Adoption in Malaysia

According to the U.S. State Department: Muslim children can be adopted only by Muslims. The Muslim prospective parents must have lived in Malaysia with the child for at least two years after the birthparents formally relinquished the child, before an adoption will be finalized. Non-Muslim children can be adopted by non-Muslims. The non-Muslim prospective parent must have lived in Malaysia for two years prior to applying to adopt. And the non-Muslim prospective parent must live with the child in Malysia before the adoption will be finalized. As always, even if you manage to adopt a Malaysian child (whether Muslim or non-Muslim), you will not be able to bring him/her to the U.S. on an adoption visa unless he/she qualifies as an "eligible orphan" according to the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. Basically, adopting a child from married parents is not allowed, according to this definition. If you complete the adoption of a child who does not qualify for an adoption visa, you must live overseas with the child for two years before you can apply for a regular visa to bring him/her to the U.S. In short, it is extremely unlikely that an American will be able to adopt from Malaysia unless he/she has been a long term resident of that country. There have been very, very few adoptions of Malaysian children by Americans, and most of those are relative adoptions. Be very cautious if someone approaches you, offering to help you adopt a Malaysian child. The opportunity is probably not legitimate. Contact the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia, which can help you determine whether what you are being told is factual. Sharon