I'm in Russia

[bruc 0]

Give The Gift of Life

Adopt a Child From Russia

I was watching a show the other day on adoptions from Russia. These American parents were adopting babies from Novokuznetsk, and paying something like $35,000 for the entire process. One family was selling their house, the other woman was using her life savings, and the irony of it was they were so happy to be "saving" these little girls from "God knows what kind of life" that they didn't even realize paying $35,000 for a baby was actually supporting several Russians quite nicely.

My wife and I were watching in amazement, wondering how these people were "saving" the one little girl they chose to adopt, meanwhile turing a blind eye to their translator and all the adoption staff without so much as a second thought about how they managed to overcome the horrible place that is "Siberia" and how they managed to make something of themselves without a "gracious" American benefactor..... and how they managed to take $35,000 from someone and "dispose of" one of their orphans.

Who really needs the help?

This was not doing the necessary research on adoption in Russia but something people should be careful about and pay attention to slim's post.

There are many agencies that are truthful and a lot less money for an adoption in Russia.

I have friends that have adopted from Russia with the cost being in the range of $10,000 excluding travel expenses.

I've done what is called a private adoption and my total cost in Russia was about $2500.00 mostly attorney and court fees in Russia.

I held firm with her old dad, someone she hasn't seen since the age of two nor heard from, and I refused to pay him any money to sign the necessary papers.

When she gets to America and the day her mom and I get married she will automatically becomes my daughter and takes my last name.

My advise to anyone wanting to adopt their fiance's kid is to do the leg work over there before the kids enters the US especially if there's a dad over there.

I've been asked a lot of times..why do you want to adopt this kid...I would have it no other way...I was adopted also by two wonderful and loving parents.

My grown daughters with kids have also decided to adopt a kid from Russia and have already started making the plans to do so.

I'm certain my parents , their grand parents would have been proud of us.

bruc

[russ 1]

I don't think that it causes any problem. The fine in the past was 1,000 rbl. It is much higher now (35,000 USD), so I'm being more careful.

My wife didn't register when she came to Russia. The visa company she used never said a word to her about it. I wonder if they pre-registered her like Galina? We are getting ready to go back and now she is worried b/c she is getting ready to apply for another visa. Can it be problem??

[Satellite 1]

Give The Gift of Life

Adopt a Child From Russia

Who really needs the help?

I agree, as if there is not enough American orphans who could use our support. I know it is terrible in Russian orphanages, but let's solve our orphan problems right here in the US first.

[Milenka 0]

My wife didn't register when she came to Russia. The visa company she used never said a word to her about it. I wonder if they pre-registered her like Galina? We are getting ready to go back and now she is worried b/c she is getting ready to apply for another visa. Can it be problem??

I've been in and out 4 times on tourist visas without registering, they've never even asked me about it...

[bruc 0]

Give The Gift of Life

Adopt a Child From Russia

Who really needs the help?

I agree, as if there is not enough American orphans who could use our support. I know it is terrible in Russian orphanages, but let's solve our orphan problems right here in the US first.

I agree, but...my oldest daughter tried to adopt here and since both daughters have boys they wanted a girl...she was basically told you will get what you get and will be on a possible 5 year waiting list and it was more expensive than Russia.

I know a lot of people that have adopted and they also had the same answers from here. They wanted a certain sex so they went to Russia, China and Columbia and Cosa Rica and got what they wanted without all the US red tape and had thir adoptions done in less than 12 months.

I have a doctor friend that has four adopted daughters, 2 from Russia, one from China, and one from Costa Rica. Daughters are what they wanted, it didn't matter where they came from, they wanted four daughters and it was impossible for them to get that here.

I think it's a matter of personal choice, money and time frame.

There are a lot of things that need to be taken care in our country first but sometimes you have to do what you have to do if the odds are against you here.

bruc

[bruc 0]

My wife didn't register when she came to Russia. The visa company she used never said a word to her about it. I wonder if they pre-registered her like Galina? We are getting ready to go back and now she is worried b/c she is getting ready to apply for another visa. Can it be problem??

I've been in and out 4 times on tourist visas without registering, they've never even asked me about it...

Sometimes in my business I have to travel to foreign countries...I try to follow all their visiting rules and my registration "was" checked when I was leaving Moscow yesterday.

My fiance told me a few minutes ago that she went back to the post office where I registered, gave her the paper she had, the girl went to the computer entered something and said everything was fine and she thanked my fiance.

I can't speak for any other cities, visas or persons, but when I return again I will follow the process that Russia ask for at that given time.

bruc

[Milenka 0]

My wife didn't register when she came to Russia. The visa company she used never said a word to her about it. I wonder if they pre-registered her like Galina? We are getting ready to go back and now she is worried b/c she is getting ready to apply for another visa. Can it be problem??

I've been in and out 4 times on tourist visas without registering, they've never even asked me about it...

Sometimes in my business I have to travel to foreign countries...I try to follow all their visiting rules and my registration "was" checked when I was leaving Moscow yesterday.

My fiance told me a few minutes ago that she went back to the post office where I registered, gave her the paper she had, the girl went to the computer entered something and said everything was fine and she thanked my fiance.

I can't speak for any other cities, visas or persons, but when I return again I will follow the process that Russia ask for at that given time.

bruc

I am not sure if they "pre-registered" me or not, since I also use a visa company. When I studied there, every year the university registered for me. Also they do have that whole 72 hrs thing, which excludes weekends and holidays...Last time I was only in Moscow for 5 days, so there were 2 days with the weekend, plus Victory Day...I wouldn't recommend breaking the rules, but I think it also depends on how long you stay. My visas are always for specific days, and I never stay longer, and am going again in 3 months. If I went to another country I would always follow the rules, that's for sure. But for Boris' wife, I wouldn't worry about not having registered last time, I've used a visa company each time, and have never gotten denied.

[slim 1,525]

Give The Gift of Life

Adopt a Child From Russia

Who really needs the help?

I agree, as if there is not enough American orphans who could use our support. I know it is terrible in Russian orphanages, but let's solve our orphan problems right here in the US first.

I agree, but...my oldest daughter tried to adopt here and since both daughters have boys they wanted a girl...she was basically told you will get what you get and will be on a possible 5 year waiting list and it was more expensive than Russia.

I know a lot of people that have adopted and they also had the same answers from here. They wanted a certain sex so they went to Russia, China and Columbia and Cosa Rica and got what they wanted without all the US red tape and had thir adoptions done in less than 12 months.

I have a doctor friend that has four adopted daughters, 2 from Russia, one from China, and one from Costa Rica. Daughters are what they wanted, it didn't matter where they came from, they wanted four daughters and it was impossible for them to get that here.

I think it's a matter of personal choice, money and time frame.

There are a lot of things that need to be taken care in our country first but sometimes you have to do what you have to do if the odds are against you here.

bruc

One of the biggest reasons people adopt abroad is so they can get a "fresh" child. The possiblity of adopting a child that's less than one-year-old here is next to nothing unless very high dollars (or other children) are involved. There's also the belief held that orphans have "problems" that can't be corrected without a lot of hard work. They want an "unspoiled" child that they can parent into a "natural" member of their family. Most foreign agencies can guarantee a "problem free" child of very young age.

Most adopting parents also wish to avoid the "I want my kid back" that is possible with parents here. 16-year-old gets knocked up, has a kid that she doesn't want, gets two grand from a loving family for the adoption, then 8 years later, she's got her $#it together, tracks down the kid and sues the parents for custody (and sometimes wins.) Most couples don't want to raise a child from infancy to teen, only to have the child forcefully removed from their custody. Overseas adoptions severely limit this possibility, and adopting parents are usually backed by international law barring "birth parents" from regaining custody.

Either way, home or abroad, adoption is awesome, and I agree more should be done to help our orphans here. I truly believe if there were large incentives for adoptions, society would be a better place because kids would be raised in better homes.

[slim 1,525]

Edited: I also believe there should be mandatory licensing programs for childbirth "rights." Free abortions for those that don't wish to have children, and lots of money for those that adopt, with a guarantee the birth parent couldn't regain custody, or even visitation rights, without mutual consent before a certain age. Oh, and why we're at it.... no more "extra" welfare for having more kids! (See licensing requirements.)

[bruc 0]

Amazing...I talked to a guy last night that also registered his tourist visa at a post office in Russia.

His fiance went through the same process as mine. When he went through passport control leaving he said the lady looked at his registration paper, stamped his passport, put the paper back in his passport and gave it back to him...never checked on the computer like she did me.

bruc