In the general scheme of things, and given the current state of the adoption process in Russia, this is only a minor annoyance. But I want to make sure those of you who are traveling or will be traveling soon are up to date.

This morning, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow posted a notice on its Web site that it will need more time to process adoption exit visas. As of June 18, the standard processing time will be at least two business days instead of one. Why? The Web site says they need to "more effectively incorporate the security screening steps required under the laws of the United States". Say what? Last I checked, toddlers were not a major terrorist threat. Six year olds, maybe I could understand given the pace of life in my household some mornings, but that's another post altogether.

OK, climb down from the ledge, Virginia; this is not a major issue. Adoption fingerprints expiring because government computers only need another memory chip, that is a significant problem. But government paperwork productivity, or lack thereof, that might just be another 24 hours in Moscow. Time to take in a gallery at the Tretyakov or explore the Moscow Metro.

Funny thing is, I just wrapped a story for a technical magazine about this software that many government agencies--federal, state and local--are implementing to speed the processing of paperwork. I asked every software vendor I interviewed whether they could sell some to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services any time soon. I got polite silence in return.

OK, you've guessed by now that I am patience-deprived. I sometimes marvel at the fact that I lasted five years in a diplomatic service.

So here's how the new rules will work in Moscow. Parents and children will still need to arrive at the embassy between 9:30 and 11 a.m. (tip: make your agency get you there early) to submit visa applications. But as of June 18, you won't get to come back for your interview at 2 p.m. that day. You will have to wait until the next business day.

Again, that would be OK, except for this note on the embassy's Web site: "However, we cannot guarantee that visas will always be provided at the interview due to the occasional need for additional processing and/or screening." Which means that you tired and stressed out adoptive parents might just need to scramble for another hotel night and your flight home because the embassy can't get its act together.

Director Gonzalez, if you are reading this, is this really, really necessary?