ImmiTips » Haiti

Scheduling an appointment for orphan screening

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:12:53 +0000

In response to the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is actively screening Haitian children for possible humanitarian parole if they fit into one of two special categories authorized by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano on Jan. 18, 2010. The specialized categories only apply to Haitian children who were adopted or were in the process of being adopted by American families prior to Jan.12. For additional information on the eligibility criteria for both categories, please review the “Information for U.S. Citizens in the process of adopting a child from Haiti”, also summarized in the chart below.

Category

Eligibility Requirements

Children being adopted by Americans who have been legally confirmed as orphans eligible for intercountry adoption by the Government of Haiti (GOH), through an adoption decree or custody grant

Evidence of availability for adoption must include at least one of the following:

Full and final Haitian adoption decree
GOH Custody grant to prospective adoptive parents for emigration and adoption
Secondary evidence of either of the adoption or custody decree

Evidence of suitability must include one of the following:

Approved Form I-600A
Current FBI fingerprints and security background check
Physical custody in Haiti plus security background clearance

Children previously identified by an Adoption Service Provider (ASP) or an intercountry adoption facilitator and matched to an American prospective adoptive parents

Evidence of a relationship between the prospective adoptive parents and the child and evidence of the parents’ intention to complete the adoption. Evidence may include:

Proof of travel by the prospective adoptive parents to Haiti to visit the child
Photos of the child and prospective adoptive parents together
ASP “Acceptance of Referral” letter signed by the prospective adoptive parents
Documentary evidence that the prospective adoptive parents initiated the adoption process prior to Jan. 12, 2010 with intent to adopt the child (filed Form I-600A and/or Form I-600, completed a home study, located an ASP to work with in Haiti, etc.)

Evidence of the child’s availability for adoption. Evidence may include:

IBESR (Haitian Adoption Authority) approval
Legal relinquishment or award of custody to the Haitian orphanage
Secondary evidence of the above (e.g. e-mail correspondence, copies, ASP correspondence)

Evidence of suitability must include one of the following:

Approved Form I-600A OR
Current FBI/FP and security background clearances

If you have eligible children for this program, please follow the instructions on how to schedule an appointment for an orphan screening by clicking this USCIS link.

USCIS Teleconference on Temporary Protected Status for Haiti

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:46:25 +0000

January 27, 2010
2:00 pm	to	4:00 pm

USCIS is inviting for a teleconference to discuss the process of registering for Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals. USCIS will review the most frequently asked questions and then take additional questions from participants.

Event Schedule:

January 27th, 2010 at 2:00pm EST

To join the call – Please dial:

Number: 1-888-324-8190
Passcode: 8174628

If you have any questions or concerns, please email Mary Herrmann, at mary.herrmann@dhs.gov or call on 202.272.1213.

Invitation: Teleconference – Temporary Protected Status – Haiti (1KB PDF)

Humanitarian Parole Policy for Certain Haitian Orphans

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:32:28 +0000

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a humanitarian parole policy allowing orphaned children from Haiti to enter the United States temporarily on an individual basis to ensure that they receive the care they need—as part of the U.S. government’s ongoing support of international recovery efforts after last week’s earthquake.

DHS and DOS are working together to issue travel documents (either immigrant visas or humanitarian parole authorizations) for children who fall into the two designated categories. Once these children are cleared to travel, the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince will facilitate their evacuation to the United States so they may be united with their American adoptive parents.

Person Finder tool for those missing in Haiti

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:11:09 +0000

People around the world are turning to the Internet to search for information on friends and family in Haiti. A group of engineers from the private, public, and NGO sectors come together to build the “Person Finder.” It is a simple tool that allows people to locate and contribute information on people in Haiti. This tool is available in French and English, and can be embedded on any website.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced today the launch of this new tool on http://www.state.gov/haitiquake.
In addition to helping people find their loved ones, this tool will make the data accessible to other governments and private organizations in an easily manageable and accessible format.

Anyone wishing to donate can text “HAITI” to “90999” and $10.00 will be sent to the Red Cross.