The Sealed Envelope...

I think it would be a good idea to ask your agency. It may be different for different countrys. We adopted from Kazakhstan and live in Michigan. Once we landed in the US (Chicago) and went through immigration (they kept our sealed envelope) our son was a US citizen...no green card needed. A few months later we received his certificate of citizenship. Good Luck

If your child came home on an IR-3 visa (meaning that both parents traveled and saw the child BEFORE a final decree of adoption was issued by the foreign country), you will NOT get a green card for him, since he became a U.S. citizen as soon as he entered the U.S. You should get a certificate of citizenship within 60-90 days of your entry into the U.S. If your child came home on an IR-4 visa, meaning either that only one spouse or neither spouse traveled and saw the child prior to the issuance of the final adoption decree OR that the child was not actually adopted in the foreign country but traveled home under a decree of guardianship for adoption in the U.S., then you are technically supposed to get a green card for him, though many families never receive one. It's really no big deal if you don't get a green card for an IR-4 child, however, unless you need to travel out of the U.S. with him. The main reason is that the "A-number" (alien registration number) stamped in your child's foreign passport is the same number that appears on the green card. It proves that he came to the U.S. as a legal permanent resident, and can be used for Social Security and other purposes. Once you readopt in your state of residence, you can file the N-600 and obtain a certificate of citizenship for your son. That is all you really need. If you feel that you must have a green card for your son, so that you can travel abroad with him, you should contact your USCIS office. It is possible that your post office returned the paperwork to the USCIS as undeliverable, because it didn't recognize your son's Ethiopian name as a valid one at your address. It is also possible that the card got lost en route. In many cases, the USCIS will ask you to fill out a certain form for replacement of a missing green card. A new card should be sent out to you. Sharon

Both times I entered the country with adopted children, the customs person looked through the envelope and then gave it back to me and sent me to another room to talk to someone from USCIS. This second person kept the envelope. Sounds like maybe you never made it to the second room? I would call USCIS right away and ask what to do now. When I went through customs with my Liberian kids, the officer there told me that a lot of people don't realize that they're supposed to do this second step and they leave the airport with their paperwork. He said that as far as immigration goes, your kids are "in never never land" if you don't give them paperwork at the airport. I don't think it's a reason to panic, but I would talk to USCIS as soon as possible. It sounds like your child never made it into the USCIS system. Just for reference, if you have an IR-4 visa you are supposed to receive a "Welcome Letter" within 30 days of entering the US and your green card should be there within 60 days of entering the US. If one or both don't happen, call USCIS.

I second WhitmireFamily. Assuming an IR4 visa, while you probably technically you don't need the Green Card, I would be concerned like she said that your child never made it into the system. The packet definetly should have stayed with Immigration. You should have received a Green Card or COC (depending on visa type) by now, so I would definetly follow up. Good luck!

Jenny,I saw your request on the other group and meant to reply but couldn't find the post. I came through DC. I had Agent Grumpy. He looked thrugh the packet and kept it. He waved us through. About 2 weeks later I got a letter from Homeland Security saying there was an error made and I needed photo copy B's Ethiopian passport and send it to them. I think I got her resident card in about 2 weeks after that. I would contact USCIS and see if there is an issue.Samantha

Great. Yes, we came in on an IR-4. That would explain why we're home 12 weeks and NOTHING from USCIS. We never got into that second room that Rachel mentioned. I'm off researching the website to see if I can find our local office phone number or email address.:hissy: :hissy:

Ok, I was looking around the USCIS site. We're in the process to re-adopt now and may or may not be done by the end of the year, depending on how busy our local court system is. Since we'll get a new BC then and Josh will legally become a citizen, I plan to get his COC next year. So then, is getting his official greencard necessary? I guess it is, since the website says we'll need his Alien Receipt Number and I don't have a clue where else that would be except for a greencard. Our entire process went so smooth, I should have expected this, but I didn't. Oh, hi Rachel! I get a kick out of your blog. Lillian's veil hairstyle looked really god the other day! I have a hard enough time keeping up with Josh's head of curls!

Hi Jen! I didn't realize that was you. :) I'm having a blast with Lillian's hair! I don't know how important the green card is. No one has ever asked me for Jayden's. But, I always felt better having it in case someone did ask. :) Don't you need the green card to apply for a SSN? I thought you did. Maybe not.

Rachel, I don't know about the SSN. I've spent forever searching the USCIS website in search of an email address and I can't come up with anything, and all I can find is the generic customer service phone number. Does anyone have any other contact information? I've heard you get a fairly quick response with email, but I can't find an address.Thanks!

To Jen C: The Alien Registration Number (also called the "A-number"), which is found on the visa stamp in your child's foreign passport. It is exactly the same number that is on your child's green card. Sharon

While some SS officials will demand the green card, they technically do not need it and you CAN make an issue of it. All they need is the child's Alien Registration Number, which proves that he/she entered the U.S. legally. That number is on the child's visa stamp in his/her foreign passport. Many internationally adopted kids never get green cards. Either they come in on IR-3s and get automatic citizenship or the cards go astray in the mail or something else, and the parents never bother to send in the paperwork for a missing card because they aren't planning to travel. They can STILL get SSNs. Sharon

Yay! Thank you for your wealth of info Sharon! I had noticed the registration number on Josh's visa (IR-4) and wondered if it was the same things as an alien registration number. So since we're in the process of re-adoption here and he will officially become a citizen then, then this really isn't that big of a deal? I've been driving myself half crazy with this all weekend! Patience and tolerance for mistakes professionals make are NOT my strong points!:arrow: Thanks again, all! J

We're wanting to use n IR-4 for our adoption and are having a hard time getting an attorney that knows how to do it. Can you give me any info on how your adoption took place when you returned home. Did your agency do it all or did you have to use a lawyer? Thanks!!K

Krendi: As I explained in another thread, you don't have a choice as to whether or not you obtain an IR-4 or IR-3 visa for a child. The rules are very simple. To get an IR-3 visa, two things must happen. First, you must complete a final adoption in the child's birth country. And, second, if you are a married person, BOTH spouses must travel to the foreign country and see the child BEFORE the issuance of the final adoption decree in that country. Since most countries' laws won't let you take a child to the U.S. without a final decree of adoption, and since many countries want both parents present for the adoption formalities, IR-3 visas are fairly common in international adoption. IR-4 visas are issued under two scenarios. The first scenario is if you adopt from a country that allows you to bring the child to the U.S. and finalize here. An IR-4 must be issued if the adoption isn't finalized overseas and the child travels home under a decree of guardianship. There aren't all that many countries that allow this approach. You are interested in Mexico, and Mexico does NOT allow it. If a foreign country does not allow the guardianship approach, the U.S. will not issue a visa to a child. An IR-4 visa is also issued if you DO get a final decree of adoption overseas, but both spouses in a married couple, or a person adopting as a single, do not travel and see the child before the issuance of that decree. As an example, China issues a final decree of adoption, but it will grant the adoption even if only one spouse is able to travel to meet the child and go through the finalization. If both spouses travel, an IR-3 is issued; if only one spouse travels, and IR-4 is issued. If your child gets an IR-3 visa, you do not have to readopt or do a recognition in your home state, unless your state requires it. Some parents CHOOSE to readopt for a variety of reasons, however, and I can go into that in a separate post if you are interested. Your child becomes a U.S. citizen automatically, and a certificate of citizenship is issued automatically within about 2-3 months of your arrival home. If your child travels home on an IR-4 visa because only one parent or neither parent traveled and saw the child prior to an overseas finalization, you MUST readopt or do a recognition in your home state. Your child will not become a U.S. citizen automatically until you complete the readoption or recognition, and you will need to file the N-600 (and pay the fee) to obtain a certificate of citizenship. If your child travels home on an IR-4 because he/she was not actually adopted overseas, but came home on a decree of guardianship, then you must do an adoption in your home state. Your child is not eligible for citizenship until the adoption is finalized, and you will have to file the N-600 to get a certificate of citizenship. Sharon