Warnings on Vietnam Adoption

Cakewalk? Come Sept 1 of 2008 you have better have received a referral, traveled, done the G&R, and come back or you go looking for another country to adopt from.

ah! I don't know when adoption stops being so stressful! But do you really think that adoptions in process will not be grandfathered in? Because I have been waiting for my referral since last summer and I think I will have a referral by then, but certainly not be safely home! UGH! I don't mean to start a panic, but I am a bit panicked after reading this... Anyone have any insight from their agency or thoughts? Thanks! Bonnie

I think no one knows right now. We get weekly and sometimes twice weekly updates since we joined our agency. Our agency has always been extremely helpful and this time is the the first time that I have seen them say "We do not know". So I suppose you can look at it in one of two ways. No one REALLY knows anything (which is probably the real truth in all of this but to me just as scary). The race is on and if you do not cross the finish line on Sept 1 2008, then you need to start looking elsewhere. I am not sure why something would be grandfathered in in this case. Both nations are saying adoptions between them will end on Sept 1 unless things change. So, we are discussing things with our agency today and will begin researching other agencies dealing with other nations (our agency is limited to only a half dozen nations). I am usually a glass is half full type of person, but right now, we have to plan for the worst. We'll stick it though to the end but will have a back-up plan and paperwork ready for another route when everything goes south. In the end, unless the agency can guarantee something (and they cannot) you have to plan for something else. I am not suggesting people quit out of Vietnam programs, but rather, do not be surprised to hear bad news come autumn. If you are at the end of a VERY long list and looking at at least 12 to 20 months then I'd suggest researching other nations.

Oh, and this is one of those things I would LOVE to be wrong about. For what that's worth.

Having been through this once with a Guatemalan adoption and seeing what those poor PAP's are going through now, I say proceed with lots of caution. I am paper ready, including I-171, but am now looking elsewhere. I will do everything in my power to not be put through another shut down, even if it means I cannot adopt again. Diane

How heartbreaking for all members of the triad. When trying to figure out what program fit our needs for our second adoption, Vietnam was a very strong consideration. We've had many friends who were in our travel group when we adopted our daughter from China, select Vietnam. Sadly, 2 families are with agencies that partner with faciliators/orphanages in the 2 provinces that are currently shut down. Their agencies don't seem to have any options for these families. I've also heard that some families think the whole program could shut down as early as March :( I'm so sorry for all in involved. It seems like such a tough time in so many IA programs currently. One year ago, when we were looking, there were struggles in China, Guatemala, Korea and Russia. Taiwan and Vietnam looked like the best options for us. We selected Taiwan (but were very close to opting for Vietnam) and I can say that Taiwan has had some major ups and downs too. I always say that it ok for IA to be difficult......but it shouldn't be this difficult. Hang in there everyone.

I hope they can come to an agreement. It seems as if both sides WANT to keep adoption open there. And there are so many kids there who need homes and families. I get mostly frustrated at the agencies who umbrella with other agencies and the people who break the rules. It doesn't benefit the kids. It's getting harder and harder to find international options for adopting, but these kids in orphanages for the most part are not going away. So hopefully by the time I get a job and get things together this program will still be there. I'm also going to pursue state adoption when I am ready.

Hi! I just want to say Thank you for explaining further. I will have to try to reach my agency. I don't know that my husband and I will have many more options with countries as they all seem to be getting stricter and the waits are getting longer. I guess what is meant to be is meant to be, but I really appreciate the info b/c I want to make a decision before referral time for sure. Thanks! Keep the info coming :-) And sorry we all have to go through this stress!

My heart is also with all of the PAPS who are trying to build their famlies through international adoption. I have also seen how hard IA has gotten in the past year--too hard. I wish everyone in process the best. Amy K, NJ

i posted this in the wrong place before so here i am correcting myself The agency we are about to sign with is accepting a limited number or applicants into this program. From what I was told the director of the agency took a trip to VN this last week to discuss the issues and was told that as long as the USCIS received the papers before sept 01 they would be grandfathered in. Now reading this i dont know what to think, should we home for the best and start our homestudy or should run the opposite way as fast as we can ?

The agency I used for my Guatemala adoption is no longer accepting applications for Vietnam- due to the high demand. There are hundreds of PAPs who are hoping their adoption process in Guat will be grandfathered in - but it is a hope not a guarantee. The DOS has been advising folks not to accept a referral from Guat for several months now. My agency stopped giving referrals back in August because they knew the chances of them being completed by year end were pretty low. The sad thing is that once you see a picture of your referral it's too easy to let your heart grow even if you are being advised it might not actually happen. So, for those who are interested in adopting from Vietnam I'd really make sure your agency has contingency plans. IA is not easy, nor should any adoption be easy but ... the options are being continuously limited - and not just for single aparents but for married folks also.

I don’t want to scare anyone but….. If you are not already in a Vietnam program then it would be a very bad idea to jump into a sinking boat. We mustn’t forget the facts of the situation: 1. Over 2000 families are listed as to having requested a visa for a Vietnamese child. 2. Statistically, Vietnam has never placed more than 300 children within one year. There WILL be roughly 1700 families forced to move on without a child from Vietnam if the program closes in September. 3. There is a minimum 90 day wait for your final visa approval 4. In March we will know if the MOU was amended or signed (or not). If not Adoptions are to stop September 1st 2008 (less than 6 months later) 5. There still is a minimum 2 weeks travel to consider 6. Some Families who filed for visa's the day AFTER the I600 (in October) rules changed are still waiting in VIETNAM! This trend shows that there is no promise of accepting applications the 2nd of September. 7. We now need exactly 105 days (plus the time to accept the referral - say 2 weeks , so 120 days) to complete an adoption. This means that if you don't have your referral by MAY 4th then you may just be out of luck! 8. Most waiting time lines are 12-20 months (with only 8 months to go) So if in May you haven’t hit your 12+ month of waiting… serious second options should be considered. 9. Some families may opt to leave their dossiers with Vietnam in hopes of the program re-opening eventually (many of the first to adopt from Vietnam this time around were such parents from the last closure) 10. No one knows anything, that alone should tell you something. I know this seems really pessimist but I figured that you may want to see things from a numerical perspective. BUT keep in mind that if in March the MOU IS signed and amended then none of this will matter and everything should be fine. If you are not yet logged in with the IAD as a PAP, then I would definitely wait until the 1st of April. I would also consider Vietnam as a second choice and start looking for a more solid 1st choice. Sorry to be such a spoil sport, really really sorry.

Hi All, In the event that the MOU is not renewed, you are all wondering what may happen. I adopted 7 days before the last closure, I know how you all feel. The Vietnamese have been very quite over the last month or two, I suppose they are allowing USDOS make the running. If the MOU is not renewed they are going to have to make some type of statement, from experience I think they will set a date around the middle of July, a cut off date, people who have received a referral before that date will be processed. That is what they did before the last closure. PAP's were processed and G & R's went on 4/5 months after the official close off date. I think that USDOS will go along with that arrangement. As one previous poster said there are currently 2,000 US dossiers in Hanoi waiting to be processed, Mr. Kanah of the DIA stated that in a recent interview to a Vietnamese paper, how are they going to process the backlog. There are a group of 8 PAP's travelling from Ireland this week, you have to factor in the dossiers of other countries who have a MOU. I have listened for years to stories from Agency owners, facilitators, program co-ordinators who have travelled to Vietnam and brought back great news about their specific programs, all to end in tears. I suppose you have to ask the question are they in business for humanitarian reasons or are they in business to make money. I for one would not sign up with any agency who is currently open to take applications for Vietnam until after the March decision on the MOU. If you do, make sure there is a clause in your contract that you get a FULL refund if the program closes. At the end of this month the list of agencies who are Hague compliant is going to be published, why not ask your agency if they are going to be on this list. Brendan

Just to add to what I have already said: 820 visas were issued to US adoptive familys adopting in Vietnam in 2007 20 NOIDS were issued, there were also a number of Pre-NOIDS asking for more information. 100, 1-600 cases have been processed since November 2007, most within the 60 days. Brendan

This is from the DOS site specific to VN orphan visas issued to the US alone. As you can see, well over 300 Visas were issued for VN orphans to the US in 2001 and 2002 and even when the program shut down in 2003 there were still more than 300 issued. Based on these #'s specific to VN, there is no way they only placed 300 children in any year based solely on the # of orphan visa issued to the US. PATTERNS OF IMMIGRATION OF ADOPTED ORPHANS TO THE U.S.: Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to Vietnamese orphans. Please note that the Government of Vietnam suspended intercountry adoptions with the United States in 2003, after which time only very rare exceptions were granted.

Fiscal Year

Number of Immigrant Visas Issued

FY 2005

6

FY 2004

21

FY 2003

328

FY 2002

766

FY 2001

737