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USCIS has just released the following announcement.   The best course of action is to file for the child's green card before May 1.  Please see your immigration attorney right away if you have a pending case of SIJS: Employment-Based Fourth Preference (EB-4) Visa Limits Reached for Special Immigrants From El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for May 2016 reflects a final action date  of January 1, 2010, for EB-4 visas for special immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. This means that starting in May, applicants from these countries who filed Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant on or after January 1, 2010, will not be able to obtain an immigrant visa or adjust status until new visas become available. These three countries have reached their EB-4 visa limits as congressionally mandated for fiscal year 2016, which ends September 30. Information on EB-4 visa availability for fiscal year 2017 ...

I have been assisting several families adopting from Nigeria over the years. ows the process to adopt from this country.  Here is a brief overview of the process. There is always the question of who can adopt? You not only have to meet the requirements of the U.S. Immigration but you also have to meet the requirements of Nigeria.The Nigerian process varies by the Nigerian state in question.  Most states require that the adoptive parents be Nigerian citizens or of Nigerian descent. In certain states you have to at least be 25 years old and 21 years older than the child.  There is a mandatory foster care period where the adoptive parents care for the child prior to the adoption being finalized in Nigeria. The entire process is handled through the state Ministry of Women's Affairs. The Ministry of Women's Affairs is essential to the adoption.  They make the determination that adoption is in the child's best interests, match the child with the adoptive parents, and visit...

Want to adopt but finances are low? There are loans and grants that you can apply for in order to help with the costs.  It's not going to be easy and the money won't all come from one place.  Also, you need to realize that all of your costs will not be fully covered, but it will help.  Don't get discouraged if one option does not work for you; keep trying until you find one that does.  Some things to look into: Your home bank : Consider starting here, they will have a better chance at refinancing your current mortgage or helping you take out a home equity loan.  Research outside lenders : America's Christian Credit Union is one of the best. Zero-interest lenders : It might be hard to believe but there are a few lenders out there that provide loans with no interests.  One of the most popular is Pathways for Little Feet .   Consider a combination of a grant and loan:  An example would be A Child Waits ; they can provide grants as well as low to no...

Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) recently released their data from FY2014.  There data shows that there was an increase of children coming into the system and a decrease of children leaving, making the population in the system grow.  From last year, the overall increase was 3425 more children waiting for permanency. We can't say why the number is increasing--it's too early to have any definite answers. Rafael Lopez, Commissioner of the Department's Administration on Children, Youth and Families said,   "We are concerned about any increases in the foster care number, and we are working hard with our state partners to better understand the reasons behind the increase". Some possible explanations are: Shift in focus from family preservation to child safety : There used to be a focus on reunification and now the system is focusing on the safety of the child.  Social workers are asking more questions and noticing more and more red flags w...

The Creating a Family website gives some excellent tips on what to expect when you are adopting siblings. Part of social worker's job is trying to keep siblings together if possible, and this priority of placement is statutory.  However, the child's best interest are paramount. Not all sibling placements are successful and sometimes, it is best for the emotional health of one child for the siblings to be separated. We have worked with sibling groups who have been adopted by one family successfully.  We have also worked with sibling groups who have each been adopted by different families and the adoptive families have done a great job of helping their child grow and change while maintaining the sibling bond with regular visits and communication. There are unique challenges and blessings of adopting siblings.  For the child, it is comforting to have a family member transition with them into the new placement who already knows them and their history well.  The child is ...

I'm often asked how adoptive parents and birth parents connect with each other.  If they are not matched though a licensed agency, how do they meet and determine that they would like to proceed with a direct parental placement or independent adoption? I have found the number one way that adoptive parents and birth parents connect is through word of mouth.  A common example is that the adoptive parents had let it be known that they were interested in adopting and someone in their circle of friends or acquaintances learned of a birth mother who was exploring adoption. Other tips include sending out your profile to adoption attorneys who connect directly with birth parents.  If you do that, you could find the list of reputable adoption attorneys at  www.adoptionattorneys.org .  Narrow down your mailing to attorneys in the state where you live or where you have other ties.  If the adoption occurs across state lines, you will be staying in the state where the ch...