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U.S. May Deny Visas to Babies from Guatemala

A U.S. State Department official state that the United States will not continue to give visas to Guatemalan babies unless the adoption procedures are fixed in their country. The U.S. is urging Guatemala to make much needed changes before the Hague Convention goes into effect later this year. Guatemala is said to be one of the countries most prone to adoption corruption where many parents can speed the process up by paying thousands of dollars to achieve an international adoption. If no new legislation is passed under The Hague Convention then Guatemalan children will have no legal way to enter the United States after adoption.

Last year approximately 4,000 babies were adopted by parents from the United States. U.S. officials warn that these numbers will be nonexistent unless the adoption procedure in Guatemala is changed to meet the high standards set by The Hague Convention.