How to Adopt from Ecuador Part 2

The official coat of arms.
Source: Wikipedia.com.

This page if for steps 5-6 of How to Adopt from Ecuador. To learn about steps 1-4 please read How to Adopt from Ecuador.

5. Adopt the Child in Ecuador

REMEMBER: Before you adopt a child, you must have completed the above four steps. Only after completing these steps, can you proceed to finalize the adoption.

The process for finalizing the adoption in Ecuador generally includes the following: ## Role of The Court: The courts in Ecuador issue adoption decrees. The Childhood and Adolescence Court, Juzgado de la Niñez y Adolescencia, must grant permission for the child to depart the country if only one member of the couple is present in Ecuador to travel with the child.

• Role of Adoption Service Providers: The Government of Ecuador requires that prospective adoptive parents work through an accredited or approved U.S. adoption service provider that has signed an Agreement with the Government of Ecuador. The agency can give you an estimate of the cost of an adoption in Ecuador. A list of these agencies may be obtained in person from the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Quito or Consulate General in Guayaquil.

• Time Frame: The adoption process in Ecuador generally takes between nine and sixteen months to complete. Adopting families must first contact an Ecuadorian-approved U.S. adoption service provider that will provide general instructions about intercountry adoption procedures, and will assist prospective adoptive parents with the preparation and filing of preliminary U.S. immigration documentation. This process generally takes approximately three months (USCIS Form I-800A). An additional six months to one year is needed for further adjudication once these documents are forwarded to an agency or lawyer in Ecuador.

• Adoption Fees: The cost of adoptions varies with different adoption service providers. In the adoption services contract that you sign at the beginning of the adoption process, your agency will itemize the fees and estimated expenses related to your adoption process. Learn more.

• Documents Required: Certifications, notarizations and apostilles must be completed in the United States before the prospective adoptive parents travel to Ecuador or the application for adoption is submitted. Translations can be completed in Ecuador. Documents must be apostilled in the United States. The prospective adoptive parent(s) must present the following documents to the American adoption service provider which will represent them in Ecuador:

1. Certified copies of birth certificates of prospective adoptive parent(s);

2. Certified copy of marriage certificate and proof of termination of prior marriages (death certificates/divorce decrees), if applicable;

3. Certified copy of the state law that regulates the adoption of minors (especially foreign minors) in the adoptive parent's(s') state of U.S. residence;

4. Home study report on the adoptive parent(s) and institutional criteria on the suitability of the adoptive parent(s) from the entity performing the home study (all these documents are part of the I-800A);

5. Certificate of no criminal record for each adoptive parent from a local police department (an FBI report is acceptable in lieu of local police record);

6. Verification of employment and salary;

7. Notarized adoption authorization letter from the adoption service provider to the family certifying that the family is duly prepared to adopt an Ecuadorian child;

8. Certificate of physical and mental health of prospective adoptive parent(s); and

9. Photocopies of the passports of the prospective adoptive parent(s).

The adoption hearing will take place three or four days after the judge schedules the meeting to verify signature(s). The judge will review the parent's(s') qualifications, including psychological and financial situations. After the hearing, prospective adoptive parent(s) and the judge sign the minutes. The judge will issue the final adoption decree unless the judge identifies false statements or documents.

The adoption decree becomes final three days after issuance. At this point, the adoptive parent(s) can obtain a new birth certificate for their child from the Civil Registry Office. The new birth certificate will include the name(s) of parent(s) and any change of name for the child. With the new birth certificate, the parent(s) (or the adoption service provider on their behalf) can obtain an Ecuadorian identity card and Ecuadorian passport for the child.

6. Bring Your Child Home

Now that your adoption is complete, there are a few more steps to take before you can head home. Specifically, you need to apply for three 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. In Ecuador, parents apply for the child's new birth certificate at the Civil Registry Office. Once the judge has issued a final adoption decree, parents may apply for the birth certificate.

2. Ecuadorean Passport

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

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 U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil for your child. After the adoption is granted, visit the Consular Section for final review and approval of the child's I-800 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.

All immigrant visa cases for Ecuador are processed at the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil. Since each case is unique, it is possible that the staff of the Consulate General will request additional documents after a preliminary review of the application of the prospective adoptive parent(s).

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