The U.S. Department of state released the following information pertaining to non-hogar Guatemalan Inter-country adoptions:
The Embassy continues to approve an average of 4-6 visa applications of completed adoption cases per week. Consular officers and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in Guatemala City have been in regular contact with Guatemalan officials about the current situation and to look for approaches that could reduce unnecessary requirements, coordinate the flow of information to adoptive families, and permit all adoptions to move forward. In some instances, the Ambassador has been directly involved in discussions with Guatemalan officials on the adoption situation in Guatemala.
In a recent meeting with the new head of the Procuradora General de la Nacin (PGN), the Consul General was informed that the PGN will establish a new unit to work exclusively on adoptions and to make sure that decisions are reached quickly. This new unit began working September 21. Consular and USCIS officers report that investigations continue, both on individual adoption cases and on the hogars. In light of allegations regarding the integrity of Guatemala's former adoption process, Government authorities are making a concerted effort to confirm all aspects of every case. Because of the large number of investigations, progress overall is likely to be limited.
The Embassy's USCIS Field Office currently has 597[*Note: This total may include cases in which the petitioner has subsequently decided to abandon the case but did not inform USCIS.] active cases, of which:
37 are pre-approved and pending action by the Government of Guatemala
60 are pending pre-approval by USCIS
5 are pending submission of 1st DNA results
5 are pending USCIS or other petitioner action
USCIS Field Office Guatemala City received final Guatemalan adoption documents for 10 cases during the period from August 1 to September 1, 2009.
USCIS Field Office Guatemala City also reminds prospective adoptive parents of the new DNA procedures for the 1st DNA test required in relinquishment cases. All 1st DNA appointments must be scheduled by USCIS. For more information or to schedule an appointment for DNA collection, please contact USCIS at: Guatemala.Adoptions@dhs.gov
The Department of State also received a letter signed by 52 Members of Congress regarding Transition adoption cases that are still pending for Guatemala. The Department does not generally release the contents of congressional correspondence, however, DOS has informed it will be responding to the letter and reviewing it to determine if there are any new or additional actions that could be taken to encourage a resolution of the remaining transition cases.
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