[coachmom]

has anyone had to pay for translator fees when visiting? Our agency just told us that we need to pay for this($50.00) and then on pick-up, we pay $200 for them to take us to Embassy and do this again.
Doretta

[jroandco]

we have a translator fee as well. we knew about it from the beginning though. it was in the information packet we received from our agency, even before we filled out the first application.

jessica

[BabyRafe]

Ok I know I will have a translator but there has been no mentiont of having to pay extra...I am going to call my agency now!!

[JohnnaMJH]

Our agency sends a translator when the baby is given to the family, no fee is charged. They usually also arrange for an escort to the Embassy. The only fee is the tip that most people do give.

[DPline]

When we visited, we requested a translator (we knew the children's foster mothers and the attorneys didn't speak English and our spanish is not good) and we knew we would be paying her by the hour.

For Lauren's pickup trip I was rather shocked when we were told just a few days before I left that I would have to pay for the translator to take us to the Embassy as well as part of the fee for a rental car (there were several of us going the same day.) After three visit trips we had become rather friendly with the woman hired to translate. She had been SO helpful and kind I didn't begrudge her the money, but it would have been nice if our agency had been more upfront about these additional expenses.

[khaki17]

I would refuse the escort to the embassy. You can do it yourself. It is very easy. You do not need a translator (it is the USA embassy after all) and you do not need someone there with you. We went ourselves, and it was no big deal. You just need to have the paperwork with you. The only nice thing is that an escort will stand in line for you. But, the line moved fairly quickly so that was no big deal. We even had to go get passport pics retaken because they were refused by the embassy. Again, it was very easy.

[coachmom]

I think though that I would very nervous about doing it by myself-is it really that easy? Wouldn't you still have to pay the facilitator to bring the baby though to you at the hotel? Doretta

[GabeMom]

Hi Doretta,

You do not pay the facilitator to bring the baby to the hotel. The facilitator is the one that gets the biggest portion of country fees. As far as translators go, we have had to wing it while down there. We paid the concierge $20 to translate for 5-10 minutes.

[Laurie5401]

Our agency told us up front in the materials that the fee is $100 each time (visiting and pick up) for translator/escort to Embassy. My understanding is that the translator they use is actually a relative of the attorneys, and she is well-connected and friendly with a lot of officials there, so we'll be getting more than just a translator.