International Adoption

This is a tricky area of the law that requires compliance with a number of different rules and regulations. Furthermore, the requirements for each country can and usually are different. In general the adoption must be made legal in the country of the child that is to be adopted. A large of number of countries have signed and/or enacted the Hague Convention which controls the means in which a child may be adopted. Countries that have not signed the convention have their own internal rules and requirements for adoption. Prospective parents must conform with the countries requirements.

Once the child has been lawfully adopted you begin the USCIS process. This process can take some time, but is generally faster than the adoption process in the home country. Once the USCIS has processed the family visa and the visa is issued the newly adopted child can come to the United States. Once the child is given the visa and enters the United States there is a good possibility the child will get US citizenship if the child was adopted by a US citizen and the child is under 16 years old.

There are other requirements that are necessary for adopting a child and if you want to adopt contact a qualified attorney or a qualified adoption agency.