In recent years, paternity testing has been used a lot more than in the past. They have also moved from the laboratory of scientists to the labs readily available to everyday people. However, paternity testing is not limited to determining if a mother or father is related to a child. You can do paternity testing for siblings, twins, adopted children, grandparents, and many others. But international paternity testing serves a very special purpose. While a facility like this does provide all of the basic services of regular paternity testing facility, it can also help immigrants rejoin their family in the United States .
Many people believe that most immigrants get into the United States through illegal circumstances. This is simply not true. The number of illegal immigrants that enter the country usually do not know anyone in the country they sneak into. But other legal immigrants, however, are trying to rejoin their families in America . Usually one member of the family will enter the new country in order to make money. They will save enough money in order to bring their other family members in the country. Even if they do make enough money, getting their family in may be difficult. Other than the high costs, they also have to prove that these family members are blood relatives. The Immigration Naturalization Service requires that these family members take a paternity test to prove they are blood relatives. This is where international paternity testing comes into play.
Because the facilities are available internationally, these relatives will have no trouble finding a facility. They should, however, only go to a facility that is approved by the INS. They should also plan their testing months before they are planning to move to the new country. Many international paternity testing facilities can take several months to retrieve testing results. These results are then sent to the Embassies of the country of the family members and of the new country.
All parties involved must be willing to take the paternity test in order for the process to happen. They should also visit the same international paternity testing facility. Many of these testing centers have locations throughout the world and include, but are not limited to France , England , Africa , Australia , Japan , and Russia . A sample of DNA will need to be collected in order to conduct the test. This can be obtained through a sample of blood or a collection of cheek cells. Other less traditional methods of DNA collection may be used instead. This may include using a cigarette butt, urine, and other objects. However, you will see more facilities sticking with the use of cheek cells and blood because they are so reliable. Saliva, for example, is usually not used in a paternity testing facility. Stick with samples that will provide amble DNA for the test itself.
You can request some facilities to send the results at an expedite rate. Once the embassies receive the results, the process will begin for the family to rejoin the relative in the United States . This process may also take some time as well, so plan many months ahead of time.
By Tamara C. Jude