‘Bring Our Daughter Home’: Visa Halt Leaves 4-Year-Old Adopted Girl, Father Stranded in Africa
A four-year-old girl who was adopted by an American family has been left in Malawi with her father for 15 weeks, while a US visa application is pending to allow her to return to her adoptive parents in the United States, keeping the family apart across two continents.
Katie and Josh Derrick of Cleveland, Tennessee, adopted Beatrice from Malawi and completed the adoption process in June. Katie said the family had been granted permission by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, but the child still needs a visa to come to the United States.
The family had filed the required paperwork on August 4 and were awaiting a final form to be signed when they found out that visa applications had been suspended.
Josh has stayed in Malawi with Beatrice, while Katie waits in the USA. The child has been separated from his parents for a long time and is not sure why the promised trip home has not occurred.
Josh told Beatrice that they were going to see her mother soon by aeroplane. Now she asks herself frequently if it’s time to go.
Other American families were waiting with adopted children overseas, too, said the family’s adoption agency, Promise Kids A Future Inc. Two families have reportedly been in Malawi for approximately 15 weeks and another family has been there for seven weeks.
Adopted children may have unique challenges when visas are delayed, as they may no longer be able to go back to their previous care setting, said immigration attorney Terry Olsen.
The visa ban is likely to be temporary as the US administration implements new screening procedures, Reuters reported.