New visas rules.....,and more!.

The emotional and somewhat complicated new Rules for Visas started for me, in December 2012.
I recall.....
I was getting ready for our trip to India for January, SAM, sends me a message saying have read the new laws in regard to surrogacy in India??? ...........ummmmNO!!!

Panic kicked in.
I was sent a link. That reads...
Australians travelling to India with purpose of paid surrogacy new laws have been put into place...
...... The feeling of about 100 bricks just landed on me...., and my heart was in my stomach.

As I read the article I remember thinking.....why the F^%K is this happening right now....when we've finally found a path to the family that we want so much, some dumb ass Minister and I don't know who else have decided to Slowly squash everyone's dreams.
(honestly........at this time, I was just thinking about myself)
From Memory it read that, the NEW requirements are -  a couple needs to be married for 2 years, & if your  Single or a gay couple, they would not be able to seek surrogacy, and it needs to be legal in your state or country....
Now after lots of emails, I was comforted by Dr Shivanis email stating that I didn't need worry, as I was an existing client SCI, and as for the "legal in state", well....that wasn't a problem either.... I was golden,..... so to say. :)

After all that had happened with our 2 surrogacy fails, in February, I was again in the mist of planning, my next trip when I read an email from SCI....
Now those of us on this journey know exactly what was written, however for those of my family and friends who don't know, in brief it read like this.

http://www.vfs-in-au.net/. This is the web page for Australia for medical visas.

SCI ANNOUNCEMENT : future work with non - married clients & those travelling on a Tourist visa.
"We are all very aware of the uncertainty that recent changes to visa requirement has caused our surrogacy community.
After the most recent communication with FRRO, SCI  believes it has no recourse other than to postpone treatment for non - married clients, rather than expose clients to legal action for violation of visa conditions.
We have included a copy of the letter we have sent all concerned SCI clients ( irrespective of your marital status, we cannot start a new treatment cycle : ie receive samples,sperm collection, IVF, egg collection with any client who travels on a tourist visa regardless of treatment being planned in 2012)"

 F%*K.....now, how is this going to affect me??? .... well the girls, Meg & Margarida were on top of it straight away.
Basically for me, I was married and I wasn't gay... so all I needed to do was get a Medical Visa instead of the Tourist visa, we travelled on last time.

However my thoughts were also with SAM, what would this mean for her, as she and her partner were not married, and a few days ago, we spoke about her possibly trying for their second baby.
I'm truly baffled as to how this criteria has come about?
If you are not married...would you not be a good parents? or if you are single, is there not enough love to give to a child? or if your gay, can you not show a child how to love freely and be unique.
It upsets me that others have had to stop. However if  the dream of a family is still a desire they will I'm sure find a way. I know I would.


SCI provided all the information with the paper work needed for the new requirements.
including the embassy paperwork, stating a citizenship given to our genetic child.
All I  needed to do was find our marriage certificate, and write a declaration that we will care for and provide for the child/children born under surrogacy, and get it signed by a Justice of the Peace.
Care for and provide for.......Yep I wrote that, and I used the word LOVE alot. Cause the  people make up these rules forget the little things.That no matter how a child is brought into this world the greatest asset you can give them is LOVE.

A blog I follow. Meg was in Melb for the yearly Surrogacy conference.
this is her up date,

http://amaniandbobsurrogacy.blogspot.com.au/

All Visas were finalised within 4-5 days. We now have them and the count down has started.

Up up and away very soon thank goodness, cause I hate just sitting around and not being active on our baby journey.

The only thing I'm still dis heartened about is not being able to use 2 surrogates, like we did last time
;(