My Adoption Journey (4)

PART 4

Making it legal

So now, it was all up to the lawyer and MSF and the family court. The first court hearing was scheduled a month after Kaitlyn came home. The lawyer had all the documents required so I just had to let him handle it. Once the hearing was approved, MSF would arrange a home visit within the month.

Guess what? MSF took 2 months to get in touch with me. It seems if you don’t chase them, they don’t initiate. Anyway, the home visit was pleasant. I had to show the MSF officer the official agency receipts, and that’s about it. I asked if she needed to see any other documents, she said no. Kaitlyn charmed the MSF officer with her smiles and hugs. All seemed to go well, and the officer said she would get the report done soon.

A month went by. Nothing. I called to check and was told that she was still working on it.

Then, I received a call a few weeks later and she said MSF needed a copy of Joshua’s report book. I asked why was it only now she asked for it when she could have asked for it from the beginning or during the home visit! What a waste of 2 months! So I immediately scanned the report book and sent it to her within the day. Then after that, I received an email from her saying she would be taking leave till Christmas. *fume*

Honestly, I was so annoyed at the way MSF was handling this whole adoption process. With each day passing by, I was worried that all this delay meant Kaitlyn wouldn’t be officially adopted by the time she’s 2 years old. Not to mention having to renew her DP when it expires.

Finally, nearly 3 months after the home visit, the affidavit was sent to my lawyer, and the final court hearing scheduled for the end of January. Things were really on the roll from here!

The adoption order was approved and the lawyer submitted it to Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for issuing of the Birth Certificate (BC). Then on Valentine’s Day, my agent informed me her BC was ready to be collect end Feb. I was so SO HAPPY!

Collecting her BC was quite a smooth process…the wait time wasn’t too long either. However, trying to figure out the next steps in case her DP expired was a hassle. The long queue at the Visitor Pass counter was quite a turn-off, and apparently, the staff there had given me wrong information. In the end, I realised I didn’t have to apply for the short term visit pass UNTIL her DP was actually expiring and if she wasn’t a citizen yet.

At home, I now had the tedious process of applying for her citizenship. As straightforward and clear as the ICA portal was, the details and documents needed when applying for Citizenship were very thorough. I had to fill in all over again personal and financial details, family particulars, attach relevant documents like employment letter, payslips, etc. It took me 2 days to collate all the required documents and complete the form. And with that, all I have to do was wait. The waiting time guideline was 6-12 months for foreigners, with the exception of children born to Singaporeans at 2 months.

I was lucky this time. In just 6 weeks, I actually received ICA’s email telling me that her Citizenship application was successful, and the collection date was set 3 weeks away. I was over the moon!!! Finally, the end of the process was near. Then I saw her DP was expiring 2 weeks before the appointment *facepalm* but tried my luck to change the appointment date to earlier. Success! I managed to get the appointment on the SAME day her DP expired.

On collection day, we went down to ICA as a family for this momentous occasion. Joshua was great at keeping Kaitlyn occupied. But the wait was long. Really long. Try entertaining a toddler for nearly 2.5 hours straight. There were 3 waits in all: showing of the appointment letter, my NRIC, and submitting a passport photo of the child; then payment; and finally collecting the certificate. The last wait was the worst! You would think that printing and laminating a certificate wouldn’t take up that much time, but it did! that wait was like 90 minutes of the 2.5 hours we were there. Kaitlyn was getting fussy and didn’t want to sit for long. She happily walked around the place, chattering away, smiling at strangers and I think she actually put some smiles on the faces of the people in the waiting area. At last, her Citizenship Certificate was ready, and we received it with great happiness and thanksgiving in our hearts.

The whole adoption process was finally over, and Kaitlyn is now legally my daughter and a child of Singapore. And a greater journey awaits us as she continues to grow up each day.

~ END ~