I see Madonna just opened a school in Karachi.  She should consider adopting from there too. 45 bodies of discarded infants, mostly girls have been recovered in the city in 2014. Of course, that’s a drop in the ocean compared to the rest of the country. I just got two petitions approved for babies who were left in hospitals. It can be done.

Two adoptive parents e-mailed me over the weekend asking me what I expect to happen in the US embassy in Islamabad over the next few months.  Realistically, we can expect to see a lot of requests for evidence and notices of intent to deny. We can predict the contents of these requests and notices with reasonable accuracy based on the USCIS guidance memo which was released a few months ago. The guidance memo was essentially an instruction to adjudicators as to when to issue a Request for Evidence.

We can expect lots of home study related Requests for Evidence. The UAA has implemented some changes to home study requirements.  In particular, expect to be asked for proof that all adult family members have been fingerprinted and that your provider is accredited or working under the supervision of an accredited provider.

Petitioners who filed in the transition period may be asked to identify a primary provider who will be willing to be responsible for any adoption services which could occur after visa issuance.

Petitioners who are adopting from countries which allow them to adopt privately without adhering to a specific statutory procedure will be required that this is in fact the case. Note that the response to this request requires the services of a qualified attorney.

For this who do not fall under the transition case, we can expect requests for case plans identifying who will be responsible for each of the six adoption services.

Single adopters will be asked to prove that it is legal for them to adopt in their home states.

Madonna….call me!