Revision as of 23:30, 4 March 2014

Hague Convention Information

Ethiopia is not party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption(Hague Adoption Convention). Intercountry adoptions of children from non-Hague countries are processed in accordance with 8 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 204.3 as it relates to orphans as defined under the Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 101(b)(1)(F).

Ethiopia participates in a Pre-Adoption Immigration Review (PAIR) program. The PAIR program requires prospective adoptive parents receive a preliminary determination on the child’s likely immigration eligibility prior to filing an adoption case with a court. This preliminary determination, referred to as the PAIR process, provides the foreign courts and relevant government authorities with information regarding a child’s likely eligibility to immigrate to the United States before the court enters an order establishing a permanent legal relationship between the U.S. citizen parent(s) and the child. The Ministry of Women Children and Youth Affairs (MOWCYA) will not issue an adoption approval letter to the Federal First Instance Court for entry of a final adoption decree until MOWCYA has received a letter indicating that USCIS has completed a PAIR review. To enable prospective adoptive parents adopting from Ethiopia to comply with Ethiopia’s new criterion, USCIS has issued a policy memo allowing prospective adoptive parents to file a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, before filing an adoption proceeding with Ethiopian courts.

Following the receipt of a PAIR letter from USCIS and subsequent issuance of a foreign adoption decree, prospective adoptive parents must submit the foreign adoption decree and the child’s travel and identity documents to the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa which will then complete the final review of their Form I-600 and visa processing. If the U.S. Embassy finds the case is not clearly approvable, it will return the case to USCIS for further action. Prospective adoptive parents should pay special attention to the process described below as it differs from other non-Hague and Hague countries. Beginning on September 1, 2013, the Ethiopian government will require a PAIR letter from USCIS in all U.S. adoption cases.

Media reports in recent years alleging direct recruitment of children from birth parents by adoption service providers or their employees remain a serious concern for the Department of State. The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa will continue its heightened scrutiny of adoption visa processing under the PAIR program. The required Form I-604 investigation, Determination on Child for Adoption – sometimes referred to as the orphan investigation, will still occur, but at an earlier stage in the Ethiopian adoption process. The U.S. Embassy will work with adoptive parents and their adoption agency to ensure that each case is processed in the most expeditious manner possible in accordance laws and regulations.

U.S. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTIONS

To bring an adopted child to the United States from Ethiopia, you must meet eligibility and suitability requirements. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines who can adopt under U.S. immigration law. Additionally, a child must meet the definition of orphan under U.S. immigration law in order to be eligible to immigrate to the United States on an IR-3 or IR-4 immigrant visa.

Who Can Adopt

In addition to U.S. immigration requirements, you must also meet the following requirements in order to adopt a child from Ethiopia:

Residency

There are no residency requirements for prospective adoptive parents. However, the Government of Ethiopia generally requires adoptive parents to travel to Ethiopia prior to finalizing the adoption in Ethiopian court. In practice, this results in most adoptive parents making at least two trips to Ethiopia.

Age of Adopting Parents

The prospective adoptive parent must be at least 25 years of age. The maximum age limit for adoptive parents is 65. In addition to these age requirements, the Ethiopian Government has sometimes limited the age difference between the prospective adoptive parent and the adopted child to no more than 40 years.

Marriage

While the Ethiopian Government has shown a preference for placing children with married couples who have been married for at least five years, unmarried women are eligible to adopt under Ethiopian law as of February 2013. As the change in Ethiopian government policy regarding adoptions by unmarried women is new, adoption service providers in Ethiopia may still have different policies regarding whether or not they make referrals of adoptable children to unmarried women and under what circumstances. The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa urges adoptive parents to contact their agency to clarify their current policies. In general, unmarried men are ineligible to adopt under Ethiopian law unless they are of Ethiopian descent and are adopting a family member.

Income

A prospective adoptive parent must prove financial ability as determined by the Ethiopian courts, although there is no set minimum income requirement.

Other

Ethiopian law prohibits adoption by gay and/or lesbian individuals or couples.

Who Can Be Adopted

In addition to U.S. immigration requirements, Ethiopia has specific requirements that a child must meet in order to be eligible for adoption:

Relinquishment: A relinquishment occurs between the biological parent(s) of the child and the orphanage, and is certified by the appropriate local government office responsible for women’s and children’s issues. The Contract of Adoption is signed between the child's legal guardian, usually the orphanage, and the adoptive parents or their agency representative. This contract is the basis for the issuance of the adoption decree, which shows that the guardian or the orphanage has relinquished their legal rights to the adopted child. The contract must be taken to the Inland Revenue Administration office to be stamped. There is a nominal fee of 5 Ethiopian birr for this service. In general, except in inter-family adoptions, relinquishment by a living biological parent directly to a prospective adoptive parent is not permitted under Ethiopian or U.S. law.

Abandonment: When a child is abandoned, by law s/he comes into the custody of the Government of Ethiopia. Age of Adoptive Child: A child must be under the age of 18 to be adopted under Ethiopian law. Please keep in mind however that, in most cases, a child must be under the age of 16 to be eligible for immigration benefits under U.S. law unless s/he is the natural sibling of another child who was adopted by the same parents.

Sibling Adoptions: The Government of Ethiopia has demonstrated a preference for keeping sibling orphans together, if possible.

Special Needs or Medical Conditions: Biological parents who are unable to provide adequate medical care for their children, either because of special needs, HIV/AIDS, or another medical condition, are permitted to relinquish their children under Ethiopian law, even if both parents are still alive. When a child is found to have two HIV/AIDS-infected parents, or one living HIV/AIDS-infected parent, and the living parent(s) are unable to provide ongoing care for the child, the Government of Ethiopia sometimes classifies the child as an orphan and facilitates the placement of the child in institutional care.

Waiting Period or Foster Care: Typically, the Government of Ethiopia requires that a child be resident in an orphanage for three months before being adopted.

Caution: Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that not all children in orphanages or children’s homes are adoptable. In many countries, birth parents place their child(ren) temporarily in an orphanage or children’s home due to financial or other hardship, intending that the child return home when this becomes possible. In such cases, the birth parent(s) have rarely relinquished their parental rights or consented to their child(ren)’s adoption.

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

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 =Who Can Be Adopted=
+In addition to U.S. immigration requirements, Ethiopia has specific requirements that a child must meet in order to be eligible for adoption:
+'''Relinquishment:'''  A relinquishment occurs between the biological parent(s) of the child and the orphanage, and is certified by the appropriate local government office responsible for women’s and children’s issues.  The Contract of Adoption is signed between the child's legal guardian, usually the orphanage, and the adoptive parents or their agency representative.  This contract is the basis for the issuance of the adoption decree, which shows that the guardian or the orphanage has relinquished their legal rights to the adopted child.  The contract must be taken to the Inland Revenue Administration office to be stamped.  There is a nominal fee of 5 Ethiopian birr for this service.  In general, except in inter-family adoptions, relinquishment by a living biological parent directly to a prospective adoptive parent is not permitted under Ethiopian or U.S. law.
+'''Abandonment:'''  When a child is abandoned, by law s/he comes into the custody of the Government of Ethiopia.
+Age of Adoptive Child:  A child must be under the age of 18 to be adopted under Ethiopian law.  Please keep in mind however that, in most cases, a child must be under the age of 16 to be eligible for immigration benefits under U.S. law unless s/he is the natural sibling of another child who was adopted by the same parents.
+'''Sibling Adoptions:'''  The Government of Ethiopia has demonstrated a preference for keeping sibling orphans together, if possible.
+'''Special Needs or Medical Conditions:'''  Biological parents who are unable to provide adequate medical care for their children, either because of special needs, HIV/AIDS, or another medical condition, are permitted to relinquish their children under Ethiopian law, even if both parents are still alive.  When a child is found to have two HIV/AIDS-infected parents, or one living HIV/AIDS-infected parent, and the living parent(s) are unable to provide ongoing care for the child, the Government of Ethiopia sometimes classifies the child as an orphan and facilitates the placement of the child in institutional care.
+'''Waiting Period or Foster Care:'''  Typically, the Government of Ethiopia requires that a child be resident in an orphanage for three months before being adopted.
+'''''Caution:  Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that not all children in orphanages or children’s homes are adoptable.  In many countries, birth parents place their child(ren) temporarily in an orphanage or children’s home due to financial or other hardship, intending that the child return home when this becomes possible.  In such cases, the birth parent(s) have rarely relinquished their parental rights or consented to their child(ren)’s adoption.'''''
 =How to Adopt=

Difference between revisions of "Adopting from Ethiopia"