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adopted child ID?


russianmom

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My husband and I adopted our son from China recently.

We have a US passport and his certificate of citizenship.(and a stack of other official documents)

 

I also have a notarized letter from my husband as he will not be traveling with us.

 

Anything else I need to think about and I only ask this as my older son looks exactly like me and we have never been stopped or questioned when cruising without my husband (with proper documents). My younger son obviously does not look like me...

 

Any thoughts :confused::confused:

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If he's legally adopted (which I'm assuming he is since he has a US passport), he is your son. I can't imagine there is anything else necessary. When I got our dd's passport they said we had to sign "father of" or "mother of" and then our signature in the signature area, so I think that would take take of it.

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Our daughter is 9 and was adopted from Korea as an infant. We are leaving next week for her 3rd cruise, plus we have done other international travel. The passport was enough, it was never questioned, never given a second look. I can't answer about only you traveling with him, as all of her travels have been with both parents. My DH did take our middle son (bio child) to Canada twice for hockey tournaments. We had a notarized letter from me, one time no issue, second time they did ask my son a few questions about where is your mom, why didn't she come with you, he was about 10 at the time. That was all, they were happy with his answers.

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Thanks everyone!

Again, never worried about my older son from Russia as he looks like me. Just had a passing thought when I looked at his passport which although my husband and I both had to be present to apply for really has nothing to prove I am his mother...

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When we cruised with our two kids (both adopted from Korea), their U.S. passports were the only IDs that were looked at. But I also carried with me a copy (not the original) of the adoption decree for each child, just as an added measure of security. I highly doubt I would have ever needed it, and I'm not even sure a copy would have been adequate anyway; but it gave me some peace of mind to have it.

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... I only ask this as my older son looks exactly like me and we have never been stopped or questioned when cruising without my husband (with proper documents). My younger son obviously does not look like me...

 

If they are going to assume anything about the child (and your husband is not present), then they will likely assume the child looks like your husband. I would only take the child's passport and the letter/note from your husband - the passport is proof that the child is yours (by name) after all. Happy cruising.

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Do you have the child's new birth certificate listing you and your husband as his parents? That should prove he is legally your son if it should ever be questioned.

 

We haven't applied for a state birth cert yet as thanks to our governor it now involves a lengthy expensive court process. I have his certificate of citizenship from uscis and another certificate from The state dept listing us as parents. I may bring those to be on the safe side.

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We haven't applied for a state birth cert yet as thanks to our governor it now involves a lengthy expensive court process. I have his certificate of citizenship from uscis and another certificate from The state dept listing us as parents. I may bring those to be on the safe side.

 

We are CT neighbors and I feel your pain with our lovely governor:). If it makes you feel safer bring his COC, but I doubt they will ask for it. I literally was shaking the first two times we traveled with our daughter, but it was so not an issue that now I am more relaxed. Enjoy your vacation and new son!

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My sister in law and husband just adopted a girl, she was born in USA, but they only will have the adoption decree (I think that's the name) on April. It is a very long process. They are going to apply for the new birth certificate in order to get the passport, but all the officers have told them that it is unlikely that they will have it by end of June and have her passport on time. They are now in panic. Can they travel to a Caribbean cruise with all her adoption papers and the court order? There is anyway to get a passport with the court adoption decree or form or order? (don't remember the form number now) WE really don't know what to do.

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My sister in law and husband just adopted a girl, she was born in USA, but they only will have the adoption decree (I think that's the name) on April. It is a very long process. They are going to apply for the new birth certificate in order to get the passport, but all the officers have told them that it is unlikely that they will have it by end of June and have her passport on time. They are now in panic. Can they travel to a Caribbean cruise with all her adoption papers and the court order? There is anyway to get a passport with the court adoption decree or form or order? (don't remember the form number now) WE really don't know what to do.

Do they have her original BC? They could bring that and the adoption papers. They probably should consult an attorney.

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It does take a ridiculous amount to time to get a birth certificate. Our dd was born in March (in the US) and it took until the following February to get birth certificate. We didn't have access to the original and since that has the birthparents' names on it, I'm not sure that would help anyway. If the cruise is closed loop (comes and goes from US ports) you can travel on a birth certificate only, not a passport. So, if you can get the bc in time, but not the passport she could probably still go. If your SIL is in CA as you are, I'm sorry to say that is probably the slowest state to get bc sent out. I sure hope it works out.

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It does take a ridiculous amount to time to get a birth certificate. Our dd was born in March (in the US) and it took until the following February to get birth certificate. We didn't have access to the original and since that has the birthparents' names on it, I'm not sure that would help anyway. If the cruise is closed loop (comes and goes from US ports) you can travel on a birth certificate only, not a passport. So, if you can get the bc in time, but not the passport she could probably still go. If your SIL is in CA as you are, I'm sorry to say that is probably the slowest state to get bc sent out. I sure hope it works out.

I now remember a blog someone linked to in this forum a while back. The family had a Disney cruise out of LA and were traveling with an adopted child. They did not yet have this child's BC, all they had was the adoption paperwork. They went to LA anyway and were denied boarding at the pier. They left the young child with a family member/friend in the area and went on the cruise anyway.

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My sister in law and husband just adopted a girl, she was born in USA, but they only will have the adoption decree (I think that's the name) on April. It is a very long process. They are going to apply for the new birth certificate in order to get the passport, but all the officers have told them that it is unlikely that they will have it by end of June and have her passport on time. They are now in panic. Can they travel to a Caribbean cruise with all her adoption papers and the court order? There is anyway to get a passport with the court adoption decree or form or order? (don't remember the form number now) WE really don't know what to do.

I'm almost certain the child will not be able to cruise with just the adoption papers.

 

OP was able to get a passport without the BC. Looking at the state dept passport site, it seems you can get get a passport using the child's Certificate of Citizenship, if available. The passport talks about accepting secondary evidence of US citizenship. I would call the regional passport agency office and ask if adoption papers count as secondary evidence or if there is some other way. The links below may help.

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html#step3first

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html

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My sister in law and husband just adopted a girl, she was born in USA, but they only will have the adoption decree (I think that's the name) on April. It is a very long process. They are going to apply for the new birth certificate in order to get the passport, but all the officers have told them that it is unlikely that they will have it by end of June and have her passport on time. They are now in panic. Can they travel to a Caribbean cruise with all her adoption papers and the court order? There is anyway to get a passport with the court adoption decree or form or order? (don't remember the form number now) WE really don't know what to do.

 

I'm not an expert by any means, but you can cruise with a birth certificate on a closed loop cruise. But I would believe in this case, they will need the child's new birth certificate with their names. If they don't have this, I'm not sure if they will be able to get the passport, plus they might not be able to sail as they won't have a birth certificate with their names as the parents.

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I don't think this varies from state to state since passports are nationwide, but for us, we had to wait for the new bc to get a passport. There wasn't any paperwork we had that would get us a passport without the bc. Maybe if the child was born in another country it's a different set of circumstances because they come home with a visa, but for a child born in the US to US parents, you need a bc.

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Thanks to all. Yes, they need the bc in order to have the passport. They called Carnival and the rep told them that they can travel with the adoption decree, but they are really not confortable, they asked for a formal confirmation bu I doubt that they will get it. The social worker told them to go to LA (we are in CA) and try toget a passport with the adoption decree, it is possible that they will get it, if not,, wait for the new BC and pray that it comes before end on June. They can travel with the BC, because it is a close loop cruise.

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I don't think this varies from state to state since passports are nationwide, but for us, we had to wait for the new bc to get a passport. There wasn't any paperwork we had that would get us a passport without the bc. Maybe if the child was born in another country it's a different set of circumstances because they come home with a visa, but for a child born in the US to US parents, you need a bc.

 

You are correct. My son was born in China where adoptions are finalized in country. We have a Chinese birth certificate with our names listed as his parents which is why technically we do not need to get a state birth certificate. It's really only for convenience.

 

We were able to get a US passport b/c of all of the pre-paperwork we filed with the State Dept and USCIS (DHS) prior to going to China.

 

Very different from a domestic adoption.

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I now remember a blog someone linked to in this forum a while back. The family had a Disney cruise out of LA and were traveling with an adopted child. They did not yet have this child's BC, all they had was the adoption paperwork. They went to LA anyway and were denied boarding at the pier. They left the young child with a family member/friend in the area and went on the cruise anyway.

 

Yes, I was trying to remember this as well. I think it was last summer or fall and caused quite a stir as the mother blogged that they called a friend to come pick up the newly adopted child and went on their cruise anyway!!!! :eek: :eek:

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We live in LA but the trip is from FL. We have tons and tons of family in Miami, my SIL is planing to go to DWD and Miami Beach if the trip can not be done. The rest of us we will go to the cruise, it is a family cruise, but my SIL won't go without her daughter.

We are still waiting for Carnival confirmation about travelling with the adoption decree, but I think that my SIL is very confident about getting the passport with the adoption decree. And now that we know that she can go with the BC, we maybe get it from Sacramento in time, it is after all more than 2 months in advance.

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We are still waiting for Carnival confirmation about travelling with the adoption decree, but I think that my SIL is very confident about getting the passport with the adoption decree.

I would be sceptical of anything from Carnival (or any other cruise line) saying you can cruise with an adoption certificate. I have read stories on cruise critic about people who were told they could cruise with document X by the cruise line and then were denied boarding at the pier.

 

www.getyouhome.gov has detailed document requirements and makes no mention of an adoption certificate as being permissable to travel with. Nor have I ever seen it mentioned on any cruise line sites. ID requirements are set by the government and cruise lines are tasked with enforcing them but do not have discretion to make exceptions.

 

Here is a story about a couple who tried to cruise with an adoption certificate and was denied boarding at the pier.

http://consumerist.com/2012/05/04/disney-ruins-family-vacation-by-not-letting-adopted-child-on-cruise/

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I would be sceptical of anything from Carnival (or any other cruise line) saying you can cruise with an adoption certificate. I have read stories on cruise critic about people who were told they could cruise with document X by the cruise line and then were denied boarding at the pier.

 

www.getyouhome.gov has detailed document requirements and makes no mention of an adoption certificate as being permissable to travel with. Nor have I ever seen it mentioned on any cruise line sites. ID requirements are set by the government and cruise lines are tasked with enforcing them but do not have discretion to make exceptions.

 

Here is a story about a couple who tried to cruise with an adoption certificate and was denied boarding at the pier.

http://consumerist.com/2012/05/04/disney-ruins-family-vacation-by-not-letting-adopted-child-on-cruise/

 

I have to second this. While Carnival can tell you whatever they want it is not up to them to make or enforce the rules. This is DHS and CBP who are making the rules and can and will certainly deny boarding at the pier irregardless of what Carnival has told anyone.

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