update done (which is much cheaper) and attach it to the original homestudy and submit both with your I-600A application. But for the rest of us, the homestudy update has to be sent to your state's INS office to be added to your already approved file if it is 1 year old, and THEY will wire (fax?) a copy to the U.S. embassy in Panama to go along with your I-171H approval that the embassy already has on file there. (A homestudy update is when the social worker who did your homestudy meets with you again, usually in your home, to verify that nothing has changed. If anything HAS changed, like a new address, a job change, birth of a child, etc., they MUST note that in the update. But they do NOT have to re-do the homestudy!)...They'll also redo the criminal and child abuse checks. As for Panama (according to our attorney), once the DNA has approved you as an adoptive family and you're just waiting for a referral, they don't need anything else from you. The JUDGE may require you to re-take your psych eval (like Lauri had to do) and maybe even a medical exam, but no new paperwork. Lauri, unless you're afraid you'll run out of time (homestudy over a year old, fingerprints over 15 months old, I-171H approval to adopt over 18 months old), there is no need to have any of those re-done/updated. The U.S. embassy can't force you to do something that is not required of ALL adoptive parents from the U.S. :D (That's why it's good to have a copy of all of these dates (from the INS Web site) with you when you go to the embassy---to show them that you did your homework.) ;) Rebecca --been through this process for so long I'm starting to feel like a pro! :rolleyes: P.S. We'll be reapplying for our I-600A (argh!) in April/May, since it expires in June. The good thing is the Web site still shows $460.

Unfortunately, our home study will be a year old this month and our fingerprints will expire the end of May. I don't want to get to Panama and find out that I need to re-do anything, so we are getting it all re-done now. Thanks for all the information. I should have checked sooner on things expiring because now I am worried about not being able to get the update to USCIS in time to get it to Panama. I will make sure to get a few notarized and apostilled copies to take with me. Thanks!

FYI I called our social worker and she was confused on why we would need to update our home study when nothing had changed. She only does updates when court certification is about to expire in Arizona (that is 18 months for Arizona). So, then I called the local INS (USCIS) officer that handles adoptions. She said the same thing. She said that all we needed was a 1 page letter stating that nothing in the home study had changed in the last year from our Social Worker (notarized of course). She also said that we could just hand carry it, since there have been no changes. She also scheduled us for federal re-fingerprinting which does have to be re-done ($100). Then I called the Panama Embassy to make sure. They said a 1 page letter would be fine. She directed me to the Internet site and said it is accurate. So, I am much calmer today knowing that all I need is a 1 page letter.

That's great news, Lauri! (Whew!) We, too, were going to handcarry our letter (2-page update, saying nothing had changed...notarized and apostilled), but since it has been taking so long, we just mailed it to them to add to our file in Panama. But we DO have 2 extra notarized/apostilled copies to carry with us...just in case. ;) Since you already have approval (I-171H), your fingerprint approval shouldn't take long. I believe they just re-check your background and forward the results to Panama. So you shouldn't have to worry about it. If you get to Panama and they aren't there, yet, you can always have the embassy people call the Arizona office to have them fax the results. :) See??? Nothing to worry about. (Ha!) Rebecca

I pray everyday that you are right on having nothing to worry about. :)))

Tee hee...Trust me, I'm praying everyday that we have all of our bases covered and nothing to worry about, too! By the way, do you know when the U.S. embassy will be moved to Fort Clayton? Also, do you know if they have a Web site? (I found the ambassador's Web site (who lives in Panama---linked from the State Dept.), but haven't found an embassy site with this kind of info. Thanks, Rebecca

I talked with the Immigration area in Panama yesterday, and they directed me to the USCIS.gov site. They said everything is on that site. Here is what they told me we needed: - Child Birth Certificate - Child Passport - Court Documents -- Final Sentencing giving us either Temporary Custody with approval to travel outside Panama or Final Custody -- Termination of Parental Rights documents - Dossier that was submitted to the court - 2 pictures of child (2X2) - Home Study (which is part of the dossier - update if over 1 year old and update can be 1 page saying nothing has changed) All of these must be translated into English. Investigation would take 2-3 weeks (could be shorter). The Embassy moved to Fort Clayton on March 11th, 2004. They were closed that day and re-opened on Clayton on March 12th, 2004. The Immigration area is only opened for walk-in business from 8am-11am M-F to take documents. But call them before you go to ensure their hours have not changed since they moved. Their number is (507)207-7000 (ask for Immigration area). They speak English and are willing to answer all questions. (They do take a lunch break from 1-2pm daily.) Hope this helps.

Lauri, What is this referring to? "Investigation would take 2-3 weeks (could be shorter)" Thanks, Julie

I have been warned - this is the embassy is telling everyone & it goes along with what is said in the U.S. embassy letter that you get after your I600A is submitted. (The letter with the blue and yellow high lights all over the place). It simply means they (the US embassy) have the right to conduct their own background check to determine that your child is really an "Orphan" by I600 standards. This could take 2-3 weeks. Good news is - in the most recent case with My agency they got this warning but guess what - it only took 2 days! So as long as your agency/lawyer followed normal channels to terminate parental rights, you shouldn't see a problem. THis is just to protect against certain situations in other countries & with other agencies where they were "paying" birth mothers for children.

Lauri, What's the "child passport"? Is that the child's visa application (to immigrate to the U.S.), or do we also need to apply to get the child a passport as well? Thanks, Rebecca

I believe the child must have a Panamian passport presented to the US Embassy when you turn in your I-600. It is one of the required documents. I have sent the requirements to our agency as most of the documents have to be gathered by them. I will let you know what I find out from them.