August 9, 2004
Dear Members of the American Adoption Community Interested in Ukraine:
I would like to take this opportunity to update you about recent trends in Ukraine's intercountry adoption program as well as outline some of the Embassy's continuing efforts to facilitate adoption processing of Ukrainian orphans by American parents. The Embassy's Consular Section remains dedicated to assisting American adopting parents in any way that we can. Although consular officers are prohibited by law from acting on behalf of individual American citizens with regard to their private legal matters, such as an adoption, there are ways we can help - most notably in the area of communication.
U.S. Embassy in Kiev Now Doing Complete Orphan Visa Processing
A number of significant changes have occurred since I last wrote a similar letter on adoptions this past March. First among them, we believe, is the initiation of complete orphan Immigrant Visa (IV) processing at the U.S. Embassy in Kiev on April 19, 2004. Since that date, we have successfully processed 230 orphan visas, and look forward to assisting many more American families in the weeks, months and years to come. We very much appreciated your patience during the initial start-up period, when we transferred over 1000 files from the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw to our office. We are pleased that American families no longer have to travel to Warsaw at considerable additional time and expense in order to complete their adoptions.
What you Need to Know to Book Your Orphan Visa Appointment at the Embassy
We ask each family to give at least three working days notice when booking their orphan visa appointment. This allows us to check and prepare all of your paperwork, and to schedule appointments in an equitable and rational manner. Appointment requests can be made by e-mail adoptionskiev@state.gov or by phone at 38-044-490-4422 or 490-4366. (Please note that an e-mail or voicemail request from you does not constitute a confirmed appointment. We will contact you to confirm the date and time.) Appointments for adopting parents in Kiev are available from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m., Monday through Thursday, except all Ukrainian and U.S. holidays. Please check the Embassy's Web site at http://www.usembassy.kiev.ua for a list of official holidays when the Embassy and the Consular Section are closed. Visas are normally ready for pick-up on the same day at 3:00 p.m.; therefore, you should not make plans to travel on the day of the interview.
Pardon our Mess: Consular Annex Will Soon be Under Construction
We eventually plan to transfer from Warsaw to Kiev all IV cases involving Ukrainian family members of American citizens and residents. In order to do this we need additional space. Renovation of the Consular Building is slated to begin at the beginning of September and last through December. We apologize in advance for the inconvenience this construction may cause American adopting families in the next several months as we strive to continue to expand and improve our services.
Useful Internet Information on Adoptions and Travel Registration
Our updated adoption flyer for Ukraine was completed in late spring, and is available on the web pages of the Department of State and U.S. Embassy Kiev (http://www.travel.state.gov/family/adoption_ukraine.html; http://www.usembassy.kiev.ua/amcit_adoptions_eng.html). We encourage all American parents to read the materials carefully, and to check our web page regularly for updates. Please also remember to register with the Embassy prior to traveling to Ukraine. The State Department recently launched a new, secure online registration website which allows you, as an American citizen, to record foreign trip and residence information that the Department of State can use to communicate with you and assist you in case of an emergency. U.S. citizens around the world who travel or reside abroad can access this site either through a link on http://travel.state.gov or directly at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs. The new Internet travel registration service for American citizens allows you to register and update your contact information on the Internet at any time, making it easier for you to keep your information current. The site also provides you with up-to-date travel information customized to your unique travel agenda and itinerary. The data you provide is secured behind Department of State firewalls, accessed only by cleared personnel in Embassies, Consulates, and the Department of State, and releasable only under the provisions of the Privacy Act.
Latest News from the Ukrainian National Adoption Center: Notarized Medical Forms
We are in regular contact with the Ukrainian National Adoption Center (NAC) as well as counterparts from other embassies whose citizens adopt in Ukraine. As soon as we learn of new NAC procedures or requirements, we send e-mail updates to our Adoption e-mail list, and post the information on our Embassy web page. For example, last month we publicized new information from the NAC about what they now require in the way of notarized medical forms for each parent.
NAC: Submission of Dossiers Up; Waiting Times Increasing; Three Times You're Out
During our mid-July meeting with the NAC Director, she said that submission of adoption dossiers by American families had increased dramatically - from roughly 200 submitted during the six-month period of July-December 2003 to nearly 650 during a similar period January-July 2004. As a result, the wait time for an appointment is increasing. The Director said that those who submit their dossiers now can expect to be scheduled for an appointment sometime in the beginning of 2005. She also said the NAC had noted an increase in submission of incomplete or improperly documented dossiers, and said that any dossiers denied registration three times due to lack of proper documentation would be permanently refused.
Pre-paid Express Mail Envelopes Still Encouraged; Dual-language Letters Helpful
We asked whether Americans were submitting and the NAC using pre-paid, pre-addressed international express mail envelopes (such as DHL and FedEx). (We had heard from a few families that the NAC had failed to use the submitted envelope.) The Director said the NAC found the pre-paid envelopes useful, but noted that recently fewer families appeared to be including them with their dossiers. I agreed to remind parents that they were welcome to submit the pre-paid express mail envelopes, as the NAC (and many parents) found this expedited means of communication worthwhile. I also took the opportunity to remind the NAC to please use the dual-language notification letters that the Embassy had translated for the NAC in order to benefit American parents, the majority of whom do not read Ukrainian. (Some families had complained that they received communication about dossier registration and appointment dates only in Ukrainian.) The Director agreed to look into this, and to ask her staff to use the bi-lingual letters.
NAC Says No More Simultaneous Multiple Adoptions Except for Biological Siblings
When we raised the issue of adoptions of multiple children at the same time, the NAC Director confirmed what we had heard from some facilitators and families - that the NAC would no longer process adoptions of two unrelated orphans on the basis of one dossier. According to the NAC, this was because the numbers of families wishing to adopt exceeded the number of children available - especially healthy, younger children. Currently only sibling groups may be adopted together. (Ukraine's Family Code forbids separation of siblings by adoption, and many orphans have siblings.)
We're Working on Behalf of American Parents and the Ukrainian Children They Adopt
We in the Embassy recognize that it's hard for American families to track changing policies at the NAC, and that often policy/procedural changes are not positive from the American adopting parents' perspective. Please be assured that we in the U.S. Embassy are always advocating on a collective basis on behalf of American families and looking for ways to work with the NAC to facilitate adoptions for the benefit of American families and the children they adopt. We look for ways to help - such as providing the bi-lingual notification forms; publicizing new information about medical form requirements; suggesting the NAC accept and use pre-paid international mailers from those parents who wish to speed up communications; helping to explain to the NAC why even Americans who already have multiple biological children would wish to adopt a Ukrainian child; explaining why single parents in the U.S. adopt and on what basis American social workers make their decisions about the fitness of parents to adopt...
Although we try to stay ahead of the information curve, and to publish information on changes in Ukrainian adoption laws and regulations just as soon as we receive it, sometimes the first notice we get of a new requirement or problem is when it is brought to our attention by a member of the American adoption community. We welcome your input, and hope you will feel free to e-mail us at adoptionskiev@state.gov.
Importance of Post-Adoption Registration and Placement Reports
As a final note, please remember that all parents who adopt in Ukraine must, as a condition of the adoption, sign an affidavit attesting to the fact that they will register their adopted child at the Ukrainian Embassy in D.C. (or nearest Ukrainian Consulate), and then submit the required post-adoption reports - once a year until the child is three years old; then every three years thereafter until the child turns 18. For your convenience, please note the following Ukrainian Embassy/Consulate Internet links:
For registration information: http://www.ukraineinfo.us/consular/adoption-registration.html
For post-adoption reports: http://www.ukraineinfo.us/consular/adoption-report.html
We understand post-adoption reports can now be submitted by e-mail: adoption@ukremb.com
Thank you for taking time to read this letter. If you are interested in receiving the Embassy's adoption e-mail updates, please contact adoptionskiev@state.gov to be put on our e-mail list. Let me confirm to you again that we in the Embassy are committed to providing a high level of service to all American citizens in Ukraine, including those who are adopting Ukrainian children. We look forward to working with you.
Sincerely,
MaryKay L. Carlson
Consul General