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Country Status
China is currently
OPEN
to adoptions by US citizens.
For a list of Joint
Council agencies working in China, please consult our
Country Programs page.
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For a list of medical clinics in China
click here.
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January 26, 2009
- The
China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has
proposed and the Department of State has agreed
that beginning January 1, 2009, all adoption
cases between the U.S. and China will be
processed by China as Hague Inter-country
Adoption Convention cases. The Department of
State has received assurances that under the new
process, transition cases (as defined by the
Inter-country Adoption Act), will not be
negatively affected. CCAA has assured us that
even though they officially consider all
adoption cases to be Convention cases as of
January 1, the actual process for transition
cases will not significantly change. Under the
new process, as of January 1, 2009, CCAA will
send out the same documents for all cases
(transition cases and Convention cases). These
documents will include the “Letter of Seeking
Confirmation from the Adopter” and the “Letter
of Seeking Confirmation from the U.S. Central
Authority” at the time the referral is sent.
For transition cases, families will continue to
sign and return the “Letter of Seeking
Confirmation from the Adopter” but no action is
required on the “Letter of Seeking Confirmation
from the U.S. Central
Authority.”
The new procedures required by China will not
conflict with U.S. policies and
procedures for Hague Adoption Convention visa
processing. For cases in which
I-800A’s are filed after April 1, 2008, China
now requires a “Letter of Seeking
Confirmation from the Adopter,” which must be
signed by the petitioners and returned to CCAA,
and a “Letter of Seeking Confirmation from the
U.S. Central Authority.” U.S. Consulate
Guangzhou will sign and return this second
letter to CCAA after they have received and
reviewed the petitioner’s visa application
(DS-230) and their
provisionally approved I-800. In Convention
cases prospective adoptive parents will receive
notice to travel and finalize the adoption from
CCAA only after CCAA receives the two “Letters
of Seeking Confirmation.” As with the
transition process, in order to prevent
unpredictable length of stays in China,
prospective adoptive parents should not travel
until they have received notice to travel from
CCAA to finalize the adoption, and confirmation
from the U.S. Consulate Guangzhou that their
visa interview has been scheduled.
This notice has also been posted at
Adoption.State.Gov/news/notices.html.
January 26,
2009 -
It is Joint
Council's understanding that there may be a
discrepancy in the Department of
State's Adoption Notice: China, published on
January 23, 2009 (see below). We are working
with the Department of State to bring clarity to
the issue by early next week.
The Adoption Notice issued by the Department of
State indicates that the "Letter Seeking
Confirmation from Adopter" does not have to be
signed and returned to the CCAA. However, it is
our understanding that the "Letter Seeking
Confirmation from Adopter" must be signed and
returned. Until this issue is fully resolved
Joint Council advises all Potential Adoptive
Parent(s) to sign and return this letter to the
CCAA.
Upon
confirmation of the correct procedure regarding
this letter, Joint Council will publish a new
Update advising you accordingly.
January 23, 2009
-
The China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has
proposed and the Department of State has agreed that
beginning January 1, 2009, all adoption cases
between the U.S. and China will be processed by
China as Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention
cases. The Department of State has received
assurances that under the new process, transition
cases (as defined by the Intercountry Adoption Act),
will not be negatively affected. CCAA has assured
us that even though they officially consider all
adoption cases to be Convention cases as of January
1, the actual process for transition cases will not
significantly change. Under the new process, as of
January 1, 2009, CCAA will send out the same
documents for all cases (transition cases and
Convention cases). These documents will include the
“Letter of Seeking Confirmation from Adopter” at the
time the referral is sent. For transition cases,
families will not be required to sign and return
this letter.
The new procedures required by China
will not conflict with U.S. policies and procedures
for Hague Adoption Convention visa processing. For
cases in which I-800A’s are filed after April 1,
2008, China now requires a “Letter of Seeking
Confirmation from the Adopter,” which must be signed
by the petitioners and returned to CCAA, and a
“Letter of Seeking Confirmation” from the U.S.
Central Authority. U.S. Consulate Guangzhou will
sign and return this second letter to CCAA after
they have received and reviewed the petitioner’s
visa application (DS-230) and their provisionally
approved I-800. In Convention cases prospective
adoptive parents will receive notice to travel and
finalize the adoption from CCAA only after CCAA
receives the two “Letters of Seeking Confirmation.”
As with the transition process, in order to prevent
unpredictable length of stays in China, prospective
adoptive parents should not travel until they have
received notice to travel from CCAA to finalize the
adoption, and confirmation from the U.S. Consulate
Guangzhou that their visa interview has been
scheduled.
December 9, 2008 - Joint Council has released a listing of
member organizations with access to the electronic waiting child
list. Please note that
this is not a comprehensive listing.
October 14, 2008 - Update: Joint Council
announces a positive ruling in the
I600A process. Please read our statement
and the Q&A to frequently asked
questions on the new ruling.
October 6, 2008 -
Joint
Council asks you to join us in resolving an issue that will
severely and negatively
impact over 10,000 U.S. families hoping to adopt a child in
need. This shortfall in the law, if left unchecked, will cost
Potential Adoptive Parents (P.A.P.s) thousands of dollars, force
them to face the complications of switching adoption agencies
mid-process, and potentially end some families’ journey to adopt
a child in need. A summary of the current law and its
subsequent impact on families can be found on our website at
Joint Council Position on I-600A Renewals.
Beginning in May 2008, Joint Council has been actively engaged
with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS),
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, and Members of
Congress to resolve this pending crisis. We continue to work
with USCIS and most recently engaged with David Yurkovich and
Dianne Pearce, organizers of the Fairness For Families petition,
as well as expanded our contacts with Congressional leaders. We
are confident that USCIS is actively seeking a resolution and
have seen evidence that positive steps are being taken. With
your support and active participation, our goals can be
realized.
The
5 Ways You Can Help page details how you can help us
to avoid this pending crisis. Your active participation will
allow the over 10,000 families who will be negatively impacted
if the law or process is not changed to continue on their
journey of providing a loving family to a child in need. On
behalf of the children and families we serve, Joint Council
extends our sincere appreciation for joining us in our
collective efforts.
October 2,
2008 - A number of infants in China have been adversely
affected by contaminated milk powder. Joint Council has created
the FAQs below to answer the most frequent questions.
FAQs *:
1)
Why is this formula
causing problems?
Infants
have been sickened by Melamine, a toxic chemical that was added to milk
to help boost the appearance of protein. Melamine is used in plastics,
fertilizers and flame retardants. It has no nutritional value but is
high in nitrogen, which makes the products appear to have higher protein
content than they actually do. Suppliers to the dairy companies that
produced the tainted baby formula have been accused of adding the
chemical to watered-down milk.
2)
How many children
are affected?
According to a
survey conducted by the Half the Sky Foundation in 41 Chinese
institutions, a number of children are affected, although the number is
probably less than 5% of those who received the tainted formula.
3)
What are the
symptoms of Melamine poisoning?
The affected infants
primarily have uric acid kidney stones and not interstitial nephritis.
If a child is affected, the symptoms would likely be lethargy and poor
feeding, along with bloody urine. For kidney stones, it would be
discomfort and bloody urine, though the condition could be asymptomatic.
4)
What is China doing
about the problem?
The Chinese Ministry
of Civil Affairs has been working to provide guidance to all the
institutions that house infants in China. According to the Ministry, a
letter was sent out to all orphanages as soon as the
crisis was recognized. Orders were to have all children examined at
local hospitals, and the government will cover all costs, including any
necessary treatment. All orphanages using identified tainted brands
have changed to either fresh milk or to a brand that has been identified
as safe.
5)
Which Chinese
orphanages were affected?
Tianjin CWI
was using Sanlu, among other brands. Forty children were
drinking Sanlu and of those, 2 were diagnosed to have kidney stones.
Xinyang CWI was using Sanlu exclusively. 43 children were taken
to
hospital and 2 have been diagnosed to have kidney stones.
Yiyang SWC was using Sanlu exclusively. All children were taken
to
hospital and 5 were diagnosed to have kidney stones.
Maoming CWI was using Sanlu among other brands. All children were
examined
and 2 were diagnosed to have kidney stones.
Nanjing, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Guiyang, Guangzhou, Luoyang, Nanchang
and
Qingyuan were using affected brands but the children were examined
and are all right.
None of the children
with kidney stones is seriously ill. All are being
treated. Most of the other institutions were using non-affected brands
6)
What can parents do
when visiting their child in China?
Those parents who
see bloody urine should be concerned. If children display these symptoms
in China, they can have kidney
ultrasounds to see if kidney stones are present, as an x-ray would not
visualize these.
7)
What can parents do
after returning home with their child?
In the US, a
urinalysis is sufficient to identify those children at risk. If infants
display symptoms, a kidney ultrasound would be advisable, along with perhaps
a BUN/creatinine to look at the kidney function. Parents should consult
with their adoption medical specialist.
8) What are the possible long-term effects?
If the offending agent is removed, children should not be at risk of
forming new kidney stones. There is some risk of permanent injury if
children have interstitial injury in addition to forming the stones.
*These
FAQs are NOT meant to constitute medical advice. Please always consult
your medical professional. Answers to some of these questions were
kindly provided by Dr. Dana Johnson, of the International Adoption
Clinic, University of Minnesota.
September 8, 2008* - Joint
Council and others in our field have great concern regarding the
one-time renewal of I-600A approvals and the impact on Potential
Adoptive Parents (PAPs). Following is Joint
Council’s assessment and statement on this very important issue facing
over 10,000
U.S.
families.
U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has again confirmed that
PAPs with an approved I-600A in a Hague country may only file for a
renewal one-time. Thereafter, families must ‘start
from the beginning’ and file an I-800A petition.
It is
very clear that the authors of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000
intended to ‘grandfather’ all I-600A petitions filed prior to the date
on which the Hague Convention went into force in the United States
(April 1, 2007). At the time the legislation was
drafted, the authors did not foresee the lengthy processing time now
associated with adoptions from countries such as
China and
Haiti.
Yet the intent was clearly to allow PAPs to complete their
adoptions under the I-600 process. This intent is
now negated through what we consider an overly restrictive
interpretation of the law and regulation.
Families, with the understanding that their case would be
‘grandfathered’, initiated their adoption proceedings in good faith.
They rightfully believed that the United States Government would
honor the initial information provided by USCIS and the intent of the
law (Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000). It appears
that their confidence in the USG was misplaced.
Specific to the impact on families, our concerns are focused on three
primary areas.
(PAPs)
required to file an I-800A (as a result of an expired I-600A approval)
will come under undue hardship. These families will
be forced to incur the costs associated with a new Hague compliant home
study, new fingerprints, and the I-800A filing.
These fees can total from $1,800 to over $3,000.
In
addition many states require that new documentation including medicals,
child abuse clearance and state fingerprints be provided with a new home
study. The collection of these documents and
completion of the home study will add a significant amount of time and
effort to the family’s adoption process. The child
abuse clearance alone can easily take months.
Some PAP's
now find themselves engaged with an ASP that was denied Hague
Accreditation. As a result PAPs are discovering that filing an I800A
will force them to contract with a Hague Accredited ASP. Disengaging
from one ASP and contracting with a new ASP will cause further undue
distress and hardship. In addition to the hardships
noted above, these PAPs will incur the additional costs associated with
contracting a new ASP. The newly contracted ASP will
rightfully charge a fee for the case management, advocacy and other
services they provide. The cost of contracting with
a new ASP can range from $1,000 to $6,000.
Some
have argued that the financial position of ASPs denied Hague
accreditation are at the core of our concerns.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Those ASPs
making such claims will in fact be the beneficiary of new fees if
families are required to change ASPs. Their argument
is disingenuous, self-serving and not in the best interest of
United States
citizens seeking to adoption internationally.
In a
brief survey of ASPs, virtually all indicated that the goal is to honor
the intent of the IAA of 2000 and allow families to complete their
adoption through the I-600A process with their original ASP.
No reputable ASP is seeking to gain fees through an undue
hardship on families.
Joint
Council also expresses concern that the Central Authorities of sending
countries have not definitively confirmed the impact of transitioning
from the I-600 process to the I-800 process.
Similarly, the U.S. Department of State, despite dialogue with other
Central Authorities has yet to confirm the impact on families.
Joint Council recognizes that some Central Authorities and DOS
have provided suggested impacts, but no definitive confirmation has been
issued to date. With an impact on over 10,000
families, now is not the time to rely on good will or suppositions.
Joint
Council and others have repeatedly expressed our concerns to the United
States Government. In responding to our concerns the
USCIS has confirmed that any change to the one-time renewal of I-600A
approvals will require either a legislative or regulatory initiative.
However, a timely change in the regulation would require the
aggressive cooperation and leadership of USCIS.
Unfortunately it seems apparent that such cooperation is not
forthcoming. As a result, a change in the law is
required and would involve Congressional action.
Given the very short time left before Congress is out of session,
legislative action also seems improbable. However,
some Members of Congress have expressed their desire to fix the problem
through legislation yet USCIS assistance is needed to craft legislation
that addresses the problem without causing additional problems for
families. Unfortunately USCIS has not responded to
Congressional inquiries for such assistance.
Some
branches of the United States Government have expressed that the renewal
of I-600A approvals is not a significant problems.
Others within the government have indicated that while a problem does
exist, it is not within their power to resolve the issue and yet others
point to resolve the issue. As a result, no solution
is imminent and families suffer.
Joint
Council suggests that relying on good faith or, probabilities is not a
sufficient response to this very important issue.
Given that over 10,000 families will be significantly and negatively
impacted we continue to call on USCIS to work collaboratively and
aggressively with Congress and others in the United States Government
towards an immediate resolution.
*Note
to Families: At this time, we are not asking families to call or e-mail
the Joint Council office in support of our advocacy efforts regarding
the I600A approval process.
May 22, 2008 -
Joint Council extends its condolences to the
Chapman family following the news of the passing of their daughter,
Maria, one of three adopted daughters from China.
Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman have
brought attention to the world orphan crisis, while engaging the church
community and providing adoption grants through their organization
Shaohannah’s Hope. The
family has asked that any gifts be directed to
Shaohannah’s Hope, in lieu of flowers. More information can be found at
www.shaohannahshope.org/.
May 22, 2008 -
In light of the
recent earthquake in China which has orphaned approximately 4,000
children, Joint Council has prepared a statement to share with families
seeking more information. The document highlighting some of the key
issues and concerns that prevent the immediate implementation of
international adoption in the wake of natural disaster can be found
here.
September 5, 2007 - The new CCAA regulations
concerning intercountry adoptions officially took effect on May 1. As
expected, these regulations have begun to reduce the number of U.S.
citizens who adopt from China.

March 08, 2007 -
On December 21, 2006, the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA)
officially notified the U.S. Embassy in Beijing of new rules for
intercountry adoption from China. The new requirements for intercountry
adoption from China will take effect on May 1, 2007. The preliminary
version of the new requirements can be found on the U.S.
Department of State website.

September 26, 2006 -
The Office of Children's Issues continues to hear rumors and anecdotes
from the U.S. adoption community and among prospective adoptive parents
looking to adopt Chinese children that the CCAA intends to impose
stricter criteria on prospective families. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing
and Consulate General in Guangzhou, both of which have regular contact
with CCAA, have reported that the slowdowns they have seen thus far are
related more to the CCAA's ability to chose from among larger numbers of
families than previously as applications submitted have increased.

September 14, 2006 -
JCICS has received numerous calls and e-mails regarding rumors
concerning possible policy changes from the China Center of Adoption
Affairs (CCAA). JCICS
maintains its policy of publishing information that has been confirmed
and will not speculate on these rumors.
CCAA has indicated that it will use official channels to notify agencies
should there be any formal policy changes. In addition,
we will update our Web site to reflect any confirmed policy changes.

July 6, 2006 - The China Center for
Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has, over the past several months, been taking
significantly longer to match prospective adoptive parents and children
than at this time a year ago. From the Spring 2006, it has
been indicated that the average time has increased to approximately
10-11 months, up from six months in Spring 2005.

March 15, 2006 -
JCICS writes a
Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post in response to Sunday's
news article "Stealing
Babies for Adoption" about the child trafficking ring in China.
March 15, 2006 - Washington Post article by Associated
Press reporter Joe McDonald "China Says No Babies Improperly Adopted".
Click here for the article.

November 29, 2005 - The China Center for
Adoption Affairs (CCAA)
posted the following on their website (http://www.china-ccaa.org):
Regards to the
length of time period during matching process
Recently, there are many speculations
on the waiting time period for adoption process for inter-country
adoption coming to China to adopt children. The following will help
clarify such concerns:
CCAA highly emphasizes on
efficiency, effectiveness and quality, we have put unremitting effort
to achieve this. But the length of processing time after adoptive
family apply for their application is correlated with the number of
inter-country adopting families and the number with the adopting
children waiting to be adopted. If the number of adoptive families is
higher than the number of children to be adopted, the waiting period
will be extended, on the other hand, if the number of children waiting
for adoption out numbers the number of adoptive families, then the
waiting period will be shortened. Therefore, the waiting period for
adoptive families will vary according to this and not due to
inefficiency or other controlling factors.

November 13, 2005 - The United States Consulate General
Guangzhou (http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzhou) posted the following:
Terrorist Threat for Americans in Guangzhou
The United
States Government has received credible information that a terrorist
threat may exist against official U.S. Government facilities in
Guangzhou. This threat also may exist for places where Americans are
known to congregate or visit, including clubs, restaurants, places of
worship, schools or outdoor recreation events.
American
citizens in south China are advised to be aware of their surroundings
and remain alert to possible threats. Americans living or traveling in
China are encouraged to register with the U.S. Consulate General in
Guangzhou through the State Department's travel registration website,
https://travelregistration.state.gov/. By registering, American
citizens make it easier for the Consulate to contact them in case of
emergency.
U.S.
citizens planning to travel to China should consult the Department of
State's country-specific Public Announcements, Travel Warnings,
Consular Information Sheets,
the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement and other information,
available at
http://travel.state.gov/. Up-to-date information on security
conditions can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S.
and for callers outside the U.S. and Canada a regular toll line at
1-202-501-4444.

October 20, 2005 - JCICS
sent a letter to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) in support
of the Joint
Proposal for Promoting Healthy Development of Children in China's
Welfare Institutions. The Joint Proposal
states that through mutual effort all parties involved "will work to
help orphans and handicapped children living in a child welfare
institutions by providing richer, more stimulating environments, quality
nurture and care, and a standard of living better suited to foster their
healthy growth. Children will receive education and support in
developing their individual abilities, and will be prepared for
relationships with families and society."
Click here to read the letter sent by Joint Council, which included
a copy of the
JCICS White Paper on International Child Welfare.
Read the
full text of the proposal.
September 16, 2005 -
China joins the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention
The People’s Republic of China deposited its instrument of ratification
of the Hague Convention with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. China will enter into force and become a "Hague Country" on
January 1, 2006. China is the 67th State to join this global Convention.
I'm an agency - what does this mean
for me?
It is not anticipated that adoptions from China will be impacted at
this time. If your agency is planning on continuing to work in China
once the United States has ratified the Hague Convention (estimated to
occur in 2007-2008) then you will need to be accredited under the Hague
regulations. Accreditation has not begun yet, but is expected to
commence some time during 2006. As you begin to prepare for Hague
Accreditation, you may be interested in our Hague Survival Guide for
agencies, a benefit free to members of JCICS. Please visit our
Hague page for more information or feel free to
contact our office at (703) 535-8045.
I'm in the process/ thinking about
adopting from China - does this effect me?
It is not anticipated that
adoptions from China will be impacted at this time. According to the
Department of State, China has indicated that they plan to continue
working with the United States once they officially enter into force
under the Treaty. China is aware that the United States is
planning to ratify the Hague Convention in the near future.

April 29,
2005
JCICS sent a letter to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA)
in support of
China's Tomorrow Plan.
Click here to read this letter.

On June 3, 2004,
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that, effective
immediately, it has lifted the temporary suspension of adoptions
from the Zhuzhou Child Welfare Institute in Hunan Province of China.
There have been no additional cases of measles since the recommended
suspension was imposed. Standard adoption procedures for all orphanages
in China have resumed.
The
text of the CDC announcement is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/other/multistate_measles_adoptees_2004.htm.

April 16, 2004 -
The
Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a press release about
the recent measles outbreak in China. The CDC is recommending
a temporary suspension of adoptions for children from the Zhuzhou
Child Welfare Institute in the Hunan Province of
China. They suggest that "prospective adoptive parents
traveling internationally to adopt children and their household
contacts should ensure that they have a history of natural disease or
have been vaccinated according to guidelines of the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices. Prospective parents of international
adoptees from China should stay informed as more information becomes
available about the measles outbreak." For more information
please consult their press release and
flier. JCICS will
continue to monitor the situation and update our website with new
information.
October 3, 2003
Joint Council recently had the privilege to host a
luncheon for the visiting
China Center on Adoption Affairs (CCAA)
delegation in Washington DC and to
co-host an Adoption Conference in Denver Colorado along with the
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.
Click here to read more about these recent events.
August 7, 2003
The Bureau of Citizenship and
Immigration Services (BCIS) announced an
interim rule
to assist prospective adoptive parents adopting from China who were
effected by the SARS crisis. The BCIS Director now has the discretionary authority
to extend the validity of the I-600A in cases where parents face
processing delays as a direct result of the SARS-related suspension of
processing. “Amending our regulations to account for
this extraordinary circumstance is the prudent thing to do,” said BCIS
Director Eduardo Aguirre. “It will allow us to help parents who
complete their adoption, while continuing to protect the best interest
of the child, which is, and must always be, our paramount concern.”
Click here for a copy of the interim rule in the Federal Register.

July 28, 2003
The Adoption Unit in Guangzhou, China has
announced that the SARS crisis in China has passed. The temporary
policy that began in April 2003, which stated that only one parent
needed to appear for the visa interview, has now been lifted. Normal
processing will resume August 1. Therefore, both the adopted child and
adopting parents are required to appear for the visa interview.

June 24, 2003
Following the
World
Health Organizations' lifting the travel warning to Beijing, China
the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has resumed adoption
procedures.
CCAA had temporarily suspended adoption formalities on May 15,
2003 due to the SARS epidemic. Today, June 24, they announced that
they would resume sending referrals and travel notices to families
and apologize for the delay and inconvenience experienced by prospective
adoptive parents. See below for the full announcement.

CCAA Announcement
June 24, 2003
A Public Notice about Resumption of Normal Adoptive Formalities of
Travelling to China
Seeing that the World Health Organization formally announced that
it lifted its travel advice to China, and removed China from the list
of areas with recent local transmission of SARS epidemic, the China
Center of Adoption Affairs (the CCAA) decided to resume the normal
adoptive formalities of travelling to China after giving a report to
the Ministry of Civil Affairs and getting its approval. Hereby the
related matters will be posted as the following:
1. From June 24, 2003, the CCAA will restart to mail the Letter of
Seeking Confirmation from Adopters and the relative materials to the
foreign adopters. Up to the date when the Letter of Seeking
Confirmation from Adopters is signed and mailed, if the physical
examination report of the adoptee does not reach its expiry of 6
months, the CCAA will not renew the report additionally.
2. From June 24, 2003, the CCAA will resume the issuing and posting
of the Notice of Coming to China for Adoption to foreign adopters, the
period of validity of the letter will be 3 months as before. Those
ones issued and posted before May 15, 2003 will be considered as valid
for 6 months with no new letter being produced.
3. The foreign adopters need to contact the adoption registry in
advance before they travel to China to do their adoption registration.
After the date being ascertained through consultation will the
adopters travel to complete their adoption.
The CCAA would like to apologize to the involved foreign adopters
for any inconvenience that was caused by the previous postponement of
the adoptive formalities of travelling, and to express our gratitude
to all the foreign governments, embassies and consulates in China, the
foreign adoptive organizations and foreign adopters who have given us
great understanding and assistance to our work.
The China Center of Adoption Affairs

June 5, 2003
BCIS Memo
The Bureau of
Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) released a
memo today regarding China
adoption cases. If a family's I-600A has been approved on or before
June 6, 2003 BCIS will approve the form to another country if so
requested, at no additional cost. The request should be made with Form
I-824.
For those who have a pending I-600A, but wish to
adopt from a different country, can do so at no additional cost. If they
wish to continue their adoption from China, it will be processed as
usual.

May 15, 2003
Provisional Measures about Appraisal System for Foreign Adoption
Organizations given by the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA)
CCAA will be implementing an appraisal system for the foreign
adoption organizations that work in China. They have recently
released the Provisional Measures developed by their assessing
committee.
Joint Council is currently reviewing the Provisional
Measures for the Appraisal System and preparing comments.
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