My friend Sinziana sent me some information last week and I hope it might be able to help someone that is considering returning to Russia for another adoption.
When we filed for our 171H for Artem's adoption, we had our social worker word our home study to show we were approved for 2 children in case there were siblings available to adopt. For some reason when she typed it, she put down that we were approved for three children and therefore our 171H was approved for three children.
As you know we ended up with one child and I was convinced that would be the end of our family additions. But this summer I started thinking about adding to our family but dreaded fighting USCIS to get another 171H.
Sinziana sent me some information and told me our 171H is good for 18 months after the approval date on the bottom of the form, BUT if you have been approved for one child on your 171H and brought home one child then your 171H is no longer valid.
Our's was for three children and we only brought home one so we could still bring home two more children. And here's the best news...instead of applying for another 171H (around $800) we only had to pay a small fee and file for an extension which would get us another 18 months and would be enough to complete our next adoption.
I could not believe this great news and immediately ran to our safe to retrieve our document only to discover our 171H had expired last month. Drats. If I had known about this detail this past summer when we were considering going back, I would have renewed our 171H just in case we pursued a second adoption.
If you are considering going back in the future but aren't for sure, why not look at your 171H and see if you are still elligible for the extension. If you apply for the extension but never go back to Russia, no harm, no foul. But if you apply for it AND go back to Russia then you have just made a major obstacle (the 171H) into a minor one and saved yourself some money.
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6 comments:
DRATS is right! Our 18 months on our I171H is June - so FINGERS CROSSED! We did have to do a home study addendum/update in September when it hit its year mark. Good luck as you jump back into the paper chase!
WOW - this is great info! Thanks for sharing!! Guess what document I'm looking at first things this afternoon when I get home from work?!
Hi susan! I recently brought my daughter home from Russia and we are thinking about another. My I171H Eexpires the end of Dec. Could you forward me the information of applying for an extension. Thank You
Stephanie Karasek
stephaniekarasek@yahoo.com
I follow your blog from (russianpeanut.blogspot.com).
My husband and I were approved for 2 children and adopted one in November 2006 and one in July 2008. We had to file an extension. USCIS in Atlanta, however, had shipped all our documents (marriage license etc) from the first submission off-site so we had to provide all this information again (birth certificates, etc), along with an updated homestudy. It does save some money. We also had to pay to be re-fingerprinted, though. I think we could not apply for an extension until we were within 90 or 120 days of our 171-H expiring.
Best wishes to you on adoption no. 2. Sorry you missed your extension time period. I remember reading about your struggle for the first 171-H.
Myra (toeppe@gmail.com)
We were able to use our original I171H too for our second adoption. It was definitely a great benefit and at that time I think we got one free extension so it cost nothing!
If possible could you forward me the information on how to get the extension? rsansgaa@hotmail.com
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