Revision as of 21:51, 7 March 2014

Hague Convention Information

Guyana is not party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Therefore, when the Hague Adoption Convention entered into force for the United States on April 1, 2008, intercountry adoption processing for Guyana did not change.

Under Guyanese law only Guyanese nationals, former Guyanese nationals or non-Guyanese domiciled in Guyana may adopt Guyanese children.

Prospective adoptive parents should note that their presence is required at most stages during the adoption process.

Who Can Adopt

To bring an adopted child to United States from Guyana, you must be found eligible to adopt by the U.S. government. The U.S. government agency responsible for making this determination is the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Learn more.

In addition to these U.S. requirements for adoptive parents, Guyana also has the following requirements for adoptive parents:

Residency

Guyanese law dictates that Guyanese children can only be adopted by a person domiciled in Guyana; a Guyanese national who is resident outside Guyana; or a former Guyanese national who has acquired, by registration or other voluntary and formal act (including marriage), the citizenship of another country. Non-Guyanese nationals who are not domiciled in Guyana cannot adopt Guyanese children.

Age of Adopting Parents

The prospective adoptive parent (if married, at least one member of the couple) must be 25 years of age and at least 21 years older than the adoptive child (18 years older if the child is a relative).

Marriage

Both married and single individuals can adopt in Guyana.

Income

Prospective adoptive parents must prove financial stability.

Other

N/A

Who Can Be Adopted

Guyana has specific requirements that a child must meet in order to be eligible for adoption. You cannot adopt a child in Guyana unless he or she meets the requirements outlined below. In addition to these requirements, a child must meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. law for you to bring him or her back to the United States. Learn more about these U.S. requirements.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Relinquishment Requirements: Consent of each birth parent or guardian of the child is required unless the birth parent or guardian has abandoned, neglected, or mistreated the child, cannot be found, or is incapable of giving consent. In cases where the biological parent cannot be found, an advertisement of the pending adoption must be placed for three consecutive Saturdays in a daily newspaper. In the event that the child's biological parents are deceased, death certificates must be shown.

How to Adopt

Adoption Authority

The Process

Traveling Abroad

After Adoption

SOURCE

Intercountry Adoption, Bureau of Consular Affairs. U.S. Department of State Country Information