• Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card

    According to the Embassy of India website, Cox & Kings Global Services (CKGS) is no longer the service provider for OCI services for the Embassy of India, Washington DC or its Consulates in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco. The new service provider will start operations on November 2nd, 2020, the details of which will be provided in due course.  Until that time, OCI services will remain suspended, including OCI card applications and approvals.

    In case of any specific queries, please email to fsoci.washington@mea.gov.in

    You can visit the Embassy of India website to view the official statement and check for updates.  https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/pages/MjY

     

  • Congress Enacts Intercountry Adoption Information Act

    From the National Council For Adoption, October 1, 2020

    Yesterday, Congress enacted the Intercountry Adoption Information Act which is now awaiting the President’s signature to be made law.  The following is a description of this legislation by Congressional staff who worked on this legislation:

    The Intercountry Adoption Information Act would amend the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 to require the U.S. State Department to provide additional information on the following:

    • *Countries that have enacted policies to prevent or prohibit adoptions to the United States;
    • *Actions taken by the State Department which have prevented adoptions to the United States;
    • *The ways in which the State Department has worked to encourage resuming adoptions in both cases.

    This information is critical for American families to adopt from countries that have established barriers to adoption, such as Russia or Ethiopia, or other areas where the State Department has suspended intercountry adoption, such as abandoned children in Nepal. 

    You can read more about the Intercountry Adoption Information Act here.