International Adoption [What You Need to Know]

Whether you’re a prospective birth mother, a hopeful adoptive parent or you have someone in your life involved in the adoption process, you may be curious about the types of adoption. One of these types is international adoption, but what exactly is it? That’s what we’re here to answer for you.

While American Adoptions only works in domestic adoption, we want to provide helpful information to anyone interested in any type of adoption.

To get free adoption information about domestic infant adoption now, you can contact us online at any time.

But, we have also spent some time putting together this insightful guide. With that being said, here is everything that you need to know about international adoption.

What Is International Adoption?

In simple terms, international adoption is when an adoptive family adopts a child from a country other than their own. Because there are two countries’ laws at play, international adoptions tend to be much longer than their domestic counterparts. If you’re considering international child adoption, then this is an important detail to bear in mind.

If you are a hopeful adoptive family wondering how to adopt internationally (or you’re just curious), then we can lay the groundwork for you. There are several components that you will need to consider if you’re leaning toward this type of adoption.

Choosing a Country to Adopt from

One of the first decisions to make in international adoption is choosing what country to adopt from. After you have chosen a country, you can begin searching for adoption agencies that you’d like to work with. Keep in mind, though, that you should always work with Hague-certified international adoption agencies. This is to ensure that your adoption journey is fair, legal and ethical.

As you search for international adoption agencies, here are a few factors that you’ll need to take into consideration:

• The country’s regulations: Every country abides by its own set of laws and regulations for international adoption. Because some countries tend to have much stricter eligibility requirements for adoption, you may find that domestic infant adoption is a much more feasible alternative. Before you commit to this path, be sure to research any potential legal hurdles you’d have to overcome.
• The international adoption cost: The cost of your international adoption will vary on a country-by-country basis. You will also have to factor travel costs into the mix, as you will likely be taking numerous trips to your future child’s country of origin.
• The potential language barrier: When it comes to finding international adoption agencies, you’ll need to think about how you’ll work around a potential language barrier. Maybe you’ll need to hire a translator for the time being, which can lead to a higher international adoption cost.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that American Adoptions completes domestic infant adoptions only. If you are interested in pursuing international adoption, then you will need to find another professional.

Completing the International Adoption Home Study [What You Need to Know]

As we stated earlier, working with a Hague-certified international adoption agency is paramount to an experience that’s as stress-free as can be. And, your home study provider must also meet the Hague Convention’s requirements.  This process can take up to three months, so it’s recommended to start as soon as you can.

For the most part, the international adoption home study is quite similar to the domestic infant adoption home study. You’ll provide some key documents for your social worker, who will walk through your home to ensure that all safety requirements have been met.

They will also conduct background checks for all adults living in the home, and they’ll interview all adults living in the home to ensure that they are prepared to raise a child and provide a nurturing, healthy environment.

But, depending on what country you adopt from, the home study may have some additional requirements. Keep this in mind as you select a country for your international adoption.

Becoming Eligible for International Adoption [Hague vs. Non-Hague Eligibility]

Before you can bring your child home from their country, you’ll need to meet eligibility requirements from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In most cases, you will have to fill out the form I-800A or the form I-600A, which you will complete and send over to the USCIS.

The former of the two is for Hague eligibility while the latter is for non-Hague eligibility, although the U.S. government is increasingly restricting adoptions from non-Hague countries. Let’s break it down further:

• I-800A: If you are adopting a child from a Hague Convention country, then you will need to fill out form I-800A. You’ll send the completed form alongside your personal information and home study certification to the USCIS. Your eligibility will remain valid for 15 months.
• I-600A: On the other hand, if the country you’re adopting your child from is NOT with the Hague Convention, you’ll fill out form I-600A. You can complete this form before or after you find the child you want to adopt. Once completed, your eligibility will remain valid for 18 months. While this route used to be a common option, it is no longer allowed in many cases.

After you have been cleared with the USCIS, your adoption professional will send the relevant forms and documents to the country that you’re planning to adopt from.

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If you have any more questions about international adoption, then we would be more than happy to answer them for you. When you fill out our online contact form, you can get more free information now.

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