Chinese adoption without travel ever??

...Chinese adoption law and policy. And the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou (the only Consulate in China that issues adoption visas) will ensure that no child gets an adoption visa unless a valid adoption has been completed under Chinese law.With Chinese adoptions, at least one parent MUST travel to receive the child and finalize the adoption in the province where the child is living. There are no exceptions under any circumstances -- not even for people of Chinese ethnicity, who have some advantages during the adoption process. This has been the case for quite a few years, and there hasn't been any talk of changing the law in this area.I must tell you -- having adopted my daughter from China in 1997 -- that the travel is a truly wonderful part of the adoption experience. You will see your child's province, as well as some other parts of China, and your pictures and memories will help your child appreciate his/her rich heritage as he/she grows up. You will discover that most Chinese LOVE Americans and appreciate what you are doing for children who need families, and you will be able to convey to your child the warmth and generosity of the Chinese people. At the same time, while you fall in love with China, you will also feel a very special sense of pride in your own nation as you enter the U.S. Consulate and photograph your child in front of the flag of the country of which she will soon be a citizen.I would strongly recommend that both husband and wife travel, if it is at all possible. Although I am single, I observed the married couples in my group and have since talked with many others about their travel experiences. My understanding is that it is a truly marriage enhancing experience. Before you actually reach your child's city, you may stay a few days in a place like Hong Kong to rest up from jet lag and celebrate a "second honeymoon" -- sharing time together in a way that won't be possible for a good while once you have your child. And experiencing together the very sacred and special moments of meeting your child, agreeing to become his/her forever parents, learning new things about him/her minute by minute, and even sharing the "labor" of the long flight home will make your bonds to each other stronger.There are some practical reasons for having both parents travel, as well. For one thing, if one parent travels, your child will not become an automatic citizen as soon as he/she sets foot in the U.S. You will have to readopt your child in the United States before automatic citizenship takes effect. For another, there is additional paperwork to do for the U.S. Consulate; as an example, you will have to deal with a very cumbersome document called the I-864 Affidavit of Support and will have to bring a bunch of tax forms to China. But it is good that China offers married couples the option of having just one spouse travel, as it is simply a necessity for some people. There are many countries that require both spouses to travel -- especially countries in Eastern Europe.It is actually not that common for children to be escorted. The main country that permits escort is Korea. With Korean adoption you don't actually adopt overseas; the child is brought to the U.S. under a decree of guardianship, for adoption here. With countries like Guatemala, where escort is an option, if you don't travel, the adoption goes through without you seeing the child first; it may make you feel a little unsettled that everything is signed and sealed before you have a chance to meet the little person who will be sharing your life.I would be delighted to talk with you further about adoption in China, the travel, etc. Please don't hesitate to contact me at sak9645@starpower.net.Sharon

Thanks for the info. We would love to be able to travel, but for health reasons, I just can't. We miss out on lots of things because of my health, including the ability to carry a baby full term. That's why we want to adopt. I love the idea of it being a 2nd honeymoon. :) Oh well. I just couldn't get China out of my mind but I know I have to. Thanks and Congratulations!

hi, please consider adopting from your local foster care agency, we have adopted 4 children, all under the age of 15 months when we got them, 2 were newborns. it was by far the best thing we ever decided to do!

Is it possible that your husband could travel instead of both of you? If work related issues are the reason that he might not be able to travel, FMLA requires (if he is with a company that employs at least 50 people) employers to allow time off work - and in some states pay 6 weeks of unemployment- for baby bonding after giving birth or adopting. Also, China is now very particular about both parents being healthy, so without delving into your personal health issues, you might not qualify for adopting from China now that they've changed the requirements.

I'm not sure what your medical issues are, but there are some countries that allow escorted adoptions. We adopted two boys from Korea and had them escorted. My husband had a blood clot following surgery in 1999 and his doctor advised him against long flights. Best wishes to you as you make your decision. Cathy

Hi, We have adopted from China and Taiwan. Taiwan only requires a 3 day in-country stay. Realistically, you have to look at 1-2 days travel on each end of the trip. So, it'd be realistic to think of a 5-7 day trip. BTW, I have some medical issues that impact my ability to travel internationally. For the first adoption, I had planned to go and for the second, we knew ahead of time I'd stay home with our first child. While travel would be nice, I can honestly say that there was no negative impact on my not being able to to go.

Is it Korea that has an escort that brings the baby to the US? I think I've seen that on the show "Adoption Stories" before. Best of luck to you & your family!

You have to travel to china, in order to adopt a child.But please be aware of scams it happening to foreigners. Hey everyone, since my publication of ads for work I have been requested for several shady deals here in thebeijinger. SO i want to post this out for =eople to beware scammers out there. Anyways, from the start this guy sounded a bit strange, but I just assumed his =nglish wasn't very good so he couldn't communicate well. Here's the =tory: I just recently posted an ad on here looking for work and got a call from = "professor" of ligong da xue telling me they have some sort =eeting and they want foreigners there, and because I was looking for part-time =ork as an actor this would be good. (which means to me they are looking for =ctors?) First he said he worked for the university, then he said that the meeting is =or the Olympics and put up by the Olympics. And I would have to be on for 5 =inutes talking about the olympics and beijing. Now i'm a bit confused in how the olympics has anything to do with =igong daxue, or acting, but I continue listening and asking for more =etails. And he said there will be many companies and businesses there. So i ask =quot;is this setup by the Inernational Olympic Committee, or the China Olympic Committee? Of which he says that the meeting is put up by many =ompanies. So i ask, who is putting this meeting up exactly? Of which he now replies =enovo. (hmm... confusion level rising) Now i'm thinking How does Lenovo, the olympics, acting, their school and I =ave anything in common? He's obviously beating around the bush on something. Most calls that are for =egit work call and tell me right away where they work, what they are doing, =hat they need and the pay. This guy was just not being clear about anything. =ut anyways, i passed it on to a chinese speaker so he could speak to them =n Chinese. Then he tried explaining, in Chinese, while my friend got all the details and =hen the guy somehow just got either a)upset or b) really nervous as to =iguring out his scam. So he cut the conversation off while insulting =s. When I called him back to tell him to speak to foreigners more directly so we =an understand and not say things that aren't, he started yelling and =nsulting me in Chinese with very advanced language such as: F*#$ your Mother... etc =tc. Now, i've never heard any professor here in China using such language =o that immediately told me something was up. Anwyays, now I keep getting harrassing calls from him, telling me he has my phone =umber and that i should be scared. (scared of what? I don't know. I can get a =ew phone number just as easy as i got this one lol) But seriously. Guys, beware of anyone calling saying they're from ligong =axue.

I think you need to travel ( ) to China if you want to adopt from there. It is necessary. I guess you want to save your time. But this will be great for the child. You will be able to learn about their cultures and people of China. It will help you build your sense about adopting form China.