Affording Adoption
Support the Helping Families Adopt Orphans Act
Is your international adoption moving slower than you expected? Are you hearing the second hand of the clock ticking away as the expiration date of your 1-171H approaches and worrying that you will have to pay to reapply? If so, you are not alone.
New Legislation
Known as H.R. 5888, the Helping Families Adopt Orphans Act was introduced by Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico last July in response to a letter that constituents Andrew and Constance Johnson, of Albuquerque, wrote to her. Like so many parents trying to adopt from China, the Johnsons were worried that their I-171H would expire before the completion of their adoption.
What is the I-171H?
The I -171H is the orphan visa approval from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The I-171H is mandated by the USCIS, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security.
Why is This Bill Needed?
The I-171H, which expires eighteen months from the date of completion, is an additional cost to families which can add to the total cost of an international adoption. The application fee is currently $545, and there is an additional $70 per person charge for fingerprinting. The I-171H also requires several additional forms for compliance, such as a home study, birth and marriage certificates, among others. If the I-171H expires, all of these applicable forms and fees must be resubmitted and paid as well.
In a day and age where international adoptions can take longer than eighteen months because of delays in obtaining visas and foreign governments requiring additional processing time, many families may have to pay to extend their USCIS approval. Even if your adoption journey was not, or is not, affected, there is a possibility that someone you know will experience extra costs with their international adoption because they will need to reapply for a new I-171H. This bill will help eliminate the unnecessary cost of completing the I-171H twice, thereby lowering the costs of some international adoptions.
Current Progress
Two weeks after writing their representative, the Johnsons received a phone call from Rep. Wilson’s office telling them that she was introducing new legislation to extend the validity of the I-171H form from eighteen months to at least two years. According to www.GovTrack.us, H.R. 5888 is currently in the beginning stages of the legislative process. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary and currently has 42 cosponsors. Yet, GovTrack’s site says that many bills never get past the committee stage, and thus are never introduced to the House as a whole.
What Can I Do to Help?
If you are wondering if you can help by contacting your congressperson about supporting this bill, the answer is YES! Please consider encouraging your family and friends to contact their congressperson as well. Your actions today could positively impact future adoptions by saving future adoptive families the time and money necessary to complete an updated USCIS orphan visa approval.
To find out who your congressperson is, go to http://www.congress.org. You will need to enter your zip code in the “write your officials” box along the left side of the page.
For tips on contacting your congressperson, go to: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/basics/?style=comm.
How Can I Stay Updated?
You can read the bill and track its progress at: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-5888.
