EAC on the Congo Suspension

EAC, Inc.

October 9, 2013

EAC continues to submit family dossier's and is receiving referrals from the D.R. Congo. We remain optimistic the situation will be resolved soon.

The U.S. Department of State issued the following notice regarding the Congo's suspension of exit visas:

Adoption Notice

Democratic Republic of the Congo Immigration Authorities Announce Limited Exceptions to Exit Permit Suspension

This notice updates the Department of State's September 27 adoption alert regarding the suspension of issuance of exit permits to adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents.

On October 3, the Congolese Ministry of Interior and Security, General Direction of Migration (Direction Generale d'Immigration, DGM) informed the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa that it will issue exit permits to adopted Congolese children who received immigrant visas for travel to the United States before the September 25, 2013, suspension effective date. Adoptive parents whose Congolese children received U.S. immigrant visas before September 25 must apply in person to the DGM's Administrative Secretary for the exit permits. Please note there is no fee for the service, and the DGM usually takes a minimum of seven days to process each request for an exit permit for an adopted Congolese child to depart the country with his/her adoptive parents. The DGM Administrative Secretary may be reached at:

Mr. Albert Luyinu, Administrative Secretary

Direction Generale d'Immigration

65, Boulevard du 30 juin,

Commune de la Gombe

Ville de Kinshasa, R.D.Congo

The DGM further clarified that it will not issue exit permits for children adopted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who received, or will receive, immigrant visas on or after September 25 until the DGM lifts the suspension. The suspension of exit permit issuances for adopted Congolese children applies to all intercountry adoptions and is not limited to adoptions by U.S. citizens. These exit permits are required in addition to U.S. immigrant visas in order for adopted Congolese children to travel to the United States.

Please direct questions related to this alert or a specific adoption from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Department of State, Office of Children's Issues at 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States. Email inquiries may be directed to AskCI@state.gov. We will also post new information as it becomes available on www.adoption.state.gov.

EAC, Inc.

September 30, 2013

EAC Staff and our In-Country attorney have been working diligently to better understand the situation regarding Congo adoptions. Today our attorney verified Congolese judges, Commune officials, and the Congolese Social Ministry for Children will continue to process adoptions. In addition, The U.S. Embassy Kinsasha made the following statement as part of their notice to agencies and adopting parents:

"we will continue to process adoption cases as we did before the suspension. Thus, we will continue to issue visas and conduct interviews and investigations."

EAC will continue to update you as we learn more information. EAC staff will be reaching out to all EAC families to update them as to how this situation impacts their adoption. Families wishing immediate updates may contact Debra Parris at debra@eaci.com.

Here is text copy of the notice issued by the U.S. Embassy Kinsasha earlier today:

Dear Adoption Agencies and Adoption Parents,

Please feel free to forward this message to all adoption agencies involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and parents who are adopting children from the DRC.

We have received many emails concerning the DGM's announced suspension of the issuance of exit permits for adopted children, which we reported as an Adoption Alert on adoption.state.gov. While we are happy to answer individual emails, we wish to make the following points:

1. We have no addition information beyond what we said in the Adoption Alert. We will make any additional information we receive available publicly as quickly as possible on adoption.state.gov.

2. We wish to note that the DRC, as a sovereign nation, has the right and the responsibility to make its own rules and regulations concerning the adoption of Congolese children.

3. Until we receive instructions otherwise from Washington, we will continue to process adoption cases as we did before the suspension. Thus, we will continue to issue visas and conduct interviews and investigations. Of course, we have no influence about how the Congolese government (including the DGM) acts during this suspension.

On an unrelated matter, we have currently received instructions that if there is a lapse of appropriations at the end of the fiscal year (i.e. the federal government shuts down) we will for now continue with virtually all consular operations.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Elliot C. Fertik

Consul

U.S. Embassy Kinshasa

EAC, Inc.

September 27, 2013

EAC has been made aware of a a situation which may have prompted the following statement by the US Department of State, regarding action taken by the DR Congo. The situation involves an adoption from the DRC, a non-EAC adoption. Generally, when situations like this arise, the foreign country will temporarily suspend adoptions pending an investigation.

Debra Parris and Robin Longoria, EAC Congo Specialists, who just returned from the Congo last week, are in constant contact with our in-country Congo staff. We have been informed that the exit visa is the last step in the adoption process from Congo and this delay should not have an immediate impact on EAC families in process.

The US State Department has issued the following notice regarding adoptions from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC):

Adoption Alert - Democratic Republic of Congo

On September 27, the Congolese Ministry of Interior and Security, General Direction of Migration (Direction Generale d?Immigration, DGM) informed the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa that effective September 25, 2013, the DGM suspended issuance of exit permits to adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents. The DGM reports the suspension will last up to 12 months. This suspension is due to concerns over reports that children adopted from the Democratic Republic of the Congo may be either abused by adoptive families or adopted by a second set of parents once in their receiving countries.

The suspension of exit permits for adopted Congolese children applies to all intercountry adoptions and is not limited to adoptions by U.S. citizens. These exit permits are required in addition to U.S. immigrant visas in order for children to travel to the United States.

The DGM has not indicated whether adoptions in process may continue during the suspension period. The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa is seeking clarification on the impact this will have on cases where adoptions were already completed, or completed and an immigrant visa issued. We will post new information as it becomes available on www.adoption.state.gov.

Please direct questions related to this alert or a specific adoption from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Department of State, Office of Children?s Issues at 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States. Email inquiries may be directed to AskCI@state.gov.

We are focused on obtaining "credible" information, and will forward this information to you as soon as possible. At this point, we simply, do not know the facts surrounding this situation or the prolonged impact they may have on in-process adoptions. As reliable information becomes available EAC will continue to send you updates.

European Adoption Consultants, Inc.

EAC