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Do remember that, even if Vietnam reopens in February, U.S. citizens will not be able to adopt there until the U.S. government determines that the country's new Hague-compliant system is likely to eliminate the sorts of corruption that occurred during the past two periods when it was open. Having gotten "burned" twice, and having gotten enmeshed in the sad business of having to deny visas to some children who were already adopted by American citizens, because of questions about how they were procured and whether they were actually orphans, the U.S. government can be expected to take its time to evaluate the situation. My feeling is that it could take at least a few months, and possibly a good deal longer, for a formal U.S. decision to allow Americans to adopt from Vietnam again. Also, any new program must be considered high risk until it has a track record. Even if an agency has worked in Vietnam before, it is going to have to proceed under new rules and procedures, and all kinds of glitches can occur. If you are rather risk-averse, you may want to wait until your agency has several months of experience with the new adoption program, and can assess true time frames and costs. You may also want to wait until it seems clear that the U.S. government is truly satisfied that the new rules are actually working to prevent the exploitation of children and birthparents, as well as adoptive parents. Sharon