INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION


GHANA
 
June 2006

Disclaimer: The following is intended as a very general guide to assist U.S. citizens who plan to adopt a child from a foreign country and apply for an immigrant visa for the child to come to the United States. Two sets of laws are particularly relevant: 1) the laws of the child’s country of birth govern all activity in that country including the adoptability of individual children as well as the adoption of children in country in general; and 2) U.S. Federal immigration law governs the immigration of the child to the United States.

The information in this flyer relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is based on public sources and our current understanding. It does not necessarily reflect the actual state of the laws of a child’s country of birth and is provided for general information only. Moreover, U.S. immigration law, including regulations and interpretation, changes from time to time. This flyer reflects our current understanding of the law as of this date and is not legally authoritative. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.

Please note:  The Department of Social Welfare may consider an application for intercountry adoption as an alternative means of child care, if a child cannot be placed in a foster or adoptive family in Ghana or cannot in any suitable manner be cared for in Ghana.  A court may grant an intercountry adoption order if it is in the best interests of the child.

PATTERNS OF IMMIGRATION OF ADOPTED ORPHANS TO THE U.S.: Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to Ghanaian orphans:

Fiscal Year       Number of Immigrant Visas Issued
FY 2005                                  20
FY 2004                                  13
FY 2003                                   6
FY 2002                                   8
FY 2001                                  18

ADOPTION AUTHORITY IN GHANA: 
The Department of Social Welfare
Client Services Unit
P.O. Box M230
Accra, Ghana
Tel: 233-21-662-857

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS:
  • An application for adoption may be made jointly by a husband and wife;
  • An application for an adoption order may be made by the mother or father of the child alone or jointly with a spouse;
  • An application for an adoption order may be made by a single person, but only if that person is a citizen of Ghana;
  • Applicants must be at least 25 years of age and at least 21 years older than the child;
  • Applicants must be of sound mind (prospective adoptive parents must undergo a medical exam as part of the pre-approval process);
  • Applicants must be gainfully employed.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS:  Prospective adoptive parents must be resident in Ghana a minimum of six months prior to adopting a child. The prospective adoptive parents must foster a child for one year in Ghana before the adoption is finalized.

TIME FRAME:  It takes one year to complete an adoption in Ghana.  Please note: An additional one to six months may be required for U.S. the immigration petition and visa process.  The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) office of the Department of Homeland Security, based in Accra, conducts investigations of all adoption cases in Ghana, which can prolong the process.

ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS:  Prospective adoptive parents will work with a Ghanaian Social Welfare Officer in the region they will adopt from to get pre-approved and matched with a child.  Prospective adoptive parents will have to work with an attorney to complete the legal requirements for adoption in Ghana.  See the list of attorneys on the Embassy’s website at http://usembassy.state.gov/accra/wwwhatny.html.  Neither the U.S. Embassy nor the Department of State can vouch for the professionalism or the efficacy of the attorneys found on this list.

Prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services.  For U.S.-based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adoptive parents contact the Better Business Bureau and/or the licensing office of the appropriate state government agency in the U.S. state where the agency is located or licensed.  Please see Important Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators at the Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs web site travel.state.gov.

ADOPTION FEES:  Cedis 50,000 (approximately $5.00) for initial filing form plus attorney’s fees.

ADOPTION PROCEDURES:
  • Applicants purchase the adoption form from the Director of Social Welfare/Representative at any Regional Social Welfare Office for Cedis 50,000 (subject to change but current as of July 2006);
  • Applicants submit the completed form along with the attachments specified in the form (e.g., medical examination, civil documents) to the Director of Social Welfare or his/her representative at the Regional Office for processing;
  • The processing of the application begins with visits to the applicants’ home by a Social Welfare Officer who interviews applicants and submits the report to the Placement Committee, the head office for adoptions in the Department of Social Welfare for approval (this can take approximately three months);
  • Depending upon the availability of children, a suitable child is placed with would-be parents for a trial period of three months, during which time the Social Welfare Officer undertakes monthly visits; 
  • If the child and would-be parents are determined to be compatible, applicants engage a local attorney to assist with the legal aspects of the adoption;
  • The Director of Social Welfare submits the comprehensive report, which covers the social investigation of the applicants, background checks, mental stability, financial stability etc, to the High Court;
  • An Adoption Order may then be granted by the High Court upon recommendation from the Director of Social Welfare.  NOTE:  The adoption is incomplete without the granting of an Adoption Order by the Court.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION:  In general, the documents required are the same as for an adoption in the U.S.: birth, marriage and divorce records, medical examination, evidence of finances and employment. 

AUTHENTICATING U.S. DOCUMENTS TO BE USED ABROAD:  The language describing the process of authenticating U.S. documents to be used abroad is currently under review. Please click on the following link for more information until the new language is finalized. http://www.travel.state.gov/law/info/judicial/judicial_701.html

GHANA EMBASSY AND CONSULATES IN THE UNITED STATES: 

Embassy of Ghana,
3512 International Drive, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
Telephone (202) 686-4520. 

Consular services are also available at the Ghana Permanent Mission to the U.N. at
19 East 47th Street
New York, N.Y. 10017
Telephone (212) 832-1300

and the Honorary Consulate of Ghana
3434 Locke Lane
Houston, TX
Telephone (713) 960-8806

                    U.S. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS

Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult USCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adopting Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. The USCIS publication is available at the USCIS Web site. The Department of State publication International Adoption can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Web site, travel.state.gov , under “Intercountry Adoption.”

Before completing an adoption abroad, prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to read the requirements for filing Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative.  Please see the flyer “How Can Adopted Children Come to the United States” at the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs web site travel.state.gov .

U.S. EMBASSY IN GHANA:  Americans living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within the country of travel.  Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.  The Consular Section is located in the Embassy annex at:

6th & 10th Lanes
OSU, Accra
Telephone (233) (21) 776-601/02
Fax (233) (21) 701-1813
http://usembassy.state.gov/accra.
E-mail: consulateaccra@state.gov

APPLYING FOR A VISA AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN GHANA: 

Once the Ghanaian adoption is final, adoptive parents should contact the DHS/USCIS office the U.S. Embassy in Accra to schedule an appointment via telephone:  233 21 769257 or 233 21 769258.

Once DHS/USCIS approved the I-600 petition, they will contact adoptive parents directly by telephone notifying them to contact the consular section’s immigrant visa unit to schedule an immigrant visa interview.

Note:  The U.S. Embassy in Ghana cannot issue visas same day.  Visas are normally issued on the Friday of the week the final interview takes place.

ACQUIRING U.S. CITIZENSHIP:  The language describing the acquisition of U.S. citizenship for adopted children is currently under review.  Until the new language is finalized, please click on the following link for further information. http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/info/info_457.html

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  Specific questions about adoption in Ghana may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Accra.  General questions regarding intercountry adoption may be addressed to the Office of Children’s Issues, U.S. Department of State, CA/OCS/CI, SA-29, 4th Floor, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520-4818, toll-free Tel: 1-888-407-4747.

Useful information is also available from several other sources:

Telephone:
• Toll Free - For information on intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction, call Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-202-501-4444.
• U.S. Department of State Visa Office - recorded information concerning immigrant visas for adopting children, (202) 663-1225.
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - recorded information for requesting immigrant visa application forms, 1-800-870-FORM (3676).

Internet :
• Adoption Information Flyers: The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs web site at: http://travel.state.gov/ contains international country adoption information flyers like this one and the International Adoptions brochure.
• Country Specific Information: The State Department has general information about hiring a foreign attorney and authenticating documents that may supplement the country-specific information provided in this flyer. In addition, the State Department publishes Country Specific Information for every country in the world, providing information such as location of the U.S. Embassy, health conditions, political situations, and crime reports. If the situation in a country poses a specific threat to the safety and security of American citizens that is not addressed in the Country Specific Information for that country, the State Department may issue a Travel Alert alerting U.S. citizens to local security situations. If conditions in a country are sufficiently serious, the State Department may issue a Travel Warning recommending that U.S. citizens avoid traveling to that country. These documents are available on the Internet at: http://travel.state.gov/ or by calling the State Department's Office of Overseas Citizen Services Toll Free at 1-888-407-4747. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-202-501-4444.
• USCIS web site - http://uscis.gov/