Revision as of 00:43, 12 March 2014

Hague Convention Information

Grenada 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 Grenada did not change.

NOTE: If you are not resident or domiciled in Grenada, you may not adopt. Furthermore, no adoption is possible for children who are not resident in Grenada.

Who Can Adopt

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

Residency

Grenada requires that applicants for adoption be resident and domiciled in Grenada. The child must also be in the continuous physical care of the applicant for at least three consecutive months immediately preceding the adoption order.

Age of Adopting Parents

The government of Grenada requires that the adoptive parent(s) must be age twenty-five or at least twenty-one years older than the child.

Marriage

N/A

Income

N/A

Other

N/A

Who Can Be Adopted

Grenada has specific requirements that a child must meet in order to be eligible for adoption. You cannot adopt a child in Grenada unless he or she meets these requirements.

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.

How to Adopt

Adoption Authority

Grenada's Adoption Authority

Grenada Adoption Board, Ministry of Social Services

The Process

The process for adopting a child from Grenada 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 in Grenada
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 through intercountry adoption 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 Grenada 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. An initial adoption request is done through a local attorney in Grenada. Subject to the provisions of the Grenada Adoption Act, the court may make an order authorizing the applicant to adopt a child upon an application made in the prescribed manner.

In addition to meeting the U.S. requirements for adoptive parents, prospective adoptive parents need to meet the requirements of Grenada 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 Grenada 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 Grenada's 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-country

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

• Role of the Adoption Authority: The government office responsible for adoptions in Grenada is the Grenada Adoption Board:

Ministry of Social Services Tanteen, St. George's Grenada Tel: (473) 440-6575, (473) 440-8717 Fax: (473) 440-4780 Secretary of the Adoption Board is Ms. Jeanine Sylvester. A free information booklet is supplied upon request.

• Role of The Court: An initial adoption request is done through a local attorney in Grenada. Subject to the provisions of the Grenada Adoption Act, the court may make an order authorizing the applicant to adopt a child upon an application made in the prescribed manner by a person domiciled in Grenada if the applicant:

1. Has attained the age of twenty five and is at least twenty one years older than the infant;

2. Has attained the age of twenty one and is a relative of the infant; or

3. Is the biological mother or biological father of the infant.

• Adoption Application: An initial adoption request is done through a local attorney in Grenada.
• Time Frame: Adoptions in Grenada can vary greatly in timeframe, depending on the number of cases before the courts. Adoptions can take from three months to a year.
• Adoption Fees: The cost for adoptions in Grenada is approximately $2,000.00 USD, though this can vary depending on the fees charged by the local attorney.
• Documents Required: The prospective parents are required to have:

1. Valid passports;

2. Naturalization certificate;

3. Marriage certificate;

4. Divorce certificate;

5. Birth certificate;

6. Bank statements; and

7. Medical history

The child will need a:

1. Valid passport;

2. Original birth certificate; and

3. Naturalization certificate

Grenada is not a party of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Public Documents, so the Legalization Convention "apostille" certificate should not be used for documents to be presented in Grenada. Instead, the "chain authentication method" will be used to authenticate documents for Grenada. This process involves seeking the proper authorities to attest to the validity of a succession of seals or signatures beginning with the seal on your document, proceeding to the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office, and ending with the seal of the Grenada Embassy or Consulate in the United States. Documents for authentication include civil records and notarized documents, state court records, federal documents, and U.S. Department of State/Passport records.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 Grenada, 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. Grenada Passport

Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or Passport from Grenada. [How to obtain a Passport for the child in Grenada.]

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.

The U.S. Embassy in Grenada does not issue visas. All visas for Grenadians are reviewed and issued in the American Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados. All questions concerning adoption and visas should be addressed to the Consular Section in Bridgetown, Barbados. Their e-mail address: ConsularBridge2@state.gov

NOTE: Visa issuance after the final interview now generally takes 24 hours and it will not normally be possible to provide the visa to adoptive parents on the day of the interview.

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 Grenada. 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 Brazil, 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 Grenada, registration assists the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in reaching you.

Registration is free and can be done online.

After Adoption

There are no post adoption requirements for Grenada.

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

NOTE: Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links does not imply endorsement of contents.

Contact Information

U.S. Embassy in Grenada

Lance Aux Epines Main Road St. George's, Grenada

Mailing address: P.O. Box 54 St. George's, Grenada Tel: (473) 444-1173; Fax: (473) 444-4820; Email: usemb_gd@caribsurf.com

Grenada's Adoption Authority

Grenada Adoption Board Ministry of Social Services Tanteen, St. George's Grenada Tel: (473) 440-6575, (473) 440-8717 Fax: (473) 440-4780

A free information booklet is supplied on request.

Embassy of Grenada

1701 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20009 Tel: (202) 265-2561 Email: grenada@oas.org

Grenada also has a consulate in New York.

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]