Frequently Asked Questions: Non-Hague Intercountry Adoptions


 

  1. I want to adopt from country X, how do I do it?
  2. I have I-600A approval.  When do I get my visa appointment?
  3. USCIS says I need to update my fingerprints.  Why can’t I get an appointment from the Embassy?
  4. I want to adopt my nephew from country X.  How do I do that?
  5. How do I get my dossier authenticated and/or translated?
  6. I live abroad, how do I get a home study done?

 

 

Q1:  I want to adopt from country X, how do I do it?

 

A1:  We have country specific information on adoptions available on our website.  If you have a question about the adoption process in country X not addressed in our information, I can request clarification from our Consular Section at the Embassy or Consulate in country X (post contact information available in CCD, the Consular Consolidated Data Base.

 

Q2:  I have I-600A approval.  When do I get my visa appointment?

 

A2:  The following information is taken from the “International Adoptions Booklet” on our website: 

The consular section will schedule the final visa interview once all the required documents have been provided and the file is complete.

This documentation includes:

  • notification by the USCIS of the I-600 or I-600A approval in a non-Hague case, or the provisional approval of the I-800 in a Hague Case.
  • final adoption decree or proof of custody from the foreign government
  • the child's birth certificate
  • the child's passport (from the country of the child's nationality)
  • the completed and signed medical examination report
  • necessary photographs of the child
  • the visa application (Form OF 230)
  • completed I-600 petition (if it was not previously approved by USCIS)

Although the final visa interview appears to involve a single action which may be completed quickly, the consular officer must perform several different steps required by law and regulation. The officer must review the I-600 petition, verify the child's status as an orphan, establish that the prospective parent(s) have legal custody, survey the child's medical condition and confirm that the child has the required travel documentation.



Q3:  USCIS says I need to update my fingerprints.  Why can’t I get an appointment from the Embassy?

 

A3:  The following information is taken from the filing instructions on the Form I-800, available on the USCIS website www.uscis.gov:

 

The petitioner and spouse of the petitioner (if applicable), as well as each adult member of the petitioner’s household, 18 years of age or older in a Hague case, must be fingerprinted in connection with the petition.  U.S. residents will be notified by USCIS in writing of the time and location where they must go to be fingerprinted.  Petitioners residing abroad must submit completed fingerprint cards (Forms FD-258).  They should contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, USCIS office or military installation to make arrangements to have their fingerprints taken.  Contact information for U.S. embassies and consulates overseas is available through our main website www.state.gov, as well as in the country specific information on adoptions available on our website.

 

Q4:  I want to adopt my nephew from country X.  How do I do that?

 

A4:  You will have to satisfy the laws of the country where you are adopting, as well as U.S. immigration law and the laws of the state where you reside.  For information on adoption requirements in country X, please see the country specific information on adoptions available on our website.  For information on requirements for filing immigrant visa petitions, specifically forms I-600A and I-600 in an adoption from a non-Hague country, and forms I-800A and I-800 in an adoption from a Hague country, please see the information on the USCIS website www.uscis.gov.  For information on adoption law in the state where you reside, please see information available on the Child Welfare Information Gateway at http://www.childwelfare.gov, a service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

 

Q5:  How do I get my dossier authenticated and/or translated?

 

A5:  We have information on authentication of documents for use abroad on the Judicial Assistance section of our website.

 

Q6:  I live abroad, how do I get a home study done?

 

A6:  Please see Frequently Asked Questions: Conducting Home Studies for American Citizens Residing Abroad in Incoming/Immigrating Convention Cases.