A growing concern among U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents who are petitioning loved ones from overseas is the issue of waiting times. Family-based immigration has become bogged down by excessive waiting time and country quotas which exacerbate those wait times.

According to the U.S. Visa Bulletin, U.S. citizens are entitled to apply for visas for spouses, children, and parents without regard to overall caps, but other close family members, including children over the age of 21, must wait years to reunite with loved ones. For example, an immigrant residing in the United States legally with a green card must currently wait at least five years to receive a green card for her minor child. A naturalized U.S. citizen from the Philippines must wait over 20 years before obtaining a green card for a brother or sister.

At the final interview, beneficiaries must show proof that they are biologically related to the petitioner. Primary and secondary evidence include birth records, photographs, insurance receipts, and anything else that offers proof. If primary and secondary evidence are not sufficient, then immigration officials will recommend DNA testing. If you speak with a qualified immigration attorney, they will tell you that certain factors increase your probability of needing a DNA test. Most factors involve issues with birth certificates or legal names.

If you suspect needing a DNA test for immigration you can start the process before the Embassy requests it. This way, when they do ask for it you already have the results you are looking for. This could save you 1-6 months of processing. This is not a ton of time relative to the 20 years it takes a Filipino to be reunited with her brother, but every second counts when you are trying to be together with your family.

After more than a three month pause of all DNA testing activities in Accra, Ghana, the U.S. Embassy has announced that it is resuming testing. Prior to the pause, testing was completed at MedLab, an Embassy authorized collection clinic in Accra. From now on, all DNA test collections will be completed directly at the U.S. Embassy.

If you are one of the hundreds of families who started a DNA test with a laboratory during the pause, the Embassy has announced all beneficiaries should be receiving phone calls to schedule appointments this fall.

The Embassy also announced that DNA testing is only used when other forms of evidence are not sufficient to prove a biological relationship between the petitioner and beneficiary. The Embassy in Ghana does not accept walk-ins for DNA sample collection.

Once a DNA collection is scheduled for the beneficiary the case should be near completion. The beneficiary should bring a passport as well as two photos to the DNA sample collection appointment.

For more information about immigration DNA testing in Ghana, contact a DNA case manager.

A very nice gentleman (we’ll call him John) called our 800 line the other day and told me his story. His wife had just had a child, and he wanted a paternity test to gain peace of mind. He had done some research and found his options to be a home DNA test or a legal DNA test. He understood that the testing procedures are exactly the same, except for an extra set of eyes examining the test results. For the time being he had no intentions to use the test results in court. His primary needs were convenience and accuracy. He did mention that if the results came back negative he may move forward with a legally admissible test.

I use John’s story because it is similar to thousands of other men in the U.S. Their wife or significant other has a child, and the man wants peace of mind.

So, should John choose a home DNA test, or should he choose a legal test? First, let’s look at the advantages of the home test;

1. It’s Cheaper – Because there is no collection fees or notary signature, a home DNA test is usually less expensive than a legal test.
2. It’s More Private – Collection is done in the privacy of your own home.
3. It’s Convenient – You don’t need to leave your living room.

Now, let’s look at the disadvantages;

1. It’s Not Admissible – Home DNA test results are not court admissible for child support, custody, or birth certificates because there is no chain of custody. The samples need to be collected by an unbiased third party.
2. It Could Cost You More In The Long Run – If your home test comes back negative, and you decide to go to court, you’ll need to pay the full amount of the legal test. Your options are to spend a little more now, or risk spending a lot more later.

John’s decision should be based on his needs. If there is any chance he might want the results to be admissible in court, then he should get a legal test from the beginning. If John knows he just wants peace of mind, he should feel comfortable choosing a home DNA test.

Always remember to choose a trusted DNA testing company to complete your test.

A couple months ago I wrote a post about Karen Sala, and how she wanted Keanu Reeves to get a paternity test on her four children. This type of thing happens all the time, and in all walks of life, but one detail made this case a bit different. Sala’s children are all adults now.

According to the most recent article in The Toronto Star(Keanu is Canadian), Sala was seeking $3 million per month in spousal support, going back to 2006, and $150,000 in child support, going back to 2008.

Paternity test results showed Keanu is not the father of any of Sala’s four children.

I hope the kids are still well taken care of.

I just read a Baltimore Sun Article titled, “Three decades after adoption, DNA test reveals painful truth”. The article discusses a family who put a child up for adoption, then wanted to reunite more than 3 decades later. The adoption was facilitated through Catholic Charities, and they also prepared the reunion, which took place at a Phillies game.

During a four year period after meeting, the father and son became closer by exchanging family pictures and stories. Over that time they could not get past the fact that they had no physical resemblance. Son was 6’ 2” and father 5’ 8”. They had few if any physical similarities. They decided to take a paternity test, which showed a 0% chance of paternity.

Father goes back to Catholic Charities to find how the mix-up occurs. Unfortunately, they cannot determine how it happened. One comment under the article shows an interesting view that may be accurate. Here’s what the reader wrote:

Here is what happened: someone at the hospital took the wrong infant and placed it with Catholic Charities. Some family went home with the baby which was to be given up for adoption and THEIR son was given up for adoption. Somewhere, there is a family whose baby was born on Nov. 25, 1975, at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden who raised a son who IS NOT THEIRS. That is the child that was to be given up for adoption. Phil Bloete is THEIR SON. The hospital screwed up. Every male child born on 11/25/1975 at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital needs to be tracked down and given a DNA test. Then, the hospital needs to take accountability.

If this was indeed the case, it could have been prevented with paternity testing at the hospital. There are some obvious concerns with this;

1. It will be fairly expensive for each father and child to get a paternity test while in the hospital, so who will pay for them?
2. What if fathers do not want to know?

In cases of adoption, it seems like it should be mandatory that mother and father are tested to ensure the baby they give up is in fact their baby. It’s impossible to put together statistics on how many children are swapped in the hospital, since nobody has implemented any testing studies.

Something to think about; some family out there may be raising a child that is not biologically theirs, because of a mistake in the hospital. This family may be 1 out of a million, or they may be 1 in a thousand. Are families better off being proactive in getting tested to prevent switches, or should they trust that hospitals only mix up 1 in a million?

Clients call us all the time with questions about what we can and cannot use for DNA testing. Well, we can DNA test almost anything. There are a few questions we ask when clients have DNA samples for testing:

1. How old is the sample?
2. Who do you believe handled the sample?
3. How is the sample being stored?

The answer to question 3 is almost always, “in a plastic bag”. It seems folks thinks the airtight quality of plastic bags makes them a safe bet for the storage of DNA samples. The truth is, almost all DNA samples should be stored in a paper bag and in a cool, dry place. Paper is breathable, so it prevents natural moisture buildup that can lead to bacteria growth. Bacteria is not good for DNA.

If you want to store a DNA sample, keep it in a paper bag or envelope. Store it in a cool dry place. Room temperature is usually fine and will keep the DNA viable for years. Keep in mind, if you intend to store the DNA sample for a very long period of time, colder is better. Here is a brief article about DNA storage.

If the DNA sample is yours, then it it alright to handle it. However, if the sample is from someone else you should make sure to wear gloves.

One other thing to mention is that these storage tips are for relationship testing needs. There are more stringent storage guidelines depending on your intentions for the DNA.

Feel free to visit our discreet DNA testing page for more information about non-standard DNA samples. Give us a call if you have questions about how to store or transport them.

At-home DNA testing is becoming more and more popular as companies have begun offering paternity test kits in pharmacies and on the internet. Do it yourself DNA tests have three major benefits: confidentiality, convenience, and cost.

Since you can purchase a home DNA test online and have it shipped to your door, there is no need to worry about friends or acquaintances seeing you walk into a DNA testing center to get a paternity test. You can draw the shades and swab your cheek in the privacy of your kitchen or dining room.

Most people work during DNA testing center office hours, so it can be difficult to schedule an appointment. A do it yourself DNA test allows you to collect samples for a paternity test whenever you have the time. It’s very convenient.

Generally speaking, do it yourself DNA tests cost less than legal testing, because there are no collection or notary fees. Cost savings is often an important factor to families trying to gain peace of mind.

Along with the benefits of at home DNA tests come questions about validity. The primary concern is that the samples provided by one of the participants is not their true sample. For example, a father wants a paternity test and the child lives with the mother. We send home testing kits to the father’s home as well as the mother’s home. The father must trust that the mother collects the child’s sample, and not the sample of a different individual.

The whole point of a paternity test is to gain certainty and peace of mind. In order to achieve that peace of mind the participants need to be confident in the samples that are collected. The only way to be 100% sure is to observe the collection, or pay a little bit extra to have a trained DNA technician collect the sample.