Of the 10 basic steps required for international adoption, the first and arguably most important is choosing the right adoption agency. Different agencies work with different countries, so deciding which country to adopt from will help you narrow down your choice of agencies. A reputable adoption agency will guide you through the remaining steps to international adoption.
Agency Selection
Try to get several adoption agency references from parents who have already been through the international adoption process, including some who have adopted children from countries you are considering. Contact each agency to gather as much information as possible before deciding which agency is right for you. The general information you should get from an agency, before you sign any type of contract, includes your eligibility to adopt in various countries, current time frame for adoption in each country and total estimated costs, as well as the agency's general policies, procedures and fees.
Country Selection
You may already have some idea where you would like to travel to adopt a child, but because the laws and policies in other countries are subject to change, and often do, it is a good idea to be open to more than one country. Each country has its own adoption laws and requirements with respect to age, income and marital status of prospective parents. The time frame for adoption and travel requirements also vary greatly among countries involved in international adoption.
Home Study
A home study is typically a meeting or series of meetings with a social worker who can determine that you are in a position to provide a safe, loving and stable home for a child and prepare a report to that effect. The international adoption agency you choose will guide you through the home study requirements in your state.
Government Evaluation
Your agency or home study writer will help you prepare an initial application to be sent to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for evaluation and approval. When your application for adoption is approved, USCIS will contact you and alert the U.S. consulate or embassy in the country where you have chosen to adopt.
Documentation
Because you are meeting the requirements of your own state and country as well as the country from which you have chosen to adopt, there is a seemingly endless collection of documents you must gather into a dossier, some of which may need to be notarized or certified by various agencies.
Training
In accordance with the Hague Adoption Convention agreement, which established standards of agreement for more than 75 countries that participate in inter-country adoptions, a minimum of 10 hours of preadoption training is required for prospective parents before they can travel to complete the adoption. The adoption agency you use will either provide the training or recommend a training center.
Submission
Once your dossier is complete, your adoption agency will review all your paperwork and submit and send it to the country from which you are adopting. The length of time you will have to wait between submitting your dossier and adopting your child depends on the adoption laws and procedures in the country where your child lives.
Adoption
In most cases, you will travel to the country from which you are adopting. In some countries, the adoption is finalized in that country and the adoption is recognized in the United States. In other countries, the prospective parents are granted guardianship and the child travels back to their country and state of residence for the final adoption.
Visa Interview
An appointment will be scheduled in advance for you with the U.S. consulate or embassy in the country from which you are adopting. A consular official will review your paperwork, establish that you have legal custody of the child, confirm that the child's medical condition and travel documentation conform to requirements for the visa that will allow the child to enter the U.S., and perform security checks.
Citizenship
In most cases in the U.S., an internationally adopted child automatically acquires citizenship under The Child Citizenship Act of 2000. In the rare event your adoption does not qualify for automatic citizenship, it is up to you to initiate the procedure on your child's behalf.
