[earthmama17]

Just completed my adoption a few months ago, but might be at this again. I contacted my agency and told them I might be starting the process again soon and they said that my I 171 H is good until the end of the year, so therefore good through the DNA testing if I act quickly. Then, I would just have to get a new I 171 (when the current one expires) before travelling for PU. Does this sound accurate (even if the form expires mid-process, as longs as it's current for DNA and then at PU?)

I would have to get an amended homestudy (how long does this take normally?) and another I 600. I am trying to figure out how quickly I can get this together as the agency said boy referrals are almost immediate (no wait). I was fortunate that I didn't have to wait on a girl referral before, but now there seems to be a mad dash to start the adoptions w/the situation in Guate.

Any ideas on what all I need to do? It's amazing how I'm still at a loss even after doing this not so long ago

[RLK913]

If you have been approved for more than one child on your original 171, then from what I understand, you can start your process for #2 using the original, but will need another before it expires.

As far as HS updates, I think it really depends on the agency. It actually took much longer for me the second time around, but I was delayed because the local DSS was slow getting their report to the HS agency and they would not release the HS without it.

You will need to make another dossier, but it should be easier this time around being that you have been through it before and know what to do.

Congratulations on your decision to start again and I hope you have a quick and easy adoption process.

[earthmama17]

[quote=RLK913]If you have been approved for more than one child on your original 171, then from what I understand, you can start your process for #2 using the original, but will need another before it expires.

I don't think I was approved to adopt more than one since at the time I was only adopting one at the time. How can I find this out?

[DPline]

Our 171H says in the upper right hand corner. It says name of petitioner, under that name of spouse, date application filed, date of completion, rcpt. number, then number of orphans.

Our home study was also written for two.

If you were not orgionally approved for two, whether you can have it amended, or need to start over, I don't know.

Good luck!

[becky]

If you were not approved to adopt more than one then you probably will not be able to use the same 171H for this second adoption...unless you get an amended home study that approves you for a second child and you can get CIS to change your original 171H to indicate two children.

If CIS won't do this, then you will have to start over filing the I600A.

[earthmama17]

Originally Posted by becky

If you were not approved to adopt more than one then you probably will not be able to use the same 171H for this second adoption...unless you get an amended home study that approves you for a second child and you can get CIS to change your original 171H to indicate two children.

If CIS won't do this, then you will have to start over filing the I600A.

Ughh, I just saw that I wasn't approved for more than one as I didn't think I would be adopting again so quickly. I can't believe I didn't think of this

Well, hopefully CIS will change the original one. I don't think my agency caught the fact that I was only approved for one before...oh well

[moelladeville]

I was approved for ONLY one child on my I171H when I accepted my daughter's referral. I had used the document for my son's adoption, and it was valid for three months after I accepted the referral (although my fingerprints, which had been done obviously before receiving the I171H, expired first). I got DNA, preapproval, and went in and out of Family Court on my old I171H. I had filed for the new one immediately when I knew I'd be adopting my daughter, and in Philly, it takes 90 days, so I got the new one three days before the old one expired. I didn't want to take any chances, especially since I was en route to PGN.

Also, I pulled my ENTIRE dossier, including home study update, together in about 10 days. I explained to my social worker the situation in Guate, which at the time was pending legislation to ban singles (I am single) in Sept. of last year, and she came over the weekend and did my update in a day (there wasn't much to add).

Good luck to you, and feel free to PM me if you have any more specific questions. With the exception of a bad agency selection and still-missing-but-hopefully-en-route documents, my adoption went fine. Since I had done two previous dossiers, I did the dossier completely on my own, even advising my agency about what is acceptable on one of the documents!

Good luck and keep us posted. Your daughter is a doll!

[DaughterBound]

These are very good questions.....things I was wondering myself. I appreciate all the answers/ideas I am gleaning from this discussion.........

[grommy]

Hi -- we just asked this about this (looking at a sib pair and it bumped us over by 1) and our sw said that we file a form asking for an ammendment to our approval -- I think it is I-824 - not sure. And that she would update our homestudy to approve us for more kiddos and send it to INS. Have to pay an fee (of course) and you would have to pay the fee at Embassy (in addition to the visa$$) but you wouldnt have to wait for the entire thing to be reprocessed nor fingerprints (unless they had expired).

That's all I know -- your social worker should know what is needed.

Jill
(btw we ended up not doing this)

[Mariais5]

I asked our INS office about this because we did sign for more two children ~just in case! ~ but our I171-H approval was only for one. The INS office told me they follow what the homestudy says. If we were to send a revised homestudy, they'd change our status. So, I contacted our homestudy agency this week. She said she could have our homestudy updated in 2 weeks, and the cost is $750.00. Now, if we could just decide what we're going to do!

[JohnnaMJH]

We used a valid I171h to get DNA testing on William. It was for 1 child from El Salvador. They don't care at that point other than to know you've received an I171h. All I had to to was update mine before P/U, or more accurately, before PINK was applied for.