How to Adopt from Solomon Islands

Aerial view of the islands.
Source: Wikipedia.org.

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.

To learn more about the Child Citizenship Act please read The Child Citizenship Act of 2000.

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