Difference between revisions of "How to Adopt from Fiji"

Revision as of 04:44, 31 October 2014

Fijians.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

Adoption Authority

Fijian Adoption Authority

The Social Welfare Department, under the Ministry of Women, Social Welfare and Poverty, is in charge of overseeing intercountry adoptions. For people residing in Fiji, the adoption authority in Fiji is the Magistrate's court having jurisdiction over the adopted child's place of residence. Almost every town and city in Fiji has a court.

The Process

The process for adopting a child from Fiji 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 Fiji
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 Fiji 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.

2. Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt

To bring an adopted child from Fiji 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 Fiji as described in the Who Can Adopt section.

3. Be Matched with a Child

If you are eligible to adopt, you will have to make your own arrangements to identify a child available for adoption. Fiji has specific intercountry-adoption administrative arrangements established with Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island Countires. Unfortunately, there are no inter-country arrangements between Fiji and the USA. 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 Fijian 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 Fiji

The process for finalizing the adoption (or gaining legal custody) in Fiji generally includes the following:

• ROLE OF THE ADOPTION AUTHORITY: The Social Welfare Department, under the Ministry of Women Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation, oversees all adoptions. The Social Welfare Department is appointed by the court to conduct home studies. The magistrate considers the Social Welfare Department's report as highly persuasive when deciding cases. There are no lists of local attorneys in Fiji who specialize in adoptions but almost all legal firms in Fiji can assist in facilitating adoption cases in Fiji.

• ROLE OF THE COURT: The prospective adoptive parents file an Application for Adoption with the Magistrate's Court. The Court appoints the Fiji Social Welfare Department as Guardian Ad Litem. The Social Welfare Department conducts a home-study investigation that assesses the prospective adoptive parents' character, financial competence and suitability. The primary consideration is whether the proposed adoption will be in the best interests of the child. The Magistrate's Court considers whether to grant an Adoption Order based on the Social Welfare Department's report. If the Social Welfare report is favorable, the court tends to grant the Adoption Order.

• ADOPTION APPLICATION: Tips for working the adoption through the local system: Seek legal advice from a local lawyer. Have the Department of Social Welfare involved from the beginning. It is best to contact it in writing. Being related to the infant is not necessary but often speeds up the process.

• TIME FRAME: The time frame from the filing of the motion/application until the adoption order is issued is approximately four to five months. If the prospective adoptive parents are biologically related to the child, the process may be quicker.

• ADOPTION FEES: A court fee of $45 is required to file the motion and receive the Adoption Order. Additional attorney fees will apply if the family uses a lawyer. There is no charge for the Social Welfare Department (home study) report.

• DOCUMENTS REQUIRED: To file the application at the court prospective adoptive parents generally need to include:

1. Motion/Application for Adoption (drafted by an attorney);

2. Affidavits (including original marriage certificates for the perspective adopting parents and consent of release from the biological parent(s) or legal guardian for adoption and immigration);

3. Notice for an Application for an Adoption Order (Social Welfare report attached);

4. Child's original birth certificate;

5. Written consent of release for adoption of the child from a parent or guardian;

6. Financial documents, such as bank statements;

7. Reference from employer and/or evidence of property;

8. Character reference from the prospective adoptive parents' community;

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 Fiji, 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. You, the parents take the Adoption Order to the Fiji Registrar General [Births, Deaths, and Marriages] in order to amend the original birth record to reflect the completion of the adoption. The new parents are issued a new birth certificate showing the prospective adoptive parents as the child's "Father" and "Mother."

2. Fijian Passport

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

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.

Once prospective adoptive parent(s) receive the form I-171: Notice of approval of relative immigrant visa petition from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, we request the American prospective adopting parent(s) begin and maintain contact with the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji at the address listed above.

NOTE: The U.S. Embassy cannot issue visas on the same day of the visa interview. Prospective adopting parents should expect to a minimum of two days for the visa to be issued. American families should make their travel plans accordingly, including allowing for the possibility of computer difficulties or other problems that could potentially further delay visa issuance.

For information on the Child Citizenship Act please read The Child Citizenship Act of 2000.

Back to Adopting from Fiji