International Adoption

When you adopt a child from a foreign country it is referred to as an international adoption. To successfully adopt a child from a foreign country you will need to ensure that you are complying with various laws and regulations. These include:

• Following the laws of the foreign country you are adopting from;
• Following the laws of the United States, including US Citizenship and Immigration Services as well as be in compliance with Federal Immigration laws; and
• Following the laws of the state that you reside in.

The process for an international adoption includes many steps and our attorneys can help explain the process in more detail and provide you with options tailored to your situation. The general process that we can provide assistance includes:

1. Identify countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention. Countries participating in the Hague Convention follow an international set of rules for international adoptions that provides additional protections to adoptive parents and children.
2. Identify an accredited adoption service to use. If the foreign country is a participant in the Hague Convention it is also important to use an agency that is able to handle those adoptions.
3. Locate and coordinate with an attorney in the foreign country that will perform the foreign adoption. We will also work closely with them to ensure you are prepared for the foreign adoption requirements such as a home study, arranging for a temporary residence in foreign country, if necessary, and gathering all domestic documents required.
4. Once the foreign adoption is finalized we can then assist you in applying for the child to immigrate to the United States through the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
5. Finally, we can perform a domestic readoption of the child once you have returned home.