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How to Adopt from St. Kitts and Nevis
Source: flickr.com.
Adoption Authority
The Adoption Authority of St. Kitts and Nevis
Ministry of Social Development, Probation and Child Care Unit
The Process
The process for adopting a child from St. Kitts and Nevis generally includes the following steps:
- Choose an Adoption Service Provider
- Apply to be Found Eligible to Adopt
- Be Matched with a Child
- Adopt the Child in St. Kitts and Nevis
- Apply for the Child to be Found Eligible for Adoption
- Bring Your Child Home
1. Choose an Adoption Service Provider
The first step in adopting a child from St. Kitts and Nevis 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 St. Kitts and Nevis 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 St. Kitts and Nevis 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 St. Kitts and Nevis 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 the requirements of St. Kitts and Nevis, 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 St. Kitts and Nevis
The process for finalizing the adoption (or gaining legal custody) in St. Kitts and Nevis generally includes the following:
- ROLE OF THE COURT: The judicial court of St. Kitts/Nevis is responsible for the legal proceedings. The court appoints a guardian ad litem, who provides the court a written report on the prospective adoptive parents' home. In the court proceedings, a private lawyer represents the adopting parents and a St. Kitts/Nevis government-appointed lawyer represents the child to be adopted.
- TIME FRAME: The adoption process in St. Kitts and Nevis averages approximately six months.
- ADOPTION FEES: The cost for adoption is approximately U.S. dollars 745. The U.S. Embassy for Saint Kitts and Nevis discourages the payment of any fees that are not properly receipted, "donations," or "expediting" fees, that may be requested from prospective adoptive parents. Such fees have the appearance of "buying" a baby and put all future adoptions in Saint Kitts and Nevis at risk. It is illegal for any adoptive parent, birth parent or guardian, except with the sanction of the court, to receive any payment or other reward or to give or take any such payment or reward for adoption. An application for an adoption order must contain a statement that no such payment was received or made. There are no exit controls on children leaving St. Kitts/Nevis.
- DOCUMENTS REQUIRED: Documents required include:
- 1. Copy of the child's original birth certificate;
- 2. Copy of the adoptive parents' original birth certificates;
- 3. Copy of the birth parents' birth certificates;
- 4. Consent of the birth parents;
- 5. Full name of adoptive parents and birth parents;
- 6. Addresses of adoptive parents, birth parents and child;
- 7. Occupation of adoptive parents and birth parents;
- 8. Age of adoptive parents and birth parents;
- 9. Relationship of adoptive parents to child, if any. NOTE: Additional documents or information 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 St. Kitts and Nevis, 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. St. Kitts and Nevis Passport
Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or Passport from St. Kitts and Nevis.
- 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 United States does not have an embassy in St. Kitts and Nevis. The U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados covers St. Kitts and Nevis and processes immigrant visa cases for residents of St. Kitts and Nevis. The Embassy requests that prospective adoptive parents contact them directly as soon as they have received their approved I-600A or I-600 from the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Upon receipt of the approved I-600A, I-600, telegraphic or faxed approval from the Department of Homeland Security, the Embassy will send the adoptive parent (also known as the "petitioner") instructions on how to apply for the child's U.S. immigrant visa. Once the petitioner has completed several forms, the Embassy will schedule an appointment and mail the petitioner a letter confirming the appointment. The petitioner can also call the Embassy at 246-431-0225 and request an appointment to coincide with their visit to the island to complete the adoption. Appointments may also be requested via e-mail at: ConsularBridge2@state.gov.
At the time of the visa interview, the parents must present the following documents:
- 1. The child's certified St. Kitts/Nevis adoption certificate;
- 2. Court documents;
- 3. Release documents from the biological parent(s), if any;
- 4. Valid St. Kitts/Nevis passport;
- 5. Four (4) full-face color photographs (2 x 2 on white background);
- 6. Medical examination (instructions will be given to the adoptive parents); and
- 7. Visa fee.
If the Embassy is not in possession of the approved I-600 petition or confirmation from USCIS, the petitioners must present a copy of their home study and evidence of support. If the petitioner has all the required documents and the applicant seems otherwise eligible under U.S. immigration law, the visa can be issued the day following the application.
Prospective adoptive parents should expect that they and their adoptive child will have to remain in Barbados for at least two days, as the visa process requires processing time.
NOTE: Visa issuance after the final interview now generally takes at least 24 hours and it will not normally be possible to provide the visa to adoptive parents on the day of the interview. Adoptive parents should verify current processing times at the appropriate consulate or embassy before making final travel arrangements.
To learn more about the Child Citizenship Act please read The Child Citizenship Act of 2000.