FAQ’S
AABB (American Associations of Blood Banks) is the regulating organization for the DNA testing industry. AABB Accreditation is the gold standard for DNA Immigration, Paternity and other relationship testing laboratories. Only DNA results produced by an AABB-accredited laboratory are accepted by immigration authorities such as U.S. Embassies and USCIS for immigration purposes and by a court of law for legal purposes.
Is DNA Testing suggested or required by immigration authorities such as U.S. Embassies and USCIS in order to prove relationship between an immigration petitioner and beneficiary. When the immigration petitioner and beneficiary do not have enough documentation to prove they are related, U.S. Embassies and USCIS usually recommend DNA Testing to prove the relationship beyond any doubt. Immigration DNA Testing must be initiated, performed, and tested by an AABB-Accredited Laboratory in order to be admissible by U.S. Embassies and USCIS. Beware of using Resellers because your test results will be deemed unreliable.
(If you need to do a DNA test and want your results to be legally biding for any reason (U.S. immigration, family court, U.S. Passport agencies, U.S. Department of Justice, among others), you need to make sure that you are handling your test with an actual AABB accredited DNA testing laboartory. There are many places that present themselves as AABB accredited laboratories, but the truth is that they are just third party re-sellers that take your case and give it away to the lowest bidding laboratory. Given that they do not have any type of accreditation or legal responsibility, their involvement is seen by authorities as a secuirty breach of the process and reject all evidence that was initiated by them. DNA analysis is a process that requires the utmost experienced professionals with the proper credentials and expertise so that the evidence you obtain can be credible and trust worthy.)
Chain of Custody is the chronological documentation, showing the collection, custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of evidence. In a legal DNA Testing, it means proper identification of the tested parties and proper collection and handling of the specimens, all of which is documented. In addition, AABB requires that everyone involved in the testing process from the specimen collector to the DNA analyst be a third party who has no interest in the outcome of the test. Only DNA test results generated following chain-of-custody procedures are legally admissible and accepted by government agencies and immigration authorities such as U. S. Embassies and USCIS.
DNA testing is the most accurate paternity and family relationship testing method currently available. Every person has a unique DNA fingerprint except for identical twins. We all inherit half of our DNA from our biological father and half from our biological mother. DNA testing tries to discover the 50% match between the child’s and the parent’s DNA profiles to prove or disprove the blood relationship. DNA Testing is considered to be 100% accurate.
DNA is the same in almost all cells in our body. Once conceived during reproduction, DNA does not change. Therefore, the type of DNA sample used in the test is not going to affect the results. Our laboratory’s standard samples are buccal swabs and blood specimens. We also accept non-standard samples such as organ tissue, hair (with roots), cigarette butts, tooth brushes, and other frequently-used personal items.
Paternity and other family relationship DNA testing results can be used as legal evidence for child support, parental rights, inheritance claims, social benefits, immigration, adoption and other circumstances when proof of blood relationship is required.
A standard legal paternity DNA test (1 child, 1 alleged father and 1 mother–mother’s participation is optional) performed by Universal Genetics costs $395. We are proud to offer the most competitive prices among all DNA testing laboratories with the same credentials and AABB accreditation. Please call 1-888-DNA-LAB-8 (1-888-362-5228) to discuss fees for other DNA tests or visit the Fees section of this website.
To get the DNA testing process started, please call 1-888-DNA-LAB-8 (1-888-362-5228) and discuss your testing options with one of our DNA experts. You can also send us an email: info@UniversalGenetics.com or use the Contact Form or in the Contact Us section of this website. After the right type of DNA test is selected, we will arrange a convenient DNA sample collection appointment for you. After we receive all tested parties’ DNA specimens, it takes only 3 to 5 working days to have results.
We have a large DNA specimen collection network across the country and in different countries around the world. Wherever you are, we will be able to schedule a convenient appointment near your home or workplace. Please call 1-888-DNA-LAB-8 (1-888-362-5228) to find out a collection site near you.
Yes, you can take a paternity test before the child is born. Universal Genetics offers prenatal DNA paternity testing service to those who wish to find out paternity during pregnancy. An OB-GYN is involved in collecting the unborn child’s specimen during a period of time that presents the least risks to the fetus and the mother. The testing results are as accurate as a standard paternity test conducted after the child is born.
Yes, we can. We routinely perform DNA tests for tested parties living in different places. We have a large DNA specimen collection network across the U.S. and in different countries around the world. We can arrange convenient appointments for you at different times and locations.
It takes about 3 to 5 working days for our laboratory to generate your DNA testing results after we receive specimens from ALL tested parties. An expedited testing service that can be completed within 24 hours is available in some situations. For Immigration DNA Testing, the longest time is spent on coordinating with the U.S. Embassies or overseas USCIS field offices to get the tested parties’ DNA specimens collected.
In a standard paternity test, our laboratory always achieves a 0% probability of paternity if the tested man is not the biological father and a greater than 99.9% probability of paternity if the tested man is the biological father. Both results are conclusive to prove or disprove paternity. You can read our results interpretation page for more details.
If you have any other questions about our DNA Testing Services, please call 1-888-DNA-LAB-8 (1-888-362-5228).
To get your DNA testing process started,
or to answer any questions you may have
Please call 1-888-DNA-LAB-8 (1-888-362-5228)
and one of our DNA Case Counselors
will be glad to guide you through the process.