Bilateral Adoption Agreement Between United States and Russia Will Take Effect Nov. 1, 2012

On Tuesday, October 16, 2012, the Department of State (DOS) announced that the Agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children will enter into force on Nov. 1, 2012.

 Both U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and DOS work to promote a safe, ethical, and transparent adoption process for prospective adoptive parents, birth families, and children involved in intercountry adoptions. This Agreement will enhance the safeguards and protections for all involved in adoptions between the United States and the Russian Federation.

 The Agreement’s entry into force on Nov. 1, 2012, will begin a period of transition from the procedures in place before the Agreement to the new procedures called for in the Agreement. Not all of the provisions of the Agreement will take effect immediately on Nov. 1. The USCIS and DOS anticipates that the transition period will take six to nine months to complete. Most cases already in progress as of Nov. 1 will be able continue under the old procedures. However, it will be important to monitor and track the effective dates of various provisions in the Agreement to ensure that cases are in compliance with all the requirements throughout the transition period. USCIS and DOS will be conducting regular outreach in the coming months to ensure that new guidance and information is available.

 The full text of the Agreement and an updated Frequently Asked Questions can be found online at http://adoption.state.gov. Additional information and guidance will be posted on the USCIS website in the future. Please visit www.uscis.gov/adoption and www.adoption.state.gov regularly for the most up-to-date information.

Russian National Pleads Guilty for Immigration Bribe Attempts

A Russian national pleaded guilty to bribery following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

Klara Rayymkulova, 51, a Russian national, knowingly and intentionally offered $5,000 to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer to commit and aid in the committing of immigration fraud.

On May 1, 2011, Rayymkulova arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport, in Queens, N.Y., aboard Turkish Airlines from Istanbul, Turkey. Rayymkulova was traveling with her adult daughter and an adult male, and possessed a B1-B2 non-immigrant visa. Upon arrival for inspection, Rayymkulova presented to CBP inspectors a fraudulent business invitation letter. The date on the letter was altered, it referred to Rayymkulova as a male, and the phone number listed for the business was disconnected.

According to court documents, after questioning by a Russian speaking CBP inspector, Rayymkulova admitted the letter was fraudulent and that she had paid for the letter. During the processing, Rayymkulova offered the Russian speaking CBP inspector an unspecified amount of money so that she might remain in the United States. The CBP inspector terminated the interview and advised supervisors of Rayymkulova's offer.

During an interview with a ICE OPR special agent, Rayymkulova again reiterated an offer of money to remain in the United States and offered $5,000 for her release, and offered another $5,000 for her daughter's release that she would send from Russia.

Rayymkulova will be sentenced December 21, 2012. She faces a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Adoption Agreement Moves Forward for Russia and U.S.

On July 10, 2012, the Russian Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament, approved the bilateral adoption agreement signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 13, 2011.

This marks a significant milestone in the path toward implementing the agreement, which will provide additional safeguards to better protect the welfare and interests of children and all parties involved in intercountry adoptions.

The agreement has also been approved by the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian Parliament and will now be sent to President Putin for signature. The U.S. and Russia will then need to establish procedures to implement the agreement, which the United States is committed to doing as quickly as possible.

Once the two sides have put in place the necessary procedures for implementation, the agreement will become effective upon the exchange of diplomatic notes between the U.S. and Russian governments.

Adoptions will continue according to the existing procedures while the U.S. and Russian governments work together to implement the new agreement.

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will provide information about the new procedures and clear guidance on their websites related to when U.S. families seeking to adopt in Russia will need to begin following the new procedures well before the agreement’s entry into force.

Please monitor adoption.state.gov and uscis.gov for more information and the latest updates.