Revision as of 05:51, 9 April 2014

The official flag of the Soloman Islands.
Source: cia.gov.

Map of the Soloman Islands.
Source: cia.gov.

The official coat of arms of the Soloman Islands.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Aerial view of the Soloman Islands.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Children outside Tuo school, Fenualoa, Reef Islands, Solomon Islands..
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Children in the Soloman Islands.
Source: flickr.com.

A Malaitan Chief in the Soloman Islands.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Sunrise on the Soloman Islands.
Source: flickr.com.

Children on the Soloman Islands.
Source: flickr.com.

Child in a boat on the Soloman Islands.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Hague Convention Information

Solomon Islands 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 Solomon Islands did not change.

Solomon Islands law states that prospective adoptive parents who wish to adopt a child from the Solomon Islands MUST be domiciled in the Solomon Islands at the time of the adoption.

Who Can Adopt

To bring an adopted child to United States from Solomon Islands, 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, Solomon Islands also has the following requirements for adoptive parents:

Residency

Prospective adoptive parents must be domiciled in the Solomon Islands for more than three months to be eligible to apply for adoption. The child has to have lived with the prospective adoptive parents for three months before the adoption may be finalized.

Age of Adopting Parents

Prospective adoptive parents must be 25 years of age or older (or 21 years or older, if related to the child).

Marriage

Prospective adoptive parents can either be single or married.

Income

Although there are no income requirements, prospective adoptive parents must satisfy the Social Welfare Office of the Solomon Islands that they are financially secure.

Other

N/A

Who Can Be Adopted

The Solomon Islands has specific requirements that a child must meet in order to be eligible for adoption. You cannot adopt a child in the Solomon Islands 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: The birth mother of the child must sign a consent form no earlier than six weeks after the child's birth allowing for adoption of the child.

Age Requirements: Prospective adoptive parents cannot apply to the court for an adoption order before the child has attained the age of six weeks.

How to Adopt

Adoption Authority

Solomon Islands Adoption Authority

High Court of the Solomon Islands

The Process

The process for adopting a child from the Solomon Islands generally includes the following steps:

1. Choose an Adoption Service Provider
2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt
3. Be Matched with a Child
4. Adopt the Child (or Gain Legal Custody) in the Solomon Islands
5. Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Adoption
6. Bring Your Child Home

1. Choose an Adoption Service Provider

The first step in adopting a child from Solomon Islands is usually to select a licensed agency in the United States that can help with your adoption. Adoption service providers must be licensed by the U.S. state in which they operate. Learn more about choosing the right adoption service provider.

There are no adoption agencies in the Solomon Islands. However, American prospective adoptive parents may still wish to enlist the services of an American adoption agency to assist them with the overall intercountry adoption process.

2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt

To bring an adopted child from the Solomon Islands to the United States, you must apply to be found eligible to adopt (Form I-600A) by the U.S. Government, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Learn how.

In addition to meeting the U.S. requirements for adoptive parents, you need to meet the requirements of the Solomon Islands as described in the Who Can Adopt section.

3. Be Matched with a Child

If you are eligible to adopt, and a child is available for intercountry adoption, the central adoption authority in the Solomon Islands will provide you with a referral to a child. Each family must decide for itself whether or not it will be able to meet the needs of a particular child and provide a permanent family placement for the referred child.

The child must be eligible to be adopted according to Solomon Islands requirements, as described in the Who Can be Adopted section. The child must also meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. law. Learn more.

4. Adopt the Child (or Gain Legal Custody) in the Solomon Islands

The process for finalizing the adoption (or gaining legal custody) in the Solomon Islands generally includes the following: ##ROLE OF THE ADOPTION AUTHORITY: Adoptions are processed through the High Court of the Solomon Islands based on an application prepared by the prospective adoptive parents and a Home Study. The Home Study Report is prepared by the Social Welfare Department and is submitted to the High Court during the adoption application process.

• ADOPTION APPLICATION: Applications for adoption are obtained from private attorneys in the Solomon Islands. The completed dossiers are then sent to the High Court with a notice to the Provincial Secretary. Prospective adoptive parents must also submit to an interview with a Social Welfare Officer. The Social Welfare Office will perform a Home Study and a Home Study report will be submitted to the High Court. In addition, the birth mother of the child must sign a consent form no earlier than six weeks after the child's birth allowing for adoption of the child. The Social Welfare Office will obtain the birth mother's written consent to adopt.
• TIME FRAME: The estimated time for an adoption to be processed may take up to 6 months.
• ADOPTION FEES: American prospective adoptive parents should expect to pay adoption-related fees of less than $300 to the Solomon Islands government. It may or may not be necessary for prospective parents to pay additional fees to lawyers, depending on the services rendered.
• DOCUMENTS REQUIRED: When submitted to the Solomon Islands authorities, the adoption dossier must contain:

1. A completed adoption application,

2. Birth Certificate,

3. Medical Reports (for both the child and the prospective adoptive parents),

4. Home Study,

5. Bank Statements of prospective adopting parents,

6. Marriage License, if applicable. NOTE: Additional documents may be requested. If you are asked to provide proof that a document from the United States is authentic, we can help. Learn how.

5. Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Adoption

After you finalize the adoption (or gain legal custody) in the Solomon Islands, the U.S Government, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) MUST determine whether the child is eligible under U.S. law to be adopted (Form I-600). Learn how.

6. Bring Your Child Home

Now that your adoption is complete (or you have obtained legal custody of the child), there are a few more steps to take before you can head home. Specifically, you need to apply for several documents for your child before he or she can travel to the United States:

1. Birth Certificate

You will first need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child, so that you can later apply for a passport. Your name will be added to the new birth certificate.

2. Solomon Islands Passport

Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or Passport from the Solomon Islands.

3. U.S. Immigrant Visa

After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child, you also need to apply for an U.S. visa from the United States Embassy for your child. After the adoption (or custody for purpose of adoption) is granted, visit the U.S. Embassy for final review and approval of the child's I-600 petition and to obtain a visa for the child. This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you. As part of this process, the Consular Officer must be provided the "Panel Physician's" medical report on the child if it was not provided during the provisional approval stage. Learn more.

NOTE: Most immigrant visas cannot be issued the same day, but rather take approximately a week for administrative processing and name checks.

Child Citizenship Act

'For adoptions finalized abroad: The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows your new child to acquire American citizenship automatically when he or she enters the United States as lawful permanent residents.

For adoptions finalized in the United States: The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows your new child to acquire American citizenship automatically when the court in the United States issues the final adoption decree.

Please be aware that if your child did not qualify to become a citizen upon entry to the United States, it is very important that you take the steps necessary so that your child does qualify as soon as possible. Failure to obtain citizenship for your child can impact many areas of his/her life including family travel, eligibility for education and education grants, and voting.

Learn more about the Child Citizenship Act.

Traveling Abroad

Applying for Your U.S. Passport

A valid U.S. passport is required to enter and leave Solomon Islands. Only the U.S. Department of State has the authority to grant, issue, or verify U.S. passports. Getting or renewing a passport is easy. The Passport Application Wizard will help you determine which passport form you need, help you to complete the form online, estimate your payment, and generate the form for you to print-all in one place.

Obtaining Your Visa

In addition to a U.S. passport, you also need to obtain a visa. A visa is an official document issued by a foreign country that formally allows you to visit. Where required, visas are attached to your passport and allow you to enter a foreign nation. To find information about obtaining a visa for Solomon Islands, see the Department of State's Country Specific Information.

Staying Safe on Your Trip

Before you travel, it's always a good practice to investigate the local conditions, laws, political landscape, and culture of the country. The State Department is a good place to start. The Department of State provides Country Specific Information for every country of the world about various issues, including the health conditions, crime, unusual currency or entry requirements, and any areas of instability.

Staying in Touch on Your Trip

When traveling during the adoption process, we encourage you to register your trip with the Department of State. Travel registration makes it possible to contact you if necessary. Whether there's a family emergency in the United States, or a crisis in Solomon Islands, registration assists the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in reaching you. Registration is free and can be done online.

After Adoption

What resources are available to assist families after the adoption?

Many adoptive parents find it important to find support after the adoption. Take advantage of all the resources available to your family -- whether it's another adoptive family, a support group, an advocacy organization, or your religious or community services.

Here are some good places to start your support group search:

Child Welfare Information Gateway

North American Council on Adoptable Children

Adoption Services Support Group for Adopting Persons

Contact Information

U.S. Embassy, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Douglas Street, P.O. Box 1492, Port Moresby, N.C.D. 121, Papua New Guinea Tel: (675) 321-1455; Fax: (675) 321-1593. Email: ConsularPortMoresby@state.gov

The U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, has responsibility for the well-being of U.S. citizens in the Solomon Islands.

Permanent Representative of Solomon Islands to the United Nations

800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017-4709 Tel: (212) 599-6192/6193, Fax: (212) 661-8925

The Solomon Islands do not have an embassy in Washington, D.C.

Office of Children's Issues

U.S. Department of State CA/OCS/CI SA-17, 9th Floor Washington, DC 20522-1709 Tel: 1-888-407-4747 E-mail: AskCI@state.gov Internet: U.S. Department of State

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

For questions about immigration procedures, call the National Customer Service Center (NCSC) 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833)

SOURCE

Intercountry Adoption, Bureau of Consular Affairs. U.S. Department of State Country Information[1]