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Originally Posted By Heather

We submitted our I600A to INS in June and have been patiently waiting ever since. Today, I get a message on my answering machine stating that they need to set up an interview. Do they interview everyone? I have never heard of anyone talking about an interview with INS. Any info would be greatly appreciated!!

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Originally Posted By tina

I have never heard of this. Contact your nearest congressman to see if they will help you find out what they are wanting.

Good luck,

Tina

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Originally Posted By Cat

Are you sure it for an interview and not the fingerprinting? I know that you need to go to their office for this and must have an appointment.

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Originally Posted By Heather

I talked to INS today and the person I talked to said that everyone that submits I600A must come in for an interview. She said it was not new....they started it about 1 year ago. Has anyone else heard this?

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Originally Posted By Laurie

Heather,

I have been researching international adoptions and I have read online that once you submit the I600A, you will be interviewed and fingerprinted.

Laurie

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Originally Posted By Christine

From what I've learned from other adoptive families is that the INS operates very differently, state to state. Some families in my Internet support group have had to have interviews and appointments for fingerprinting. In my state, Georgia, you need neither. It really just depends on where you are.

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Originally Posted By NB

We, too, are from Georgia. Have you received your 171 yet? We submitted everything in July, had our fingerprints clear electronically on August 5th and no 171 yet! Any idea how long it is taking here?

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Originally Posted By Christine

Well, actually we adopted last year. We had everything to the INS on September 22 and received our INS approval on September 30th! This was after the INS had just gone through a huge overhaul.

Before we had sent in all our stuff, our agency rep (we used EAC -- happily!) told us approvals had been taking up to 8 weeks, which really made us scared.

EAC ended up calling 11 Alive News and they sent out a reporter to do a story. Two weeks later the orphan unit began hiring new staff members and approvals were flying through the process. I'm so very sorry to hear things have slowed down again.

Does your agency have any insight into what's going on?? Can your homestudy group help at all? We used Partners in Adoption and they were fairly clued in on all the INS activities. The problem last year was this: the Atlanta INS moved everybody off the orphan unit to immigration because they were given a quota for how many immigrants were to be processed before the end of the year. Can you believe it? I have no idea if this is what's going on now.

I will ask my local EAC rep about the situation and will let you know what she says. I wonder if the new Russian laws have anything to do with it...

Hang in there!!!! {{{{{{hugs}}}}}
Christine

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Originally Posted By Christine

Hi NB!

I spoke to my agency rep today and she gave me a phone number for you to try. Please email me privately.

Christine
chanvey@hotmail.com

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Originally Posted By NB

We received our 171H today! Thank you for your help!

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Originally Posted By Steph

I am just jumping in because you live in Georgia. I just moved to the Augusta area and I am looking for some suggestions. We were signed up in North Dakota and Minnesota for a home study for January 2001 but then of course we had to move so we have to start over again. I just happened onto this sight today. Is there any suggestions as to where we begin again. Also, we may have to move within two years (I hope not). So this time we want to do things with the potential of moving to another state. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.