We got an email from Diana about a half hour ago. It says:
Molly,
It looks like they are moving towards getting the kids their Estonian citizenship! I don't know what exactly prompted this, your research, my hounding, or maybe a bit of both. I am sure they did their own research as well. I will keep you posted but today is a good day.
Diana
I called Diana after getting her email. She answered "I was expecting to hear from you any minute!" Probably because I always call her right after she sends me an interesting email. LOL
She said she is so happy that they are doing this because it's so much easier and more potential to be fast than the other way. Her exact words were "Thank GOD!"
Hopefully we'll know more later this week about time line. In addition to the websites that Kathy found (thanks again Kathy!!), we also found the official Estonian citizenship gov't website. It said the same things that the other websites said, including the official process for stateless kids under 15, with forms and everything. It did say that it can take up to 3 months for the application to be reviewed. But maybe it'll be faster having another gov't agency getting it done instead of just some other random Estonian citizen applying for them.
So, I'll take that as good news. We needed some!
Love,
Molly
Monday, September 15, 2008
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8 comments:
Molly, I'm sooo excited for you...again! That's great news. Hopefully, Jehovah will speed things up, as He's done in the past, and these kids will get home sooner! I'm really surprised at what I hear about Katya getting her ears pierced and them being able to use the computer, etc. The orphanages must be sooo much different in Estonia than in China and other countries, including Russia. Maybe it's because they don't have so many orphans? :)
molly , thats great news.
Oh good, maybe I can sleep a little better now that a game plan is getting put together. I thought I sent you that link myself included in the other two thousand I sent you about who is entitled to be naturalized. Anyway, better to spend a little more time dealing directly with Estonians in getting Estonian papers than getting Russians involved.
YES......
This is GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!
So, We may be in Estonia at the same time... poor Igor
HUGS, Melonie
The way the orphanages are and the way the orphans are treated there does seem to be quite different than other countries. They are well cared for. They go to fun camps in the summer, too. But they still all need families! :) That's one thing all orphans seem to have in common. LOL
Thanks for all the support everyone!
Is this what we are talking about? Seems like all the "state" has to do is submit the application, essentially to itself. Since the father is "missing" and the mother is deprived of rights and also dead, looks like this could happen. Wonder why Ministry of Social Affairs or the Orphanage didn't know about this and it took frantic Americans pounding the Internet in the middle of the night to find out. The children have every right to be Estonians so they can then be Americans because as this clearly says any child born in Estonia after 1992 has the right to be naturlized.
http://www.mig.ee/index.php/mg/eng/estonian_citizenship/application_for_a_minor
Application for Estonian citizenship for a minor under 15 years of age
Terms
The following persons may submit an application for Estonian citizenship on behalf of a minor (under 15 years of age):
his or her parents who are Estonian citizens;
a parent who is an Estonian citizen on the basis of a notarised agreement of the parent who is not an Estonian citizen;
a single or adoptive parent who raises the minor alone and is an Estonian citizen;
a guardianship authority or a guardian who is an Estonian citizen if the parents of a minor under 15 years of age are dead, missing or have restiricted active legal capacity; or if the parents have been deprived of their parental rights;
a parent who wishes to acquire Estonian citizenship by naturalisation. He or she can, together with his or her application, also make an application for Estonian citizenship for his or her child;
parents who are not citizens of any country (since July 12, 1999).
Parents who are aliens can apply for Estonian citizenship on behalf of their child only if the child was born in Estonia after February 26, 1992 and who is not, nor has been, a citizen of any other country. Parents must have been residing in Estonia legally (on the basis of residence permit) for at least five years.
A parent is deemed to be a single parent if:
no entry is made concerning the other parent in the birth registration of the child or an entry is made on the basis of a statement by the parent;
the other parent is deprived of his or her parental rights;
the other parent is declared to be a fugitive pursuant to the procedure established by law and he or she has been a fugitive for one year;
the other parent has restricted active legal capacity or is missing;
the other parent is dead, or the parents are divorced and the child has remained with the parent residing in Estonia provided that the other parent does not live in Estonia and has lost contact with the child and the parent raising the child.
Documents
Documents to be submitted for minors in applying for acquisition of Estonian citizenship by naturalisation are:
These application forms are to be completed on the screen. Use block letters for completing. To move across the screen – use mouse. If you wish to print out the form and fill it in by hand – find appropriate forms here .
An application for Estonian citizenship written in Estonian which sets out the following: the minor's first name, surname, and date and place of birth; the first names, surnames, and dates and places of birth of the minor's parents, adoptive parent or guardian, or the name of the guardianship authority; the residence of the minor and his or her parents, adoptive parent or guardian, or the location of the guardianship authority; the citizenship of the minor and his or her parents, adoptive parent or guardian.
The following must be added to an application:
photograph of the minor (40x50 mm);
the minor's birth certificate or identity document with residence permit;
identity documents (with residence permits if not Estonian citizens) of the parents.
Additional documents, which must be submitted if necessary:
If your child is a citizen of another country you can still apply for Estonian citizenship by naturalisation for him or her. In this case you have to submit a certificate that proves that the minor will be released from the citizenship of another state in connection with the acquisition of Estonian citizenship.
The parents or the adoptive parents of a child who has been born after February 26, 1992 and who are not citizens of any country have to submit a certificate proving that they are not deemed citizens of any country on the basis of any Act in force.
If the parent or single parent or adoptive parent has not been born in Estonia, he or she has to add a certificate issued by a competent authority of the country of origin of a parent or an adoptive parent proving that the country that issued the certificate has not deemed nor is deeming its holder a citizen of that country; or
A notarised agreement with the parent who is not an Estonian citizen.
A document certifying that a parent, who applies for Estonian citizenship for his or her child, is raising the child alone.
Process
If both parents with undefined citizenship apply for Estonian citizenship for their child and one of the parents cannot, or does not want to, come personally to the Citizenship and Migration Board to submit an application, the consent of this parent with the application for Estonian citizenship for his or her child and copies of personal data and the residence permit pages from his or her travel document, both confirmed by a notary, have to be appended to the application.
Within three months after the registration of a standard application for the grant of Estonian citizenship to a minor under 15 years of age, the Citizenship and Migration Board shall submit the application together with additional documents to the Government of the Republic for a decision to be taken on the granting of Estonian citizenship.
After the Government of the Republic has made the decision to grant Estonian citizenship to your child the Citizenship and Migration Board will issue a certificate of citizenship, which will be handed over to you by a regional department of the Citizenship and Migration Board. On the basis of the certificate of citizenship you can apply for an Estonian passport for your child.
You can receive additional information by telephoning 666 2722, or from regional departments of the Citizenship and Migration Board.
Last modified: 13.07.2007
Great news! Thanks for the speedy updates. Inquiring minds want to know!
Hi Molly & Jason,
Any news yet. I got info about Alina from her orphanage worker. She is well and waiting:)
Please know we are praying for you both.
Hugs, Melonie
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