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Who Can Adopt from Singapore

The skyline at dusk.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

To bring an adopted child to the United States from Singapore, you must meet eligibility and suitability requirements. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines who can adopt under U.S. immigration law.


Additionally, a child must meet the definition of orphan under U.S. immigration law in order to be eligible to immigrate to the United States on an IR-3 or IR-4 immigrant visa.


In addition to U.S. immigration requirements, you must also meet the following requirements in order to adopt a child from Singapore:


Residency

Under Singaporean law, prospective adoptive parents must be residents of Singapore and have legal immigration status. Residents of Singapore are Permanent Residents or Holders of an Employment Pass, Dependant’s Pass, or any other Pass which the Family Court deems for residents of Singapore. This is in accordance with Section 4(6) of the Adoption of Child Act.

Age of Adopting Parents

Prospective adoptive parents must be at least 25 years of age. They must also be at least 21 years older than the child they plan to adopt. These age restrictions may be waived in certain circumstances, including if there is a blood relationship between the child and the prospective adoptive parent(s).

Marriage

Married couples must adopt jointly unless the non-adopting spouse cannot be found, is unable to give consent, or is separated from the adopting spouse and the separation is likely to become permanent. Single men may not adopt female children except in rare cases, as determined by the court. Single women are eligible to adopt. Same sex marriage is prohibited in Singapore.

Income

Assessment of the prospective adoptive parents’ employment history is part of the Home Study Report. The assessment is designed to ensure that prospective adoptive parents have stable employment, regular income, and adequate financial resources to raise a child.

Other

When adopting a foreign born (non Singaporean) child, Singapore requires foreign prospective adoptive parents to obtain a letter from their embassy endorsing the prospective adoptive parentsadoption and stating that the child will be eligible to receive an entry visa upon application by the adoptive parents. (Note: as in any adoption in Singapore, the foreign prospective adoptive parents must be resident in Singapore.) The U.S. Embassy in Singapore is unable to provide this letter under U.S. immigration law. However, U.S. prospective adoptive parents may instead wish to submit their approved Form I-600A to Singaporean authorities to establish their eligibility and suitability under U.S. law to adopt a child.

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