|
|||||||||
|
In this section we've tried to collect all most commonly asked questions along with others that may help you get a more clear perspective of Ukrainian adoptions. If you find a topic that is not covered here, please feel free to call or email us and we'll |
 |
||||||||
| General Process | |||||||||
|
Is this true that we may have to wait for over a year to receive notice of travel to Ukraine? Generally, from the time we receive the Homestudy package to the date of your actual travel 4 to 6 months pass. From our experience, on average adoption cases last under 9 months from the very start to finish. What happens when the Letter of No Objection is issued? Does the dossier then go to you? And then how long will it take after that to go over to the Ukraine? Once the letter of no objection is issued it is included in the dossier package that will, once legalized, be sent to the Ukraine for review and approval. From the time when the letter of no objection #1 is issued to the date of your travel 3-4 months may pass. Is your agency able to assist me in finding a child? Are you able to help residents outside your province? Yes, we are open to applications from provinces outside Ontario. Are there any medical forms that we will possibly need filled or certain immunizations that we will need? Comprehensive medical forms are a part of your dossier package. You will need to visit your family doctor to go through examination, if necessary, and receive some laboratory tests. Ukraine does not require you to have any type of immunization. However, flue shots are always a good idea. Do you do all the translations for all the dossiers to be sent to the Ukraine? Dossiers are translated in the Ukraine and the cost of translation is included in the program fees. Does your agency have an administrator to lobby our files? Yes. Progress of your files will be carefully monitored by our associate at every stage. Will you help us with medical terms, contact physicians on our behalf, the FAS Association of Canada etc.? We can play a role of intermediate between you and the professionals whose assistance you would like to seek in Canada. For instance, we may transfer all medical information on the child to your doctor, make sure it is received, and, if necessary, transmit the reply back to you. If we wish to use CIAS for Ukraine adoption, is it necessary to have our home study completed by your agency? CIAS is licensed to facilitate adoptions only; we’re not entitled to conduct Homestudy reports. Should we find a paediatrician in Toronto to review the child’s file in conjunction with the other physicians? You may do so, however the medical examination in Kiev is rather thorough and the child will be seen by several medical professionals. Oh by the way the Ukrainian Visa do you get them for us? Yes, we arrange for the visas on your behalf.
Is it possible for a same sex couple to apply for adoption through your agency? No. Ukraine does not allow same sex couples to adopt. Are you open to single parents? Can you tell me about any other eligibility criteria? Yes, single women can adopt from Ukraine. You will have to provide proof of stable financial situation, reasons why you would like to adopt and many others that equally apply to couples during the course of the Homestudy process. Single men are not allowed to adopt from Ukraine. We are common-law professional couple interested in adopting. Is there a marriage restriction involved in the process? Yes, Ukraine does not allow common-law couple to adopt. Is this true that only children of 5 years or older are available for adoption? Children available for adoption in the Ukraine are 14 months of age and up. From experience of our agency, average age of adopted children is 17 months. Is this true that only children with health problems are available for adoption? All children adopted by Canadian families are generally healthy. The reason to this are the strict immigration laws which do not allow immigrants with health conditions into the country. Is this true that only boys are available for adoption? If not, what is the proportion of children adopted? We do not have statistics on the matter but indeed generally more parents are seeking to adopt girls then boys. However, no matter what sex of the child you have in your recommendation and approval your adoption will be completed successfully. Our experience so far was equally smooth with either girls or boys. Is this true that we’ll be put on a waiting list with your agency when we make our application? We try our best for families to go through the whole process as quickly and as painlessly as possible. Our methods of work are very efficient and we do not foresee any waiting lists in the near future. I live in Ontario. Am I allowed to adopt more then more then one child at a time? Can I adopt a sibling group? Ontario residents are only allowed adopting one child at a time. A difference of 18 months has to be in place between an adopted child and the younger/older child/ren in the family. You may, however, adopt once again 18 months after the prior adoption. Same rule will apply of 18 months difference. Residents of other provinces in Canada may be allowed adopting more then 1 child at a time (related or unrelated or sibling groups only). However, this does not mean that you would be able to adopt 2 children from Ukraine. It will only give you a chance, should it become possible at the time of your travel, to adopt more then one child during the trip. In the support document section for the immigration they ask for the adoption order? What is that document? Should I have it or would that be provided once the ministry gives its approval? Adoption order is the document you receive at the finalization of the Ukrainian Court hearing. In the Immigration sponsorship form you should leave this section empty as it does not apply to your case at this or later time. At what point do we complete that sponsorship form? At the time when your dossier is submitted to the provincial adoption authority for approval you should make an application for sponsorship of an unnamed child to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Are there specific homestudy forms and/or questions that our Ukraine dossier requires? Is there a list or forms that we should be giving to whatever social worker ends up doing the home study? Would this info/forms be in the information package that is coming from you? We will provide you with medical forms specific to Ukraine at the time we receive an application from you or you request such during the course of the Homestudy process.
Is this true that we’ll have to spend over 4 weeks in the Ukraine to finalize the first stage of the process? On average, first stage of the process is only 2 weeks. Sometimes it takes more, sometimes less. The maximum length of stay our families had was 3 weeks but every case is unique and this might change also. Do you work with only few orphanages in the Ukraine? It is not possible to limit the choice of orphanages an agency works with. You may receive a referral from the Adoption Center to travel to any orphanage in the Ukraine for the child of your dreams and our associates will do their best for the process to be as smooth and as quick as possible. Is this true that in certain cases the waiting period after the court hearing may be waived? Though this is not common for adoptions from Ukraine, it may happen so that the waiting period will be waived. What kind of support does your agency offer while we are in Ukraine? Every kind of support you would normally need. While in the Ukraine you will be escorted by one of our courteous associates who will guide you through every step of the way. Will laundry and dry cleaning services be available? Depending on the location of your stay, yes. However, we do encourage our families to take at least one weeks supply in clothing. Should we bring gifts? University of Toronto t-shirts? Toronto Maple Leafs t-shirts? chocolates? bubble gum? Any ideas? You may take some inexpensive, symbolic of Canada gifts. Keep in mind though that chocolates, candies and practically any other minor items are much cheaper in the Ukraine. In any case, do not take a luggage full of gifts, you might have to bring most of it back to Canada… Can we pay a portion of the US$6,500 to you prior to leaving? We do not want to carry that much money with us in Traveller's Cheques. You can make a full payment in Canada prior to your departure. Does this amount cover all of our accommodations? We are trying to figure out how much extra money to bring with us? Accommodations, meals, travelling inside the country and gift (or donation) to the orphanage are not included in the cost. Accommodation in the Ukraine is anywhere from $15 to $60US a day averaging $40US. To calculate the total extra amount you would need to cover these expenses we’ll have: $40x15=$600 plus gift to the orphanage (not more then $500US), plus transportation (normally not higher then $800US) plus meals (~$10 a day per person) all adds up to around $2000US Would you recommend that we bring traveler's cheques, cash, or a combination of both? However you feel is best. You can bring all amounts in cash (practically in any bills) or travelers cheques or both. There will be an extra charge (1.5-2%) for cashing out travelers cheques even though banks in Canada might be assuring you that there will be not cashing out charge. Do doctors provide psychological assessments? Immigration Canada requires every child to be examined for immigration purposes. Psychological assessment is a part of the examination. Do you still have to go with one couple per month per translator? Are you able to send several couples at a time (or per month?) We’re able to send as many couples per month as necessary, depending on children availability at the time at the database of the Adoption Center. If the judge waives this waiting period, are we allowed to enter Canada with the child right after the court hearing? What is really the law about that as I hear different answers to the same question. You will need to acquire child’s new Birth Certificate, passport and have the post-adoption documents legalized for Canadian Embassy in Kiev. After that you are free to return with your child to Canada. The waiting period after the court hearing is required by law to allow prosecutor to dispute the judge’s decision at any time of the period in case when false evidence was provided or there are new previously unknown details to the case that might influence the course of the case. My husband might be tied up at work at the time when it comes to travelling to Ukraine. Would it be possible for him to join me later? Can I visit the Adoption Center alone? Does he have to be present at the court hearing? It would be best if you would both travel and go through the first stage together, which usually takes only two weeks to complete. If the second trip will be required you one of you can travel and go through post-court stage and bring the child to Canada. Are you organizing the trip by plan or do I have to do it? How this works for the plane ticket? Everything (except your luggage of course J ) is planed and organized for you. It is best if we would arrange for the plane tickets on your behalf since it saves all parties a lot of time and the dates/times/airlines are chosen most conveniently and suited to the plan of your travel Can you please describe the task of your facilitators? Starting from your dossier’s arrival to Ukraine there will be a certain facilitator who will translate it and will follow the progress of your file at the Adoption Center. Usually, when you arrive it will be the same facilitator who is responsible for your file. His/her job during your stay will be to escort you throughout the process, arrange for accommodations, traveling, meetings, paperwork, medical examinations, in short – everything one normally does during the course of the adoption process and more. Does the $6500US fee cover the Ukrainian passport of the child, his new birth certificate and his entry visa to Canada? It does cover the passport and other post-adoption paperwork. However, expenses at the Canadian Embassy in Kiev are extra. I would also like to know what kind of lodging facilities you have in Ukraine? Usually it is a Euro-standard renovated flat accommodations. You may also stay in Hotels which are generally more expensive. At an orphanage city your place of stay might be either a rented flat, a house with a host or a hotel, depending on location and availability. Could you please tell me where the Kiev apartments we’ll be renting are located (are they close to the AC and Canadian Embassy) and how much it is per day? Usually, accommodation is centrally located close to the Adoption Center. The cost averages from $30 to $80US per day. What is the invitation letter? Is that sent to any agency? Who does issue this letter? To travel to Ukraine you do not need a letter of invitation, entry visas are issued based on your purpose of travel (adoption). Is it safe to drink, or is bottled water available? It is safer to drink bottled water, which is widely available in the Ukraine. I would like to know how things will happen if the judge waives the 30 days waiting period. You will start immediately on obtaining the post-adoption paperwork, including child’s passport and new birth certificate. Once all the documents are legalized you will apply to the Canadian Embassy in Kiev to obtain the landed immigrant visa for the child. Once you have that, you’re free to leave Ukraine with your adopted child. How to know whether the Canada waives it and allows us to go back, once we know the judge decision? What do we do with the child during this time? Our associate will consult with the Canadian Embassy prior to court hearing on the possibility of obtaining the immigration visa in case if the waiting period is waived. If the judges decision takes immediate effect you will receive full parental rights of the child meaning you take full responsibility of him/her. At that time the child is to stay with you, not the orphanage. When do we have to go to the Canadian Embassy? What to do with them? What to tell them? Can we ask them at our arrival how to proceed and what their decision would be regarding the 30 days waiting period? At first you should visit the Canadian Embassy to register your intent of stay and adoption. At a later time you will be visiting Canadian Embassy to apply and receive the child’s immigration documents. You do not need to discuss the 30-day waiting period with the Embassy staff at the arrival. Which facilitators of yours will take care of us once in Ukraine? Are we going to get in contact before the departure? Prior to your departure we will give you the name of your facilitator. We do not practice our families’ contacting their facilitator prior to departure, however, upon your request we may give you email address of the person who will be meeting you at the airport. Could you please tell me about the customs in Kiev? Any comments on how to behave at the customs then? Customs in Kiev are just like in many other countries; you should at all times follow the requirements and limitations that they impose. We heard that some of your families were escorted by an experienced doctor. How much does this cost? What exam will he perform? Does the doctor speak English?? Depending on some circumstances you may be accompanied by a doctor who will perform a preliminary examination and will give his/her opinion of the child’s health. At this time this is not an extra, however presence of the doctor is not guaranteed. This scenario provides families with more confidence of their child’s health and also some times saves time. Do you recommend learning some Russian, or some Ukrainian, in order to communicate with the children? What are most adoptive parents doing? Also, what is the language the children generally speak--we would have thought it was Ukrainian, not Russian? We do not give such recommendation as in a short period of time your child will be understanding you clearly. Russian language is most widespread in the Ukraine so if you make your decision on learning some words, it has to be Russian. However, the language is not easy to learn and the pronunciation, which is very important when speaking with children, suffers so your efficiency of speaking a few words would be very low… I got cash from the bank today and people are telling me that the bills should not be too old, folded or have some written marks on it US dollar or do we always have to pay in the local money? Indeed, banks in the Ukraine are often very picky about the bills so it is best to avoid taking very old or crumpled bills with you. Is there anything we need to be aware of while packing such as gifts for people or the orphanage? We do not encourage our families to take many, if any, gifts to Ukraine. If you do, take something inexpensive and symbolic of Canada. Most things are much cheaper to buy in the Ukraine. Can I wear pants to the court? We suggest dressing in business casual. Should I book my child’s place before leaving or should I do it from Ukraine? It is always best to schedule the leave date from Ukraine. Buying child’s ticket from Ukraine would be much cheaper. When we receive an official invitation from the Adoption Center in Kiev does this mean there will be children for us to see at the time of the interview? As a general practice, yes. From our experience and that of our Ukrainian associates, Adoption Center tries to avoid such situations when there are no children available and you’re invited. Will we have to stand in line for days in order to be interviewed at the Adoption Center? You will receive an official invitation stating the particular date on which you will be interviewed. This is the date you will be visiting Adoption Center on to review the database of available children that suite your profile. How many times are we allowed to receive official referrals from the Adoption Center? At this time there is no official restriction on the number of issued referrals but the Adoption Center’s staff has a practice of carefully monitoring each situation and reasons why you need another referral. Will we be allowed to pursue adoption of a different child at the orphanage that we like more then the one referred? If the child is registered with the Adoption Center’s database and obtaining the referral for that child is possible, you will have a chance of adopting this child. However, this situation is not common since Adoption Center’s staff does a great job in matching children with prospective parents. Is this true that we’ll be put on a waiting list with your agency when we make our application? We try our best for families to go through the whole process as quickly and as painlessly as possible. Our methods of work are very efficient and we do not foresee any waiting lists in the near future. How are children selected by adoptive parents? Infos and photos? Videos? At the time of your interview at the National Adoption Center in Ukraine you will be provided with information on child/ren available for adoption that match your profile. At this time information is limited to passport size picture, some medical information and social background. Videos and more detailed pictures are planned to be released in the near future. What happens if we refuse the first referrals? You will have to go back to the Adoption Center to receive another one. Has it ever happened that the Adoption Center lost the adoption dossier? What do you do if this happens? Do you have copies? Does your facilitators make sure that the NAC has your dossier? We do not know of such occurrence. In case when the dossier is lost we would have to legalize the copies that we have on file at all times. Arrival and progress of your dossier to the Adoption Center is carefully looked after.
If you haven't found the answers to the questions you have, please submit them with the form below and we'll reply to you shortly.
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
[Home] [General Info] [Immigration] [Travel] [Adoption Info] [Links] |
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
Canadian International Adoption Services 321 Ellerslie Avenue Toronto, ON M2R 1B6 Toll-free 1-866-272-CIAS (2427) Tel. (416) 250 0520 Fax (416) 352 5081 |
|||||||
