I have noted in this blog that when it comes to international adoption in my practice as an immigration lawyer that I have seen the number of children available for adoption from China drop precipitously over the past few years. In 2005, there were 8,000 Chinese children adopted by U.S. parents last year there were 3,000.
The reasons for the decline are related to more adoptions by Chinese parents and fewer children being given up for adoption. Things are better for Chinese families and children, and although that is good news for China that translate into a dearth of children available for intercountry adoption. Continue reading ‘China Popular for Adoptions’
In my San Francisco and Northern California based immigration law practice, I am in daily contact with those who are affected by immigration reform legislation. As a lawyer, I am constantly sifting through ways in which the changing political tides will affect my clients and the manner in which I can help them.
This past week, there have been many developments that indicate that the move for immigration reform is being taken very seriously by proponents and that they are unhappy with what they perceive to be a lack of support from President Obama. Continue reading ‘March for Immigration Reform: An Immigration Lawyer’s Observations’
As an immigration lawyer in San Francisco, one area I have focused on in this blog is on the likelihood of immigration reform actually happening and the push by Democrats to get Congress to seriously consider such reforms. Just the other day, President Obama met with Senators Graham and Schumer on this issue.
President Obama was, overall, vaguely supportive and that type of support may now hurt him when it comes to healthcare legislation. It’s been reported by the Chicago Sun Times that Representative Luis Gutierrez (D- Ill.), who is from the President’s home state, has said that he will vote “no” on the Obama health reform proposal. Continue reading ‘Observations by an Immigration Lawyer on Representative Gutierrez’s Threat’
There was a lot of concern amongst those focused on the subject of immigration reform, when President Obama barely mentioned the subject in his State of the Union address. I’m in the midst of immigration issues in my law practice in San Francisco.
On March 11, 2010, the President met with Senators Graham and Schumer, who are both very involved in immigration reform. Together they have a bill in the works. The issues include securing the border and establishing a biometric Social Security card. The biometric card is a high tech form of I.D. that all U.S. citizens may eventually carry. Continue reading ‘Senators and President Meet: Observations from an Immigration Lawyer’
One area that I focus on as an immigration attorney in San Francisco is the highly challenging area of family immigration. An article published online by the Christian Science Monitor on March 14, 2010, covers what many of us in the trenches have been dealing with for sometime.
The fact is that it has become much more difficult for U.S. families to adopt internationally. I have written about this subject in this blog fairly recently, but it is worth reexamining. Continue reading ‘Intercountry Adoption Developments: Notes from an Immigration Attorney’
This is the second and last part of a post focusing on how adoptive parents can help a child from another country adjust to their new surroundings. In working as an immigration lawyer, I’m often called upon to guide families through the process of intercountry adoption. Families who come from institutional settings may face special challenges in adjusting to family life in the U.S.
The first five strategies that I discussed focused on home and family life. These next five are concerned with adjustments to the outside world.
Finding a Friend
Connecting with a child who is going through or has gone through a similar experience can be very helpful. Your new family member will have someone in their life with whom they can readily identify and who will understand what they are going through. Try to help them connect with that person. Continue reading ‘Part Two: Intercountry Adoption—Helping a Child from an Institutional Setting Adjust’
This is the first part of two on how adoptive parents can help a child adopted from another country adjust to their new surroundings. Although it’s not a legal issue, I’ve found in my capacity as an immigration lawyer that children who come institutional settings face extreme challenges in adjusting to family life in another country.
Often such children have limited or no family experience and they are used to their own culture and to a life that involves schedules and experiences that are disconnected from what one would consider normal family life. Here are five strategies that you can use to help your new family member adjust. Continue reading ‘Part One: Intercountry Adoption—Helping a Child from an Institutional Setting Adjust’
I work as an immigration attorney representing clients throughout the fifty states. We help adoptive parents in the immigration process intercountry adoptions. I offer a wealth of advice to my clients as I help them successfully navigate a process than can take from one to four years.
Here are some links that adoptive parents can utilize to help them with various issues health issues they may encounter after the adoption process is complete. It’s essential that adoptive parents understand that once they have their new family member safe and secure and the adoption complete that their work has just begun.
The American Academy of Pediatrics:
This organization has a roster of pediatricians who have a special concentration in medicine connected with adoption and foster care. You can find them at: www.aap.org/sections/adoption/SOAFCAdoptionDirectory2.pdf Continue reading ‘Immigration Lawyer’s Notebook: Medical Links for Intercountry Adoption’
I work with clients in the San Francisco area on immigration issues. A recent article in the Chicago Tribune noted that intercountry adoption has become more difficult. For years, American families have been able to rely upon adoptions from highly popular countries such as Russia, China and Guatemala. But this is no longer the case.
For prospective parents who want to adopt now, a good lawyer who understands immigration and intercountry adoption is an important asset. Here’s what has recently developed over the past few years.
Stricter Requirements
Parents are screened on their income and marital status in all three countries and also on their body mass index in China. The fact is that you may meet the criteria in the U.S., but you may not in other countries. It has become very competitive. Continue reading ‘Immigration Lawyer’s Notebook: International Adoptions More Difficult’
If you’re involved in intercountry adoption once the process is complete, you’ll be involved in a new process—that of adjusting to your new family. Working as an immigration lawyer with a wealth of experience in the family immigration area, I’m quick to caution parents that the adjustment period can certainly take time. Here are some primary areas of which you will need to be mindful.
Children Who Have Spent Time in Institutions
If you’re adopting a child who has spent any length of time in an orphanage or similar institution, then you’re bound to find that there will be a time of adjustment depending upon their experience. Continue reading ‘An Immigration Lawyer’s Perspective on Adjusting to Intercountry Adoption’
