Pre-Adoption Services--dossiers, vital records, visas

Legal-Eaze CT Headquarters

290 Willow Road

Guilford, CT 06437

Phone: 203-458-6007

Fax: 866-608-6674

E-mail: CToffice@legal-eaze.com

Legal-Eaze NYC Office (NYC Courier)

366 Amsterdam Avenue, Suite 275

New York, NY 10024

Phone: 845-642-2990

Fax: 212-712-2664

E-mail: NYoffice@legal-eaze.com

Legal-Eaze FL Office (Readoptions)

4209 Bluff Harbor Way

Wellington, FL 33449

Phone: 561-422-6007

Fax: 866-608-6674

E-mail: Readoptions@legal-eaze.com

To contact us:

H E L P I N G P E O P L E H E L P T H E M S E L V E S

Legal-Eaze™

International Adoption Specialists LLC

www.Legal-Eaze.com

Legal Form Preparation Without a Lawyer

International Adoption Document and Authentication Specialists

Text Box: Mystery… Certification and Authentication… Great Seals and Apostilles… Help!

Vital Records

When you begin your adoption, you first hire an adoption agency, then you start your home study and collect documents for your dossier. A dossier is simply a group of documents that tells a story about you, the parent(s). Each country with an international adoption program has different requirements; however, they all require that the dossier documents be authenticated for use in their country.

Do you need help with your dossier? Don’t waste precious time trying to figure our certification from authentication — great seals from apostilles! Let Legal-Eaze help.

Legal-Eaze offers the following services pertaining to dossiers:

· Dossier Preparation and Home Study Consultation

· Dossier Authentication and Courier Service

Click on one of the links above for more information on how to proceed.

Text Box: A long-form birth certificate with letter of exemplification… huh?

Visas

Legal-Eaze can obtain visas for you from any country. Our busiest consulate, however, is the NYC Chinese Consulate.

The NYC Chinese Consulate charges $130 (effective January 21, 2008) per visa, for normal 4 business day turnaround time. All visas are now multiple-entry and valid for use within 24 months.

Chinese visas can be obtained in as little as one (1) day for an additional Consulate fee of $30 per visa* and two (2) days for an additional Consulate fee of $20 per visa. However, we do recommend that you plan ahead to avoid any additional last minute stress. Chinese visas are now valid for 24 months from the date of issuance for a maximum stay of 30 days per visit. However, you must check the “multi-entry” box on the visa application or they will issue you a single-entry visa even though you are paying for a multi-entry visa. You must be prepared to have six (6) months remaining on your passport at the time your visa expires.

*same day service if offered but not guaranteed. The Consulate will only process for same day service if the visa application is logged in by 12:00 Noon. Sometimes the lines are too long and we’re not seen by Noon. In that case, the visa application is logged in for next day service and a refund is issued.

Since May 1, 2003, the NYC Chinese Consulate only accepts visa applications in person. No mail-in service is available.

LEGAL-EAZE FEE FOR VISAS — $50 per visa** (fee is reduced to $35 per visa if sending 10 or more applications at one time).

**Price is strictly the fee for Legal-Eaze to obtain your visa. If you need same day turnaround, the Legal-Eaze fee is $100 per visa. Fees charged by the Consulate are additional. Overnight mailings are also not included and will be billed at $30 per shipment if no prepaid overnight mailer or credit card number is provided.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR OBTAINING VISAS:

Complete the Visa Processing Services Form and send it to the Legal-Eaze NYC Office with:

(1) a completed China Visa Application Form (you can download it from here NYC Chinese Visa Application); instructions for completing this form are included with the Legal-Eaze Visa Processing Services Form;

(2) one visa photo;

(3) your original passport;

(4) a prepaid FedEx mailer for the return of the passport(s);

(5) check or money order payable to “Legal-Eaze” for $180 per visa for normal processing.

New rules have been issued (effective April 2008) that in addition to the regular items needed for a visa (visa application and photo), families need to provide the following:

1. Itinerary of travel arrangement provided by travel agency and a hotel reservation to Mainland China (including applicant’s name, date, hotel name, address and phone number);

2. Round trip airline ticket to and from China (a copy of ticket or e-ticket is ok);

3. Certificate of Financial Guarantee (such as latest banking statement or letter of sponsorship (a copy is ok);

4. Proof of vacation by your employer (a letter from your employer stating you work there and what you do, including job title). Those who are unemployed do not need such letter.

5. Previous record of visiting China (copy of previous visa from your passport or the original former Chinese passport).

IMPORTANT: If you are traveling back to China with a China-born child, you must submit the child’s Chinese Passport in addition to your child’s U.S. Passport. The Consulate will return the Chinese Passport to you; however, they will clip the corner of it to invalidate it. You only need to submit the Chinese Passport the FIRST time your child obtains a visa.

Text Box: A visa is an invitation extended to you by the guest country. Basically they tell you how long they’d like you to stay!

On this page, you will be able to access information about the following pre-adoption services:

· Dossier Preparation

· Dossier Authentication and Courier Service

· Vital Records

· Visas

I didn't give you the gift of life

But in my heart I know

The love I feel is as deep and real

As if it had been so.

For us to have each other

Is like a dream come true!

No, I didn't give you the gift of life -

Life gave me the gift of you.

--- Author unknown

Pre-Adoption Services

Legal-Eaze can obtain your NYC vital records for you. These include birth, death, marriage, and divorce decrees. We ensure that they are in the correct format for authenticating for the country where you plan to adopt.

Since vital records are confidential, you need to give Legal-Eaze your authorization to obtain these documents for you. Most adoption agencies recommend getting three (3) certified copies of each record.

FEE FOR VITAL RECORDS*

· Fee per Vital Record (no extra fee for multiples of same record) — $90

· NYC Expedited Courier charges apply if Vital Records are needed on an expedited basis.

*additional costs apply; i.e., filing fees, overnight mailing costs, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LEGAL-EAZE TO OBTAIN NYC VITAL RECORDS:

If you want Legal-Eaze to obtain your NYC vital records for you:

· Submit one (1) original Vital Records Authorization Letter for each record you want, all with original signatures and notarized;

· Attach a copy of the record you are requesting to each Authorization Letter;

· Attach a copy of your driver’s license or passport (with photos);

· Send Authorization Letters and attachments to Legal-Eaze NYC Office;

· Enclose a check or money order payable to “Legal-Eaze” for $90 x number of records (do not pay extra for multiple copies of the same record);

· Enclose a money order payable to the appropriate Vital Records Office.