Question #1:
How does the government deal with a Visa situation when the child has no living parents? How will they work around the DNA testing situation for Chancelet?
Answer #1:
With children who have biological parents, the U.S. Consulate conducts a birth parent interview, as well as may request DNA. When children are declared abandoned (as Chancelet is), the birth parent interview is not a requirement. An orphan investigation will still happen; however, it will not include an interview. It will rather just include the studying of the documents provided to ensure their validity. Both the mayor and IBESR complete a declaration of abandonment, and so when the Consulate sees these documents, they understand that there are no parents to interview, and no need to request DNA.
Question #2:
We were looking at the "Orphan First Pilot Program", where CIS officials can conduct the orphan investigation before the child has been legally adopted (while our case is still in IBESR/court) and wondering if we should be looking at that process?
Answer #2:
We are encouraging families to travel to Haiti to file their I-600 as well as request participation in the Adjudicate Orphan Status First program. We have seen that the orphan investigation process is being completed with much less problems, and also more quickly when families travel to Haiti to file. Families can travel while they are in IBESR or in Parquet ... as long as they have filed before they enter the court system. I usually recommend families start thinking about dates after they have been in IBESR for one or two months. We have samples of all the documents that are required. GLA will provide Chancelet's documents; however, we have samples of the forms that need to be completed by the families before filing.
What a beautiful baby!
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