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It is funny you guys are posting this~ Guess what I recieved in the Mail today? Angelena's Offical TX Birth Certificate~ She is offically a Texan, but now lives in CA~ I WOUNDN'T recommend the person I went through... If took FOREVER, and I ended up doing the last part of it myself. And spent more money... Good Luck~!!! PS... Miss you EJ!
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I don't know if anything has changed, but we did our reaffirmation of foreign adoption in texas ourselves. It was a piece of cake and not at all expensive. Here are the details:*NOTE: This is for if your child came home on an IR-3 visa ONLY.Texas fully recognizes foreign adoptions with the full validity of a natural-born child. There are some counties you DO NOT want to do your reaffirmation in...but others it will breeze through just fine. I have heard some are a nightmare because the judges are unfamiliar with the laws and try to ask for impossible documents and overcomplicate it. But I do know that Montgomery County and Waller County (both relatively near Houston) are two "good" ones where you will likely have no problem. I've heard Harris County (Houston) is awful to avoid them. There are few in/near Dallas that I've heard are really awful too. I used Waller County and it was really easy. (I don't even live in Waller -I just used them because others told how easy they make the process.)DOCUMENTS WE HAD READY:1.Photocopy of daughters birth certficiate in both spanish and english with a top cover sheet with an affidavit (statement swearing that we were stating it was a "true, unaltered" document); had our sworn statement notarized. 2. Photocopy of daughter's Adoption Decree in both Spanish and English with top cover sheet with an affidavit that it is a "true, unaltered" copy of the original; had our sworn statement notarized.3. Photocopy of our daughter's Guat Passport and US IR-3 VISA with an affidavit saying it is an unaltered copy of the original/ notarized.4. Photocopy of our daughter's Certificate of Citizenship with an affidavit saying it is a true copy/notarized.5. Photocopy of mine and my husband's driver's license with an affidavit saying it's a true copy/ notarized.6. Validation Petition to court to recognize foreign adoption and to court-order name change. (Link below - type out and print)7. Pre-filled out Validation Order to recognize foreign adoption and to court-order name change. If you are changing your child's name fill in all the information - if not, you can leave off the part at the bottom about the name change blank. (Link Below - type out and print. You have this already filled out so all the judge has to do is look at these documents and sign off!)8. Cover Letter to the District Clerk stating petition specifics.9. Copy of State Administrative Code that pertains to foreign adoptions. This helps out judges who aren't familiar with the process. 10. In Waller County, I believe the cost was $221 (that was almost 2 years ago, it wouldn't surprise me if the fee has changed. Make sure you check before making out a money order. Waller County did require a Money Order. I think there was a place right there you could use to buy the money order, though again, that was a while back so double check.)The District Clerk will pass your documents on to the judge. The judge will review them, sign the Order recognizing the adoption / ordering the name change. The District Clerk will give you several certified copies of the judge's signed order, as well as the form that you will need to send to the Bureau of Vital Satistics who will issue a Texas Certificate of Birth from Foreign Adoption. You have to get the form for the new birth certificate from the district clerk, because their office will put a seal on the form authorizing you to submit for the name change. I was a bit intimidated with the 1 page form the Bureau of Vital Statistics requires for the new birth certificate, but I called the Texas Vital Statistics Department - and they transferred me right over to the "adoption department" who helped me fill it out and answer all my questions. It was painless. The form requests information for the Texas Adoption Registry (asks for biological parent information). I did not have information about our daughter's biological father and there were a number of blanks I had to leave blank. I talked to the Bureau of Vital Statistics and they said that was fine. I had to pay the Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics a filing fee and a fee to receive a copy of the new birth certificate of adoption - combined total for them was $47 and they let me pay with personal check (but remember to check the cost - it may have changed since I did this). Shortly after you mail your fees and this form to the Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics, they will issue a birth certificate of foreign adoption with the NEW name. You can use the birth certificate of foreign adoption to get a social security card in your child's new name, a new Certificate of Citizenship in the new name if you want, etc. Also when your child needs a birth certificate for school, trips, etc, you can just call vitalchek and order it. Easy peasy.Okay, here are the specifics on which Texas District Clerk we used: Waller County Clerk's OfficeWaller County Distric ClerkPatricia J. Spadachene836 Austin Street, Suite 318Hempstead, Texas 77445 / Phone 979-826-7735The district clerk took the paperwork when we walked in at 8:30 am and asked if we wanted to wait just a bit and she would take it back to the judge to sign as soon as she got in. By 8:50 am, she had the signed court order back and in our hands. I believe you could even do this by mail, although I do not know that for sure. After we had the new birth certificate, we went to our local Social Security Administration office with a notarized "true" copy of the adoption decree in spanish and english, certificate of citizenship, her guatemalan passport, her texas court Order recognizing her adoption and order to change her name, and her new birth certificate. This step was free (at least when we did it). Her social security card arrived several weeks later.Here is the location to download the two forms you need to submit to the District Clerk: [url=http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/reqproc/forms.shtm#adoption]Texas Vital Statistics – Forms[/url]You will use two forms...VS 166.531 – Validation Petition and the VS 166.532 – Validation Order. You'll need to save the documents to your computer. The petition is what the court clerk presents to the clerk on your behalf. The order is what the judge signs and gives back to you. You need to go ahead and print out both and have ALL your information typed in. (The court clerk will put the right case numbers and judicial district numbers at the top, you can leave those blank.) Just have it all ready so all the judge has to do is sign. And of course take those other documents I mentioned above.I know this is long and looks like a lot, but it is really, really easy. And not at all expensive. You folks survived the mountain of paperwork for your adoptions. I promise this is easy, easy, easy. Good luck!P.S. I'm not a lawyer. Please do not substitute any of the above information in the place of legal advice from a licensed professional. Any questions about legal procedure should be directed to a licensed attorney. (There...had to cover my tail! )
Last update on September 3, 12:28 am by Sachin Gupta.
I don't know if anything has changed, but we did our reaffirmation of foreign adoption in Texas ourselves. It was a piece of cake and not at all expensive. Here are the details:*NOTE: This is for if your child came home on an IR-3 visa ONLY.Texas fully recognizes foreign adoptions with the full validity of a natural-born child. There are some counties you DO NOT want to do your reaffirmation in...but others it will breeze through just fine. I have heard some are a nightmare because the judges are unfamiliar with the laws and try to ask for impossible documents and overcomplicate it. But I do know that Montgomery County and Waller County (both relatively near Houston) are two "good" ones where you will likely have no problem. I used Waller County and it was really easy. (I don't even live in Waller -I just used them because others told how easy they make the process.)DOCUMENTS WE HAD READY:1.Photocopy of daughters birth certficiate in both spanish and english (though technically I think they only need the english) with a top cover sheet with an affidavit (statement swearing that we were stating it was a "true, unaltered" document); had our sworn statement notarized. 2. Photocopy of daughter's Adoption Decree in both Spanish and English with top cover sheet with an affidavit that it is a "true, unaltered" copy of the original; had our sworn statement notarized.3. Photocopy of our daughter's Guat Passport and US IR-3 VISA with an affidavit saying it is an unaltered copy of the original/ notarized.4. Photocopy of our daughter's Certificate of Citizenship with an affidavit saying it is a true copy/notarized.5. Photocopy of mine and my husband's driver's license with an affidavit saying it's a true copy/ notarized.6. Validation Petition to court to recognize foreign adoption and to court-order name change. (Link below - type out and print)7. Pre-filled out Validation Order to recognize foreign adoption and to court-order name change. If you are changing your child's name fill in all the information - if not, you can leave off the part at the bottom about the name change blank. (Link Below - type out and print. You have this already filled out so all the judge has to do is look at these documents and sign off!)8. Cover Letter to the District Clerk stating petition specifics.9. Copy of State Administrative Code that pertains to foreign adoptions. This helps out judges who aren't familiar with the process. (Edit: Their website will not let me link to this. Do a "google" search for the administrative code below...you will be able to find it by clicking on the appropriate title, chapter, subchapter, etc.: Texas Administrative Code Title 25, Part 1, Chapter 181, Subchapter B, Rule 181.29 which states the guidelines for this process.)10. In Waller County, I believe the cost was $221 (that was almost 2 years ago, it wouldn't surprise me if the fee has changed. Make sure you check before making out a money order. Waller County did require a Money Order. I think there was a place right there you could use to buy the money order, though again, that was a while back so double check.)The District Clerk will pass your documents on to the judge. The judge will review them, sign the Order recognizing the adoption / ordering the name change. The District Clerk will give you several certified copies of the judge's signed order, as well as the form that you will need to send to the Bureau of Vital Satistics who will issue a Texas Certificate of Birth from Foreign Adoption. You have to get the form for the new birth certificate from the district clerk, because their office will put a seal on the form authorizing you to submit for the name change. I was a bit intimidated with the 1 page form the Bureau of Vital Statistics requires for the new birth certificate, but I called the Texas Vital Statistics Department - and they transferred me right over to the "adoption department" who helped me fill it out and answer all my questions. It was painless. The form requests information for the Texas Adoption Registry (asks for biological parent information). I did not have information about our daughter's biological father and there were a number of blanks I had to leave blank. I talked to the Bureau of Vital Statistics and they said that was fine. I had to pay the Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics a filing fee and a fee to receive a copy of the new birth certificate of adoption - combined total for them was $47 and they let me pay with personal check (but remember to check the cost - it may have changed since I did this). Shortly after you mail your fees and this form to the Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics, they will issue a birth certificate of foreign adoption with the NEW name. You can use the birth certificate of foreign adoption to get a social security card in your child's new name, a new Certificate of Citizenship in the new name if you want, etc. Also when your child needs a birth certificate for school, trips, etc, you can just call vitalchek and order it. Easy peasy.Okay, here are the specifics on which Texas District Clerk we used: Waller County Clerk's OfficeWaller County Distric ClerkPatricia J. Spadachene836 Austin Street, Suite 318Hempstead, Texas 77445 / Phone 979-826-7735The district clerk took the paperwork when we walked in at 8:30 am and asked if we wanted to wait just a bit and she would take it back to the judge to sign as soon as she got in. By 8:50 am, she had the signed court order back and in our hands. I believe you could even do this by mail, although I do not know that for sure. After we had the new birth certificate, we went to our local Social Security Administration office with a notarized "true" copy of the adoption decree in spanish and english, certificate of citizenship, her guatemalan passport, her texas court Order recognizing her adoption and order to change her name, and her new birth certificate. This step was free (at least when we did it). Her social security card arrived several weeks later.Here is the location to download the two forms you need to submit to the District Clerk: [url=http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/reqproc/forms.shtm#adoption]Texas Vital Statistics ǖ Forms[/url]You will use two forms...VS 166.531 Validation Petition and the VS 166.532 ֖ Validation Order. You'll need to save the documents to your computer. The petition is what the court clerk presents to the clerk on your behalf. The order is what the judge signs and gives back to you. You need to go ahead and print out both and have ALL your information typed in. (The court clerk will put the right case numbers and judicial district numbers at the top, you can leave those blank.) Just have it all ready so all the judge has to do is sign. And of course take those other documents I mentioned above.I know this is long and looks like a lot, but it is really, really easy. And not at all expensive. You folks survived the mountain of paperwork for your adoptions. I promise this is easy, easy, easy. Good luck!P.S. I'm not a lawyer. Please do not substitute any of the above information in the place of legal advice from a licensed professional. Any questions about legal procedure should be directed to a licensed attorney. (There...had to cover my tail! )
Last update on February 25, 6:01 am by Sachin Gupta.
HI I'm wondering if anyone can help me with what is required to register a foreign adoption order in Texas . I have made several phone calls with no help. I have an Ontario adoption order but in order to make changes to my sons birth certificate which was issued in Texas I first need to have the foreign "Canadian" adoption order registered in the United States.
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Jessica- I am not quite sure waht you are asking but I am going to give it try. 1. Your son has a birth certificate from Texas2. You have an adoption order from Ontario Canada In order to move forward- and this is where I am not sure.In Texas you need to have a recognition of the adoption. In Ohio, where I am, it was part of the process to get my son an Ohio Birth Certificate. Look thru the paperwork from Texas and see if you have a judge's order on the adoption which granted your son the Texas birth certificate.If you have that, then you should be able to provide that to the Canadian authorities. But this all begs the question of why you need this. If your son was adopted in texas and you have a US birth certificate, you should not need to have a Canadian adoption completed. Unless there is a step parent adoption now taking place in Canada. In that case, the original paperwork from texas for the birth certificate should be sufficient. You may need to call the courts in Texas where your son's Birth Certificate is from or contact the US senator in Texas to help sort thru this.
I am trying to do a recognition of a foreign adoption, but every lawyer and social worker I talk to is telling me I need to readopt (which is quite costly) . I know this is not the case, so if anyone can point me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it. I live in Dallas county.