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Hi there,
Though we have considered adopting for years we are very new to this and would really appreciate any advice.
I have dual nationality: British and United States. My husband has dual nationality: Albanian and British. We have a 17 year old and a 2 year old and are now considering adopting a child from Albania. We have never adopted before. We are currently living in France.
If possible we would like to do it without involving the UK. Would it be possible to adopt without applying via the UK? (as we do not live in the UK and my husband is Albanian) or would we have to go through the UK simply because I hold a British passport? Also, how much will it cost for the adoption process? I don't mean the cost of visiting and staying in Albania - we have lots of family there and visit the country regularly any way; But any other costs involved? We don't have lots of savings.
Thanks xx
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As you hold American citizenship, you could go through the American process, if you are eligible. Since Albania and the U.S. have both ratified the Hague Convention on international adoption, you would have to use an American placement agency that is both Hague-accredited and approved by the Albanian government; at this time, there are only two such agencies, the names of which you can find on the U.S. State Department's adoption website, at [url=http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=albania]ALBANIA | Intercountry Adoption[/url]. You will not be allowed to adopt without an agency.Do check on the immigration requirements that France has, if you plan to bring your child home to France. Don't adopt if you will not be able to get a visa for your child to enter France. Unfortunately, in many countries, families have adopted internationally without considering that, unless the laws permit immigration of an orphan, they have legal and moral responsiblity for a child but cannot bring the child home.Also check on citizenship requirements for those countries whose citizenship you want your child to have. If you use the U.S. process, and obtain a Hague visa, you may be able to obtain U.S. citizenship for your child without going through the full naturalization process, though a trip to the U.S. will be needed.Because adoption and immigration are complex legal processes, there are significant costs involved. You will need to have a homestudy, for example, by a social worker entitled to conduct one. You will need a Hague-accredited and Albania-approved placement agency. You will need USCIS approval, and that has costs. The Albanian government will have fees, and there will be various fees for documents, court costs, and so on. Most agencies will also want up-front payment for post-placement report fees required by the foreign country.Bethany, one of the two American agencies approved by Albania, has a list of the costs for Americans adopting, on its website. If you back out the travel costs, you will get a sense of what your fees will be like. Normally, Bethany is a little on the high side, but because of the complexity of adopting when a third country -- France -- is involved, it is likely that your fees will be at least in that ballpark, and maybe higher. In general, Eastern European adoptions have some of the highest fees in the world.Sharon
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As you hold American citizenship, you could go through the American process, if you are eligible. Since Albania and the U.S. have both ratified the Hague Convention on international adoption, you would have to use an American placement agency that is both Hague-accredited and approved by the Albanian government; at this time, there are only two such agencies, the names of which you can find on the U.S. State Department's adoption website, at [url=http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=albania]ALBANIA | Intercountry Adoption[/url]. You will not be allowed to adopt without an agency.Do check on the immigration requirements that France has, if you plan to bring your child home to France. Don't adopt if you will not be able to get a visa for your child to enter France. Unfortunately, in many countries, families have adopted internationally without considering that, unless the laws permit immigration of an orphan, they have legal and moral responsiblity for a child but cannot bring the child home.Also check on citizenship requirements for those countries whose citizenship you want your child to have. If you use the U.S. process, and obtain a Hague visa, you may be able to obtain U.S. citizenship for your child without going through the full naturalization process, though a trip to the U.S. will be needed.Because adoption and immigration are complex legal processes, there are significant costs involved. You will need to have a homestudy, for example, by a social worker entitled to conduct one. You will need a Hague-accredited and Albania-approved placement agency. You will need USCIS approval, and that has costs. The Albanian government will have fees, and there will be various fees for documents, court costs, and so on. Most agencies will also want up-front payment for post-placement report fees required by the foreign country.Bethany, one of the two American agencies approved by Albania, has a list of the costs for Americans adopting, on its website. If you back out the travel costs, you will get a sense of what your fees will be like. Normally, Bethany is a little on the high side, but because of the complexity of adopting when a third country -- France -- is involved, it is likely that your fees will be at least in that ballpark, and maybe higher. In general, Eastern European adoptions have some of the highest fees in the world.Sharon
As you hold American citizenship, you could go through the American process, if you are eligible. Since Albania and the U.S. have both ratified the Hague Convention on international adoption, you would have to use an American placement agency that is both Hague-accredited and approved by the Albanian government; at this time, there are only two such agencies, the names of which you can find on the U.S. State Department's adoption website, at [url=http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_info.php?country-select=albania]ALBANIA | Intercountry Adoption[/url]. You will not be allowed to adopt without an agency.
Do check on the immigration requirements that France has, if you plan to bring your child home to France. Don't adopt if you will not be able to get a visa for your child to enter France. Unfortunately, in many countries, families have adopted internationally without considering that, unless the laws permit immigration of an orphan, they have legal and moral responsiblity for a child but cannot bring the child home.
Also check on citizenship requirements for those countries whose citizenship you want your child to have. If you use the U.S. process, and obtain a Hague visa, you may be able to obtain U.S. citizenship for your child without going through the full naturalization process, though a trip to the U.S. will be needed.
Because adoption and immigration are complex legal processes, there are significant costs involved. You will need to have a homestudy, for example, by a social worker entitled to conduct one. You will need a Hague-accredited and Albania-approved placement agency. You will need USCIS approval, and that has costs. The Albanian government will have fees, and there will be various fees for documents, court costs, and so on. Most agencies will also want up-front payment for post-placement report fees required by the foreign country.
Bethany, one of the two American agencies approved by Albania, has a list of the costs for Americans adopting, on its website. If you back out the travel costs, you will get a sense of what your fees will be like. Normally, Bethany is a little on the high side, but because of the complexity of adopting when a third country -- France -- is involved, it is likely that your fees will be at least in that ballpark, and maybe higher. In general, Eastern European adoptions have some of the highest fees in the world.
Sharon
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