Advertisements
1. You will need a homestudy by a licensed provider in your state. Some states allow only agency affiliated social workers to do homestudies, and others allow independent social workers to do them. The homestudy report needs to be in a format that satisfies your state, the BCIS/INS, and the foreign country. The homestudy approves you to adopt and helps prepare you to parent an adopted child.
2. You will need to have the BCIS/INS approve you as fit to bring a child into the U.S. for adoption. They will need to see your homestudy report, to have you fingerprinted for an FBI criminal records check, and to see various documents about you.
3. The BCIS/INS will need to determine that the child meets U.S. legal requirements for issuance of an adoption visa. As an example, the child must meet the definition of an "eligible orphan" under the terms of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. If the child does not meet the definition, he/she cannot get an adoption visa, and you will have to pursue other ways of bringing him/her to the U.S.
4. The birth family will have to comply with any laws the foreign government has with regard to relinquishing a child for adoption.
5. You will have to comply with any laws the foreign government has with regard to adopting a child.
This all sounds very complicated, but it needn't be. I would suggest that you contact a reputable immigration or adoption attorney.
Sharon
Advertisements