DNA Testing process

[Dat Nguyen 0]

Hi everyone,

I took the interview yesterday and was required to take DNA Test to proof the relationship. I am an out-of-wedlock child of US Citizen.

My father has made an DNA collection appointment with a lab in US already (dnacenter.com)

I just wonder how long does it take that the US consulate contact me to collect sample?

And, how long would I receive visa after US Consulate got DNA result?

I am really sick and tired for waiting... such a long time!!!

Best,

[ndu26 114]

there is no fixed timeline for that. Once the lab collects from your dad, they forward tdhe results to the consulate/embassy and you will be sent top their panel physician to give a sample. Once that is processed, then you will ne contacted on the final decision.

[Dat Nguyen 0]

Thank you ndu26,

I hope it's gonna be not too long.

I'll keep update information about my case in this thread.

[Kazulie 132]

there is no fixed timeline for that. Once the lab collects from your dad, they forward tdhe results to the consulate/embassy and you will be sent top their panel physician to give a sample. Once that is processed, then you will ne contacted on the final decision.

Just to clarify a little....

As soon as dad pays, a kit will be sent to your embassy. You contact the embassy telling them that the kit arrived and you need to set up an appointment for DNA collection. In the meanwhile, dad sets up an appointment to get his DNA collected. After your DNA is collected, the test is mailed to the States and the DNA matching tests are ran. Then the lab sends the results to dad and the embassy. When you track that the results have made it to the embassy, you start harassing the embassy. I am almost 2 months into the whole process. Will start nagging on Wednesday!!!

[SerenityNOW 11]

Just to clarify a little....

As soon as dad pays, a kit will be sent to your embassy. You contact the embassy telling them that the kit arrived and you need to set up an appointment for DNA collection. In the meanwhile, dad sets up an appointment to get his DNA collected. After your DNA is collected, the test is mailed to the States and the DNA matching tests are ran. Then the lab sends the results to dad and the embassy. When you track that the results have made it to the embassy, you start harassing the embassy. I am almost 2 months into the whole process. Will start nagging on Wednesday!!!

Kazulie -

I want to update the IR-2/CR-2 wiki page, but I don't have any personal experience with the DNA test, so I have some questions for you

Is that correct, that the beneficiary should contact the embassy about the kit being there? Or will the embassy contact them?

So the collection is done at an authorized medical center?

Also, how do you track that the results have made it to the embassy?

Good luck with the nagging!!! It has been suuuuuuuch a long process for you...

Edited May 14, 2013 by SerenityNOW

[Kazulie 132]

Kazulie -

I want to update the IR-2/CR-2 wiki page, but I don't have any personal experience with the DNA test, so I have some questions for you

Is that correct, that the beneficiary should contact the embassy about the kit being there? Or will the embassy contact them?

Of course you can wait for the embassy to contact you, but that will add extra months to your journey. Just like everything else in this process, you will get through much faster if you are pro-active.

So the collection is done at an authorized medical center?

Ok, this could go a couple of ways. 1. everyone being tested is in the foreign country. 2. One or more persons is in the States and one or more persons is in the foreign country. For us, we had 1 in the States already, 2 in Nigeria. The person in the States has to go to an accredited AABB Lab to get their test done, the person(s) in the foreign country has to get their tests done at the embassy.

Also, how do you track that the results have made it to the embassy?

The AABB Lab in the States will give you a tracking number if you ask for it.

Since this if for a wiki, I will go through the process again and be more clear about it:

1. Beneficiary goes to their interview. A DNA test is requested. Beneficiary will get a formal letter at the end of the interview asking for the DNA test. IMMEDIATELY after the interveriew, the beneficiary will scan/email the letter to the USC.

2. The USC will contact the AABB Lab closest to them (if there is person who has to do DNA testing in the States as well. Otherwise, it doesn't really matter which lab you choose, as you wont ever have to actually go into the lab). The USC then emails the scanned letter that was recieved at the interview and sends it to the Lab. The USC pays for the testing. As soon as payment is made to the lab, the lab sends out a kit to the foreign embassy. At this point, if there is someone in the States that has to get tested as well, you can go get tested. (We were 99% sure we were going to be asked for a DNA test, so before the interview even, we had an appointment for my husband to get his test done the exact same day as the interview. But you have to time it correctly, because you have to have the scanned letter from interview before you can go take your test. For instance, the boys had their interview on Wednesday at 7 am Nigeria time. That is 6 hours ahead of us here in Chicago. So earlier that week I had set up an appointment for my husband to take his test at noon that same day. That would have been 6 pm Nigeria time which is plenty of time for them to have their interview and scan us the letter. All worked out fine.)

3. Once the lab sends the kit(s) to the foreign embassy (ours sent it the very same day we paid for it) you can call the lab and ask for the tracking number.

4. Once you track and see that the kit(s) have arrived at the foreign embassy, you email the embassy and state that the kit(s) have arrived and will they please set up an collection date for you loved one(s) to go and have their DNA collected at the embassy. (it took about 5 days for my embassy to email me back saying the collection date was 3 weeks later)

5. Loved one goes to get his DNA collected. The kits are then immediately sent back to the lab in the States. These tests are time sensitive so it usually arrives back in the States within 3-5 days.

6. The lab in the States runs the tests. Within a week, the results are then mailed to the USC and also the foreign embassy. The USC usually gets the results in 3 days (ish). Once they recieve the results, they can call the lab again and get the tracking number for the results sent to the embassy. (But the tests only take a couple of days to run, so if you haven't gotten the results back in the mail within a week, you should call the lab. I've had reports of USCs saying they never recieved the test results.) This is when the embassy is no longer in a rush to do anything and the results can sit in a pile in the mail room for months.

7. After you track and see the results have made it to your embassy, wait a few days and then email them. They will probably respond back with "we don't have the results yet", even though you have tracked them and know they are in the building. (It's just like NVC. you know it only takes a week or so to get from USCIS to NVC but you can call for a month and NVC will say they STILL don't have your packet - because no one has scanned it into the computer yet)

8. Hurry up and wait. Now you will have to decided how long you can handle waiting and when you will start pestering them. I've been sending them an email once a week and they continue to tell me that they don't have the results yet. Tomorrow I will CALL, instead of email, them and beg.....yes, I said beg....them to hurry up.

a little story: My friend went through this process. After waiting for a month from when the results made it to the embassy, her child called her and said that her passport was about to expire. Freaking out, my friend called the embassy and told them. The embassy was very understanding and they kids had their visas a week later.

If you can come up with some great excuse (tomorrow I will tell them that we need the boys here so they can get their doc visits so they can register for school and also that I just paid an great amount of money for summer camps because I thought they would be here by now) as to why you NEED them here asap, hopefully they will accomidate you.

Let me know if I just confused the heck out of you!

Good luck with the nagging!!! It has been suuuuuuuch a long process for you...

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited May 14, 2013 by Kazulie

[SerenityNOW 11]

Excellent, Kazulie! I posted all the general info in the wiki page and included a link to this thread, so it may live on in history for future IR-2/CR-2 petitioners.

HERE IS THE IR-2/CR-2 WIKI PAGE

[BB Family 299]

I'm going through a similar process. I am the  USC and I have a teenage child in Mexico. Can we request the DNA test prior to doing any paperwork at the Embassy? There is a DNA collection facility near me that is on the USCIS website. So can I go there, pay and complete my portion, then have them mail the other test to the nearest consulate where my child lives? And once the embassy receives it they can go there to complete their sample and then we begin the paper work after the results? Thank you.

[jan22 2,898]

11 hours ago, Barker Family said:

I'm going through a similar process. I am the  USC and I have a teenage child in Mexico. Can we request the DNA test prior to doing any paperwork at the Embassy? There is a DNA collection facility near me that is on the USCIS website. So can I go there, pay and complete my portion, then have them mail the other test to the nearest consulate where my child lives? And once the embassy receives it they can go there to complete their sample and then we begin the paper work after the results? Thank you.

No, you cannot.  You have to have a case pending at the Embassy in which they recommend DNA testing.  Otherwise, they won't accept the results, since they don't know what it relates to.

[BB Family 299]

Ok thanks. Plan is to send an at home DNA test to confirm the child is mine so we don't waste each others time and money other wise. Once I know shes mine through the at home, ill file and wait for them to request it and then pay for the official one. Thanks again for the answer.

[jan22 2,898]

Good luck...hope it all works out for you.

Edited November 22, 2017 by jan22