Embassy processing times have slowed down!! Most families are not being scheduled for interviews at the 15 day mark as they had been before. We’re seeing most families receiving appointment notices about 3-4 weeks after submitting their documents to the embassy. The interviews are occurring about 5 weeks after the submission of the documents. Don’t book return flights based on a 15 day turn around at the embassy. Let’s hope things speed up again soon!

Passports are being held for a little longer after visa approval. Expect to wait an extra few days after your approval to receive you child’s passport back.

Pakistani courts will be going on summer break soon. Courts typically close for a month over the summer. If you take physical custody of a baby this month, you may not be able to complete your guardianship process before the courts close for their vacation.

USCIS has announced that its filing fees will increase. Get those petitions and applications in sooner rather than later!

It appears that Donald Trump will be the Republican presidential candidate. How do you say booooo in Urdu? Mr. Trump has been threatening to ban all Muslim emigration to the United States until the United States has a handle on terrorism. If a president finds that the entry of any particular class of aliens, for example Muslims, into the United States is detrimental to the United States, then he or she can suspend their ability to enter or impose restrictions where deemed appropriate. This has happened numerous times before- Chinese immigrants, the illiterate, those suffering from HIV and many other groups have been banned from emigrating to the US in the past or have had special conditions imposed on them. Let’s hope common sense prevails here. Anyone who is planning to adopt in the next year (or sponsor any Muslim relative, or immigrant worker for that matter) should probably proceed now…just in case.