interview process for minor stepdaughter (2 years old)

[sancruz 26]

I am wondering if anyone else has dealt with this. I am USC petitioning for 2yr old stepdaughter in Honduras. I am wondering how the interview process will go since she is only 2. I have been told that it's possible they could waive the interview or may asked to interview myself or her father instead. Has anyone else experienced this? We are expecting that we will have to do a DNA test because he was never married to biological mother although he is listed on the birth certificate. I really dont feel comfortable giving the biological mother all of our financial information and having her do the interview. We have considered traveling to Honduras to be there for the interview but know that we will probably have to wait on DNA results and so another trip would be necessary to go back to get her. I also worry about safety concerns in traveling to Honduras as a USC. Things have gotten so bad over there. Any help is much appreciated. I filed I-130 July 1st recd. notice that it had been sent to California Service Center for processing and havent heard anything else since then.

[amyandjorge 76]

Not sure, but will your husband need to be present for the DNA test? I know I would not give one shred of info to the mother of my husband's child, but that's our situation. Pretty sure they will ask for pictures of the child with you or your husband but maybe the DNA can replace that. I am wondering about this process too bc my husband has a son but is not listed on the BC.

Honduras isn't that bad, I've travelled there quite a few times recently with plans to go again soon and I'm your average gringa (fluent in spanish tho).

[sancruz 26]

Thanks for the response. From what i've read and been told there is a possibility they won't ask for a DNA test. It isnt required so we will just have to wait for the interview process to see if they are going to require one. I am hoping not just so that it will save us from having to go back again. I have read that having the DNA test done could prolong the process by a month if not longer while waiting on the results. In other cases where there was no DNA test it seems that if the visa is approved then they get it within 1 to 2 days and can return to the states. I am praying this will be the case with us. It shows that you just have to prove there is a parent/child relationship. When we go for the interview we will have the baby with us as well as receipts showing the money he has sent for support and phone log records as well as video calls. I am hoping this will be sufficient. praying and hoping for the best. I have been obsessed researching the city because of all the safety concerns that i've been reading about. I know we still have serveral months ahead of us before the interview so i will be an expert by then...lol. I will keep everyone updated with progress and how things go.

[sancruz 26]

Well, doing some more research this is what i've found. My husband and I will definately be there for the interview. We started this whole process July 1st hoping to have her here by the end of the year but it seems like normal processing is about 10 months from start to finish so i'm disappointed about that. In searching the US Embassy in Honduras about immigration i did find out they dont usually request DNA test to prove paternity. It said that after all other methods have been exhausted to prove the relationship such as pictures, phone records, receipts etc..the parents can request a paternity test to prove relationship if necessary so i am hoping we can avoid this. With that being said i am now trying to come up with as much proof as i can. We are contacting Western Union because i've read that they keep records for at least 5 years so we should be able to get the receipts for all money we've sent for support. We dont have any pictures of my husband with his daughter because she is two and we havent even seen her yet. Because this process is taking longer than expected we are now planning a trip to Honduras in December to be there for her 3rd birthday so I will have pictures then but we do have pictures that the biological mother has sent to us and we have phone records showing the calls and texts that have been made. I'm not sure of how to get copies of online calls we've made with webcam but i am going to look into that as well. Any other suggestions? Still waiting to here that the I-130 has been approved. It's been two months.

Thanks for the response. From what i've read and been told there is a possibility they won't ask for a DNA test. It isnt required so we will just have to wait for the interview process to see if they are going to require one. I am hoping not just so that it will save us from having to go back again. I have read that having the DNA test done could prolong the process by a month if not longer while waiting on the results. In other cases where there was no DNA test it seems that if the visa is approved then they get it within 1 to 2 days and can return to the states. I am praying this will be the case with us. It shows that you just have to prove there is a parent/child relationship. When we go for the interview we will have the baby with us as well as receipts showing the money he has sent for support and phone log records as well as video calls. I am hoping this will be sufficient. praying and hoping for the best. I have been obsessed researching the city because of all the safety concerns that i've been reading about. I know we still have serveral months ahead of us before the interview so i will be an expert by then...lol. I will keep everyone updated with progress and how things go.