International Adoption

by Child Welfare Information Gateway

The number of Americans adopting children from other countries is growing. According to the U.S. Department of State, 22,728 children received visas in 2005 to come to the United States for adoption. In 1990, only about 7,000 children received these visas.

This factsheet provides an overview of the steps involved in any intercountry adoption. Your process will vary depending on your State, your agency, and the country from which you adopt. In every case you must meet the basic requirements of U.S. immigration law.

STEP 1: Decide if Intercountry Adoption Is Right for Your Family

What You Should Know

Many families consider the following issues when deciding whether intercountry adoption is right for them:

The process can be more predictable than domestic adoption. Like any adoption, intercountry adoption involves some uncertainty. However, the length of your wait to adopt a child from another country can be easier to predict than when adopting an infant from the United States. The timeframe varies depending on the country, agency, lawyer, and individual child involved, but it generally takes from 1 to 3 years to complete an intercountry adoption.

Children become available for adoption in other countries for many of the same reasons children come into foster care in the United States. Reasons commonly include abandonment, poverty, illness or death of the parents, or family issues such as substance abuse, child abuse, or neglect. Children often have health problems related to these reasons.

Younger children are available for adoption. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reports that in 2003, nearly half (46 percent) of children adopted internationally were less than 12 months old, while 42 percent were between 1 and 4 years old.

Intercountry adoption offers opportunities for a connection to the child's first culture. Some prospective adoptive parents are interested in a child's country of origin and want to make that culture a part of their lives.

Contact with birth parents is rare. Immigration laws require children to be defined as "orphans" for purposes of intercountry adoption. Therefore, contact with birth parents is not common. However, contact with birth families is starting to take place in a few countries.

STEP 2: Select a Country

What You Should Know

Countries that allow children to be adopted internationally (also called "sending countries") are usually developing nations in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, and Central and South America. Each country has different intercountry adoption rules. Parents often find it helpful to compare adoption programs in several countries before making a final decision.

Here are some things to think about when selecting a country:

Eligibility requirements for adoptive parents. USCIS has two basic eligibility requirements for prospective adoptive parents: applicants must be U.S. citizens and at least 25 years old when they apply. For married couples, only one spouse must meet both requirements. In addition, each country and agency sets its own requirements for prospective adoptive parents based on age, marital status, sexual orientation, and other characteristics.

Ages of available children. The ages of children available for adoption vary widely, from 3 or 4 months to 16 years, depending on the country. Laws in some sending countries require that efforts be made to place infants with families in that country before they can be placed with a family overseas. In those countries, infants less than 4 or 5 months old often are not available. According to U.S. immigration law, children must be younger than 16 years old in order to be eligible to immigrate to the United States on an orphan visa, unless a younger brother or sister is being adopted at the same time or has been adopted by the same family.

Culture/ethnicity. Depending on the country you select, your child's ethnic and racial background might be different from your own. Adopting a child of a different culture or race can present special challenges.

Child's placement setting: Institution or foster care. In many sending countries, children who need permanent families are cared for in institutions or orphanages. Children who spend early months or years in institutions typically show delays in growth and development. A few countries place children waiting for permanent families with foster families. Research suggests that foster families may offer the child better opportunities to form attachments with caretakers. However, many factors affect the quality of foster care overseas.

Travel requirements. Most countries require prospective adoptive parents to travel to the country to complete the adoption process. The number of trips (generally one or two) and the required length of stay in the country vary. A few countries will allow the child to be escorted to the United States, but costs may not be significantly lower than for the family to travel to the child's country.

Cost. Costs also vary widely depending on the country and agency. They can range from $7,000 to $30,000 or more.

About the Author

www.childwelfare.gov
Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.