INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION


UZBEKISTAN



December 2007

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: Starting June 5, 2006, the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan is processing immigrant visas for all Uzbek citizens, including orphans. More details about immigrant visa processing requirements can be found on the U.S. Embassy website at http://uzbekistan.usembassy.gov.

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

 

Fiscal Year

Number of Immigrant Visas Issued

FY 2007

8

FY 2006

5

FY 2005

5

FY 2004

3

FY 2003

2


UZBEK ADOPTION AUTHORITIES: The government offices responsible for intercountry adoptions are the Uzbek Ministry of Education and the local Mayor's office (“Hokimiat”) in the region where the adoption takes place.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS: Prospective adoptive parents may be married or single.  The age difference between adoptive parents and adopted child must be not less than 15 years.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: There are no residency requirements for Uzbekistan.

TIME FRAME: Foreign adoption in Uzbekistan is time consuming. It can take from six months to two years.

ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS:  Under Uzbek law, the Guardianship and Trusteeship Organ (GTO) of each local Mayor’s office is responsible for settlement  of orphans.  Adoptive parents or their legal representatives must submit documents to a local Mayor through its GTO.  U.S. and other foreign adoption agencies are legally allowed to operate in Uzbekistan but must be registered with the Uzbek government.  Adopting in Uzbekistan is very difficult, and the Embassy is aware of only one adoption agency that has been able to process two adoptions since 2003.  Adoption is a sensitive issue in Uzbekistan, and some Uzbek officials are not in favor of foreign adoptions.  Individuals wishing to adopt in Uzbekistan, therefore, may face unexpected opposition, even when a case has been fully processed and the adoption is ready to be formalized.

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. 

ADOPTION FEES: The Uzbek government charges small official fees, usually about $10 per document, for the submission and processing of the adoption application and corresponding documents.

ADOPTION PROCEDURES: Once the prospective adoptive parents have selected a child, they or their legal representatives should submit an application and supporting documents directly to the Guardianship and Trusteeship Organ (GTO) of the Mayor’s office (“Hokimiat”) of the region.   The application should include the prospective parents’ names, place of residence, marital information, and complete information (name, age, sex) of any children they already have.  It should also include the name, age and sex of the Uzbek child they wish to adopt.

After reviewing the family’s documentation, the GTO will pass the documents to the Mayor for approval.  Based on the Mayor’s approval, the local Vital Records Office issues a new birth certificate. The new birth certificate includes the names of the adoptive parents and changes the child’s last name to the adoptive parents’ last name.  First name and the date of birth of the child can be changed upon request.  The date of birth may be changed, but not by more than one year. If a child is under ten years old, his/her place of birth can also be changed to another location within the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

With the Mayor’s (Hokim's) permission and the vital record office, the Administration for Entry, Exit, and Citizenship issues a passport and exit permission to the child. As was stated earlier in this flyer, prospective parents are not required to have maintained residency in Uzbekistan for any particular length of time. 

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION: The following documents must be submitted by the prospective parents for an adoption:

  • Application to the GTO of the regional Hokimiat, with the information outlined above (names, place of residence, marital information, data on current children, and information about the prospective adoptive child);
  • Prospective adoptive parents’ passport(s);
  • Marriage certificates and/or divorce decrees, if applicable;
  • Residence (home study) certificate indicating the number of family members (this may be included in the home study);
  • Employment letter for the prospective adoptive parent(s), including salary information;
  • Letter of recommendation (description of personality) from a parent's employer, local city hall or home study agency;
  • Medical certificate from a doctor indicating that the prospective parents are healthy, do not have communicable diseases, and do not abuse drugs or alcohol.
  • Letter from U.S. Embassy, based on the approved I-600A notification (Visas 37) which states that the U.S. Government is aware of the family, and that relevant authorities have conducted a home study and approved the family for an adoption of an orphan.

Note: All documents must be translated into Uzbek or Russian by an official translator and authenticated by the Uzbek Embassy in the United States.

AUTHENTICATING US 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.state.gov/m/a/auth/.

UZBEK EMBASSY IN THE UNITED STATES :
Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan
1746 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202--887-5300
Fax: 202--293-6804
Email: info@uzbekistan.org
http://www.uzbekistan.org/

US IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS

Prospective adopting 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 “International 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.

APPLYING FOR A U.S. VISA FOR AN ADOPTED UZBEK CHILD:  

Once the Uzbek authorities have completed the adoption process and issued documents confirming the final adoption, the parents or their legal representative in Uzbekistan should call the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent at 998-71-140-2217 to arrange an appointment for an Immigrant Visa interview.    Parents or their legal representatives must bring originals or certified copies, which can be made at the embassy or by local authorities, of the documents, with English translations to the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent by 12:00 noon at least one business day prior to the immigrant visa interview.  The case file must also include completed forms I-600 and DS-230, and should be well organized to expedite the visa process at the time of the interview.  Only cases that are complete by this time will be seen the following day at 4:00 p.m. for the immigrant visa interview.  Parents should note that visa issuance after the final interview often takes 24 hours.  Parents should therefore not make firm travel plans for the day of the interview or the day after.   

U.S. EMBASSY IN UZBESKISTAN:  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 at:

U.S. Embassy Tashkent
Moyqorghon Street, 5th Block,
Yunusobod District
Tashkent-700093, Uzbekistan

Phone: (998)(71) 120-5450
Fax: (998)(71) 120-5448
http://uzbekistan.usembassy.gov
General Consular E-mail: ConsularTashkent@state.gov

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 Uzbekistan may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent. 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 intercountry 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 flier. 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 CSI 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/.