CNN recently did a piece on their channel titled “Families in Adoption Limbo” that focused on a family who has been affected by the current state of Vietnamese adoptions. The French family adopted their son Oliver in Viet Nam, but was issued a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID,) meaning that the United States Embassy is not issuing him a visa to come to the United States. His parents have already adopted him and he has been in their custody since the Giving and Receiving ceremony where he legally became their child. Their NOID was issued due to a documentation or paperwork problem, and his orphan status is currently being investigated to ensure that he was actually abandoned, and not taken from his birth parents without their consent or for a fee.

Oliver’s mom Shannon is in Viet Nam with him, and his dad David returned home to the US, but is planning to return to Viet Nam shortly. The reporter for this piece, Alina Cho, stated that the Frenches will only have two options if Oliver’s visa is not granted (the NOID is being challenged.) They will either need to leave Oliver in Viet Nam while they return to the US, or they will need to move to Viet Nam for two years and then they would all be able to come into the United States as a family.

The piece was presented in a mostly fair manner. Cho vaguely discussed the recent change to the I600 submission procedures, and could have been clearer on that point. But overall, it was well done. There was no mention made of what adoption agency the Frenches used, but Cho did state that their entire process was ten months. That is an incredibly short period of time, and raised a red flag for me when I heard that.

I do feel for the French family, and all the others who are in the same situation. I am curious to hear what comes of these current NOID cases, and what changes we will see going forward now that the new I600 procedures are in place.

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More Reading:
The State of Vietnamese Adoptions
Change in I600 Submission Procedures
More on the State of Vietnamese Adoptions