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November 11, 2008

Traditionally when adoptive parents file their I-600 at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, the I-604 review was conducted by a Department of State (DOS) Consular Officer.  This procedure is in the process of changing.  These changes may affect both the outcome and timing of visa issuance.  

The legal authority and responsibility for I-604 reviews resides with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS).  Until now USCIS has delegated the duties of I-604 reviews to the DOS Consular Officers in Moscow.  Beginning sometime early in 2009 USCIS in Moscow will conduct all I-604 reviews.  The transition has begun with USCIS currently conducting the review for only a few adoption cases.

Joint Council encourages all adoption service providers (ASPs) and adoptive families to work in a collaborative spirit with USCIS during this transition period.  It is our understanding that USCICS does not intend on delaying or disrupting the intercountry adoption process in Russia, but rather to fulfill their duties as prescribed by U.S. law.

ASPs and adoptive families should be prepared for the possibility that the I-600 filing and visa issuance may take longer than the current 2-days.  Please note that this could extend the travel time in Russia.  While it is not known if a specific adoption case will be reviewed by USCIS or DOS during the transition, again, adoptive families should be prepared for possible delays.

November 26, 2007

Joint Council has been invited to speak at the Russian Ministry of Education and Science's International Conference on the Protection of Rights for Orphans and Children Without Parents. The conference, scheduled for December 9, 10, and 11, 2007 in Moscow, will focus on the identification and prevention of violence in domestic and intercountry adoption.   The U.S. delegation includes Tom DiFilipo, President & CEO, Joint Council Board Member Jody Sciortino as well as Dr. David Morris and Judith Thompson of Morris & McDaniel Consulting.

October 27, 2007

Joint Council, in cooperation with members of Congress, is requesting immediate action on the part of the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the issuance of clearances for agencies attempting to obtain Russian accreditation. Joint Council has also been in direct contact with Interpol on this issue, however Interpol has been unresponsive to date.

October 17, 2007

Please click here for the most updated list of Joint Council members currently accredited in Russia.

September 5, 2007

Adoptions are now taking place in several locations where they have been largely stalled for over a year, including the Yevreiskaya Autonomous Republic, the Bryansk Region, and the municipalities of Tomsk and Novosibirsk.

July 9, 2007

The following message regarding transit visas was posted by the Immigrant Visa Unit of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

"Dear representatives of adoption agencies:

The U.S. Embassy respectfully requests that adoption facilitators and agencies alert their clients to the potential need for European transit visas when returning to the United States accompanied by children adopted from Russia.  Some European countries (the Netherlands and Switzerland, for example) may require airport transit visas for Russian citizens even if only changing planes or switching airlines at an international airport.  Please advise your clients to consider this matter before making return travel arrangements, so that they have time to obtain any necessary visas for their children." 

July 6, 2007
Joint Council was recently informed that the Russian Ministry of Education has begun issuing accreditations for agencies to resume adoption services in the country.  We are working to confirm the Member organizations that have received their official documentation and will update our list of accredited agencies accordingly.

May 18, 2007
The following notice was sent to Joint Council by the Consular Section in Moscow. The notice details an upcoming change in procedure to obtain visas for adopted children:  

" The U.S. Embassy in Moscow wishes to alert you to an upcoming change in the procedure to obtain visas for adopted children.  As of Monday, June 18, 2007, the Embassy’s standard processing time for adoption visas will be two business days. 

As we adapt our procedures to more effectively incorporate the security screening steps required under the laws of the United States, we see this change as a key improvement in providing consistent, timely service to our customers.  

In accordance with U.S. law, biometric data of visa applicants must be checked via a screening process.  This process, while usually completed within a few hours, can occasionally take longer to complete.  To ensure consistent service to customers, the Embassy must allow for a minimum of 24 hours between the time of document submission and visa issuance.   

Application documents will continue to be accepted at the Embassy from 9:30 to 11:00 AM on regular business days.  However, beginning on Monday, June 18, 2007, families will not be scheduled for interviews at 2:00 PM on the same day as documents are submitted.  Instead, families will be scheduled for interview on the following business day at 2:00 PM.  Ordinarily, families will be issued the visas and immigration documents following the interview.  However, please convey to your clients that we cannot guarantee that visas will always be provided at the interview due to the occasional need for additional processing and/or screening.

As a result of this change in procedure, please note that those families whose visa application documents are submitted on Fridays or days prior to holidays will not be issued visas until the day following the weekend or holiday period.  Please alert your clients to this circumstance. 

In addition, all adopted children who are 14 years of age or older will need to accompany either their parents or the adoption agency representative to the Embassy at the time of document submission so that they can be fingerprinted.  By collecting all necessary biometric data at this time, the Embassy can get underway with visa processing as early as possible.  These applicants will also come to the Embassy on the following business day for the actual visa interview.

We appreciate your cooperation with the Embassy as we strive to improve our procedures and service, and we thank you for your efforts to assist adopting families with the process of visa application. "

April 30, 2007
The following announcement was made by the U.S. Department of State on Friday, April 27th:  

Update on Adoption Agency Accreditation Delays -
No U.S.-based adoption service providers (adoption agencies) are currently accredited with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

The Ministry of Education is currently reviewing adoption agencies' accreditation applications and has not announced a date by which it will complete this review. These applications for accreditation are also under review by four other Russian ministries: the Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sometimes during the review process, one of these ministries requests additional documents or clarification on some matters. Recently, for example, the Ministry of Justice returned applications to adoption agencies with a request for more information. According to the recently-adopted law on re-accreditation, the Ministry of Education can only issue a license for accreditation if they have approval from the other four ministries.

The U.S. Government has been actively encouraging the Russian government to complete its reviews and proceed with appropriate accreditations or re-accreditations as expeditiously as possible. In addition, the Department of State recently provided to pending U.S. agencies, as well as to the Russian government directly, additional information that the Russian ministries had requested in the context of reviewing these applications. We also stand ready to assist however we appropriately can in answering additional questions that may arise.

We continue to monitor this situation and will update our web site (www.travel.state.gov) should new information become available. We recommend that American prospective adoptive parents in the process of adopting a Russian child(ren) stay in close contact with their adoption agency. 

Sincerely,

Hague Implementation Staff
U.S. Central Authority
Department of State

January 29, 2007
Joint Council staff and Board of Directors met with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services last Monday in conjunction with our quarterly Board meeting.   The following update was supplied to us by DOS: 

The U.S. Embassy Moscow has reported that as of January 19^th, 56 U.S. adoption agencies have successfully registered with the Ministry of Justice as NGOs.  There are currently 14 adoption agencies with both NGO licensing and Ministry of Education accreditation.  On January 25^th, four of these 14 agencies will lose their licenses and will need to reapply. On January 29^th, the U.S. Department of State will be meeting with Russian Women Legislators as part of the Voluntary Visitor’s Program during which adoption issues will be discussed.  Joint Council will also be meeting with this delegation in the coming week.  We will be sure to update the caucus of new information as it is made available and will offer a report of the delegation’s visit in the near future.

September 26, 2006
As of September 15th, ten U.S. adoptive service providers have successfully completed the NGO registration process. DOS understands that the October 18th deadline, previously announced by the Ministry of Justice, still stands. Re-accreditation by the Ministry of Education is a separate process that must follow successful registration as an NGO, and thus many agencies may find themselves "up against the clock" if they fail to register as an NGO before their current Ministry of Education accreditations expire. If your agency becomes re-accredited or receives NGO registration, please contact JCICS at jcics@jcics.org. Please also fax a copy of your documents to JCICS for our records.

Tom DiFilipo is traveling on a delegation to Russia this week as part of the JCICS International Relations Initiative. A copy of the report from the trip can also be found here.

July 6, 2006
In May, the Government of Russia passed an NGO law which affects the accreditation of U.S. based adoption service providers.  As of today, July 6th, Embassy Moscow has not been able to gain clarification on the new requirements for how to register with the Ministry of the Interior.   We will continue to post updates as they are received.

May 24, 2006
At this time, the accreditations of a number of US agencies working in Russia have lapsed.  Russia has not yet issued reaccreditations for these agencies, and JCICS is not aware of the time-frame in which this will happen.  If you are just beginning the adoption process, it is recommended that you seek out an agency for which accreditation is current.  That list is available at the bottom of this page.  Parents who are in the process should remain in contact with their agency and should check this website for updates on the reaccreditation process.
 

May 5, 2006
JCICS has learned the following from the U.S. Department of State.  The Russian Ministry of Education has confirmed that foreign adoption service providers are subject to the new NGO law.  (Previously it was thought that adoption agencies would be exempt but now we have learned that is not the case).  This means the following:

• Agencies that are already accredited under the old rules will be allowed to operate until their accreditation expires. 
• Agencies seeking new accreditation or renewal (including the large number we know are scheduled for re-accreditation on May 17) will be prohibited from operating until they both register with the Ministry of Justice under the new NGO law and receive accreditation from Ministry of Education once implementing procedures are in place.  We do not know exactly when the implementing procedures will be in place but the timeframe of June/ July has been mentioned.  
• NGO registration, once implemented, will likely add thirty days to the accreditation process.
• The Embassy was assured that adopting parents who have already submitted applications to Russian authorities will be allowed to complete their adoptions independently if their agency loses accreditation. 

If you are in the process of adopting from Russia we recommend that you stay in contact with your agency.  In the report we received it was stressed that prospective families with adoptions in process could continue or complete their adoptions.  If your agency will lose its accreditation before your adoption is complete you can continue the process independently.

JCICS will continue to follow this issue closely and will update our site as we learn of new developments. 

May 3, 2006
JCICS wrote a letter to the Ministry of Education in Russia requesting the timely reaccreditation of adoption agencies up for renewal on May 17, 2006. Click here for a copy of the letter.

March 1, 2006
The Russian Ministry of Education has issued reaccreditation certificates to seven US agencies.  See below for the complete list.

February 6, 2006
The Russian Ministry of Education has issued reaccreditation certificates to four agencies in the US.  Two of these agencies are JCICS member agencies and are listed at the bottom of this page.  The Ministry has also informed the US Embassy in Moscow that there are a number of additional agencies under consideration to be reaccredited in the Spring of 2006. 

September 20, 2005 -
The Russian Ministry of Education issued reaccreditation certificates to four agencies.  Two of these agencies are located in the US and are included in our current list of accredited agencies.  Click the link above to see the complete list.

September 15, 2005 -

You Are Invited.....
JCICS is hosting a Reception for a visiting Russian Delegation on Thursday, September 15, 2005 and would like to invite families in the DC/ MD/ VA area.  The event is a wonderful opportunity for the Delegation to witness first-hand how Russian adopted children are thriving in their families.  Families, agencies and child welfare advocates are all welcome to attend.  

Reception for Russian Delegation
Thursday, September 15, 2005
4:30 – 6:30 pm
Washington, DC

If you are interested in attending, please contact jcics@jcics.org as soon as possible for further details.  For families, please make sure to include the number of people attending – including children and the children’s ages.  

Russian Delegation includes:

Mr. Anatoliy Vasilyevich BABOSHKIN
Deputy, Federal Duma, Moscow

Ms. Yekaterina Sergeyevna BODNAR
Head of Guardianship Department, City Administration, Verkhnyaya Pyzhma

Mr. Igor Anatolyevich BOGACHEV
Counselor to the Deputy Minister of Education, Moscow 

Mr. Ilya Valeryevich DOROGOYCHENKO
Program Coordinator, Inspiration (Vdokhnoveniye) Child Rehabilitation Center, Nikolskoye, Moscow Oblast

Ms. Oksana Vitalyevna MERZLYAKOVA
Director, Authorized Service for Guardianship, City Administration, Perm

Ms. Natalya Alekseyevna YAKOVLEVA
Chief, Department of Children's Rights, Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative on Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Moscow

Mr. Yuriy Aleksandrovich YEVDOKIMOV
Director, Municipal Orphanage, Nikolskoye, Leningrad Oblast

Ms. Marina Vladimirovna ZAYTSEVA
Senior Prosecutor, General Prosecutor's Office, Moscow 

September 2005 - JCICS releases a press release after convening a coalition meeting to discuss guidelines and response to Russian tragedies. 

In response to the recent alleged incidents of abuse involving Russian adopted children, Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) convened a meeting on August 24th in Washington DC to discuss the matter with other experts in the child welfare field.

Nearly thirty licensed, non-profit U.S. adoption agencies were in attendance as well as representatives from the National Council For Adoption (NCFA), Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoptions (FRUA), ATTACh and Adoption Exchange Association. The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) will also be involved in this effort going forward. Guest speakers at the meeting included representatives from Childhelp USA (Virginia) and the National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence. The intent of the meeting was to collaborate with other NGOs and adoption agencies to create a coalition task force to examine cases of abuse and determine what additional safe guards can be put into effect to maximize the protection of children.

Read the press release (see link above) for more information.

August 29, 2005
The US Embassy in Moscow has released the following statement regarding documentation requirements for families traveling to Russia.  More information on this and details on all documentary requirements can be found on the US Embassy in Moscow's Adoption Visa Information Page:

Please be advised that persons adopting orphans should take copies of their past three years' income tax forms, and other financial documentation with them when they travel overseas. The petitioner must show income equal to 125% of the poverty guidelines for a family the size of the sponsoring and sponsored families combined. Family size includes the petitioner and anyone related by birth, marriage, or adoption living in the household for at least 6 months; persons otherwise dependent on the petitioner if they are listed on the most recent Federal income tax return; and the number of orphans to be adopted:

If the petitioner cannot meet the 125% requirement on the basis of income, either:
(1)            the petitioner may provide evidence of assets that are readily available and, combined with the petitioner's total household income, meet the income eligibility requirement. The value of the "assets" less any offsetting liabilities, must exceed by at least five times the difference between the federal poverty guideline established for the petitioner's household, and the petitioner's household income; or
(2)            one or more additional (joint) sponsors may submit separate affidavits of support on behalf of the intending immigrant. Each joint sponsor must meet the full 125% income eligibility requirement for the beneficiary and all accompanying dependents based on evidence of income alone.

Sincerely,
Immigrant Visa Unit
US Embassy Moscow, Russia 
www.usembassy.ru

August 8, 2005 - JCICS cautions against rash legislation limiting the options for Russian orphans but encourages strengthening and improving the intercountry adoption system

Click here for the full statement

Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) is saddened by the recent reports of the January 2005 death of Dennis Merryman, an adoptive Russian child residing in Baltimore, Maryland.  However, we strongly caution the Russian Duma against passing legislation eliminating intercountry adoptions or calling for a bilateral agreement, as proposed by Duma member Yekaterina Lakhova and Federation Council committee member Valentina Petrenko. 

This case has not yet been tried in the US court of law and we discourage a premature response that would impact thousands more children in need of permanent families.  According to news reports the child is alleged to have suffered from cystic fibrosis and digestive problems. The parents have been charged and the autopsy report listed starvation as the cause of death.  Until all the facts are made public and the US legal system has reached a verdict the defendants, as in all cases, should be innocent until proven guilty.  JCICS does not know the specifics of the case or the health care issues confronted, but we recommend withholding judgment until the outcome has been determined.  Although the death occurred in January 2005 the autopsy report was not released until late July which addresses some of the questions of why this case is only now being discussed by the US media and adoption community.

JCICS supports the United States Judicial System in swiftly investigating this case but to further proactively address this tragedy and ensure that children are protected, JCICS proposes the following:

1.       Permanency for Children to Remain a Priority

2.       Standards for Pre-Adoption Screening and Post-Adoption Reporting Be Strengthened

3.       Creation of Research Study to Identify Solutions & Safeguards
 

July 8, 2005 - JCICS releases the following response to today's news report that a Russian adopted child died as result of physical abuse by her adoptive mother.  The mother is currently being held without bond and if convicted, she could face up to 40 years in prison.

June 14, 2005 - The Russian Ministry of Education has accredited a number of U.S. agencies in mid-May.  Since that time, more agencies have been accredited. Click the link above to see the updated list of accredited agencies. 

Q;  What if my agency is not listed? 
If your agency has not received re-accreditation they may receive it soon. During the government restructuring last summer, many agency's accreditation lapsed since the Russian government was experiencing delays.  Agencies submitted their accreditation application during the winter and it is our understanding that the first round of agencies accredited were the one's with their completed applications filed first.  Russia is accrediting more agencies, but we do not know the exact number of how many or if they will accredit agencies for the first time vs. a re-accreditation.

We suggest that you maintain close contact with your agency during this time. We understand that it is a difficult time for many waiting families, as it is for many waiting children.  We ask for your patience and understanding as many factors are out of the agency's control.  You may wish to ask your agency what the back up plan is if they are not accredited.  Will they partner with another US agency that is accredited and can you complete your adoption through them?  If that is the case, it is important that you are educated and comfortable with the accredited agency as they will now be your placing agency.  If you have not been matched with a child yet, you may also wish to inquiry about other country program.  However, adoptions in Russia do seem to be proceeding and we are encouraged that children are finding permanent families.

As we state in under our Parent's section of our website here are some tips on what to do during this trying time: 

4. Be patient

The inter-country adoption process includes many variables, therefore it is impossible to predict an exact timeframe for when you will receive your child.  Sometimes, the foreign country may experience political unrest or change the laws governing adoption which would cause a delay in your process.  For ideas on how to make the wait for your child easier to bear, consult Coping and Difficulties and Delays As You Wait for Your Child.
 

May 24, 2005
The US Department of State just released the following notice on the reaccreditation process in Russia:

RUSSIA
IMPORTANT  NOTICE ON ADOPTIONS
May 24, 2005

This notice replaces the notice of March 22, 2005.  The U.S. Embassy in Moscow informed the Department that on May 17, the Ministry of Education reaccredited 23 U.S. adoption agencies and is actively reviewing the remaining applications for reaccreditation.  The Ministry of Education has also stated that, while compliance with the post-adoption reporting requirement is only one of several criteria considered in the reaccreditation process, even one missing post-placement report may result in a negative determination regarding reaccreditation.  We will continue to urge balance in Ministry of Education decision-making regarding accreditation, but urge adoptive parents to provide post-adoption reports when they have agreed with Russian and other national adoption organizations to do so.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow continues to monitor the status of agency reaccreditations and the release of data bank letters.  To date, the embassy has seen a 95% return to the earlier volume of approved adoption cases.

For an updated list of the U.S. accredited agencies, please visit the U.S. Embassy Moscow’s website at: http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/wwwhci5.html.


                        

May 18, 2005
Joint Council agencies have begun receiving certificates of accreditation from the Russian Ministry of Education. These agencies have been granted permission by the Russian government to resume their work "in accordance with the laws of the Russian  Federation".  Agencies that have been posted on the US Embassy in Moscow's website as accredited are listed at the bottom of this site.

December 7, 2004 - Accreditation of Agencies in Russia
According to the U.S. Department of State, the Ministry of Education recently ordered the creation of an accreditation commission by the end of December.  The accreditation commission will include representatives from the Ministries of Education, Justice, Internal Affairs and Health and Social Development. Since the Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs are undergoing their own reorganization, it hasn't yet been determined who will sit on the commission.  They will determine which adoption agencies will be reaccredited.  The commission is expected to meet at the earliest in mid-January after the Russian holidays.  It is expected the agencies in good standing with a good reputation will be automatically re-accredited but no guidelines or specifics have been communicated.  At this time, it is not clear which ministry or department will be issuing the accreditation letters.  There has also been no indication of how many agencies will be accredited, if there will be a limit on the number, if new agencies will be accredited, or how many will be reviewed at one time.  As we learn of new developments we will update this site. 

December 2, 2004
Many families have contacted JCICS regarding the adoption process in Russia fearing that a shut down is forthcoming.  This fear has been generated by frequent foreign press reports citing Russia’s desire for a bi-lateral agreement with the United States.  While the idea of a bi-lateral agreement has been raised by Yekaterina Lyakhova, the Chairwoman of the Duma Committee on Women, Family and Young People, there have been no concrete steps towards implementing such a requirement. 

On November 15, 2004 a group of individuals, including Yekaterina Lyakhova met for a round-table discussion on the laws of adoption within the Russian State Duma.  There were discussions about various strategies that would seek to curtail the activity of unlicensed facilitators and ways in which national adoptions could be increased.  However, there was no plan identified that would seek to shutdown international adoption.  

Several agencies are also concerned about the re-accreditation process in Russia.  Following the administrative restructuring of the Ministry of Education last year, no person or committee has been tasked with issuing formal re-accreditations.  Some agencies were granted extensions however many regions are not recognizing those extensions; thus agencies have been forced to suspend their adoption programs until the re-accreditation process is once again up and running.   JCICS has asked the Department of State to communicate directly with the Ministry of Education and Science on this issue.  We hope that there will be a quick resolution.  

November 4, 2004
For the past two days JCICS has been hearing reports from families and agencies that the Russian federal databank was closed and no longer issuing letters.  We are not sure where this information was obtained but it is false.

It was confirmed today by the United States Department of State and Embassy Moscow that the databank is functioning normally.  No suspension is imminent or planned for the future.  Embassy Moscow has been in direct conversation with the Ministry of Education and Science and has been assured that all systems are functioning as normal. 

The Consul General of the US Embassy has also been in direct contact with the Minister of Education and Science.  He is favorable towards adoption and does not anticipate any problems or interruptions to the system. 

JCICS will continue to monitor the situation in Russia and will update this website as we learn of additional information.

Please Note: Effective September 1, 2004 the Immigrant Visa Unit in Moscow will require three colored full frontal photos (50x50 mm) for adoption visas instead of three-quarter profile photos.

December 9, 2003
The Embassy of the United States in Moscow, Russia is pleased to announce that it will accept credit card payments for the collection of immigrant visa fees for adopted children: the I-600 petition fee and the Immigrant Visa issuance fee. The Embassy will accept cards with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover logo. The actual dollar amount will be charged directly to the card - there will be no conversion to/from
Russian currency. For more information, please refer to their website at www.usembassy.ru.

The following is a list of Joint Council on International Children’s Services U.S. member agencies who are currently accredited by the Russian Government to process adoptions in Russia.

Note to JCICS Member agencies: Please fax a copy of your license to JCICS at (703) 535-8049.

JCICS Members