The term NOID conjures up fear in adoptive parents. NOID stands for Notice of Intent to Deny and the notices are handed down from the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to inform parents that the USCIS is intending to deny their child’s visa to enter the United States.

NOIDS are issued when a child does not meet the USCIS’s criteria for orphan status. Sometimes paperwork is filled out incorrectly or only partially completed by agency staff or provincial employees and a red flag is raised, other times the means in which a child was relinquished or referred is brought into question. The bottom line is that when a NOID is issued, USCIS is unsure if a recently adopted child is truly an orphan and they are requesting further information from the parents/adoption agency before they will approve the child’s visa to leave Viet Nam for the United States. The NOID letter will give parents the reason(s) behind the suspicion so the parents can correct or inform the USCIS about the legitimacy of their case.

NOIDS are issued after the Giving and Receiving ceremony, so the child has already been legally adopted in the eyes of the Vietnamese government. When NOIDS are issued, the process can be extremely time consuming and parents and child are left in limbo. The parents (as US citizens) are able to return to the US, but their child is not. It’s a horrible situation to be in, and parents can do their best to protect themselves by only working with licensed, reputable adoption agencies that have clean track records. NOIDS have been issued and can be issues to families working with wonderful agencies, but researching and learning all you can about a particular agency before signing on with them is the best way to protect yourself and your new family.

More Reading:
Adoption Agencies Licensed in Viet Nam
Non-Licensed Agencies=Bad News
Beware of Agency "Umbrella-ing"
How To Choose An Ethical Adoption Agency
Red Flags: What to Look Out For When Choosing an Adoption Agency