Japan is not a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention or Convention).  Please see more detail below in the Who Can Adopt, Who can be adopted, and How to adopt for more details on the intercountry adoption steps involving Japan.

Please note: There are two types of adoptions under Japanese law: regular and special.

"Regular" adoptions, which are based on Japanese cultural and family traditions, do not legally sever the ties between the child and his or her birth family and therefore cannot serve as the basis for immigration benefits for the child. For an adoption to be valid for U.S. immigration purpose, an adoption must: 1) terminate the legal parent-child relationship between the child and the prior legal parent(s); 2) create a legal permanent parent-child relationship between the child and the adoptive parent; and 3) comply with the law of the country or place granting the adoption.

"Special" adoptions require U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents to complete a nurturing period with the prospective adoptive child, in which the prospective adoptive parents live with and provide daily care for the child. “Special” adoptions generally sever the birth parent(s)’s legal rights and may therefore serve as the basis for immigration benefits for the child.

The standard nurturing period is six months; however, the court may alter this period at its discretion.

We are aware there are also prospective adoptive parents who reside abroad who wish to adopt a child from the United States. Please see our section on Adoptions from the United States for more information on the process for adopting a child from the United States.  

Under the Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 (UAA), which became effective on July 14, 2014, the requirement that adoption service providers be accredited or approved, and therefore meet the accreditation standards, which previously only applied in Convention cases, also applies in non-Convention (“orphan”) cases under section 101(b)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  The UAA requires that an accredited or approved adoption service provider act as the primary provider in every non-Convention intercountry adoption case, and that adoption service providers providing any adoption services, as defined at 22 CFR Part 96.2, on behalf of prospective adoptive parents be accredited or approved or be a supervised or exempted provider.  See additional Department of State guidance and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required.  Intercountry adoptions of children from non-Convention countries continue to be processed under the Orphan Process with the filing of the Forms I-600A and I-600.  However, adoption service providers should be aware of the information on the USCIS website on the impact of the UAA on Form I-600A and Form I-600 adjudications, including the requirement that all home studies, including home study updates and amendments, comply with the home study requirements listed at 8 CFR 204.311, which differ from the orphan home study requirements that were in effect before July 14, 2014.

In addition to being found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS, prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt a child from Japan must meet the following requirements:

• Minimum Residency: There are no laws concerning the required visa status of prospective adoptive parents in Japan. Prospective adoptive parents are required to complete a trial nurturing period of the prospective adoptive child.
• Age of Adopting Parents: In special adoptions, prospective adoptive parents must be over 25 years of age. However, if one parent is over 25, the other parent can be younger than 25 so long as he or she is at least 20 years old.
• Marriage: In special adoptions, prospective adoptive parents must be a married couple.
• Minimum Income: While there are no specific income requirements under Japanese law, the prospective adoptive parents likely will have to provide documentation on their income and finances.

Under the INA 101(b)(1)(F), a child can be considered an orphan because of the death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from both parents, or in the case where there is a sole or surviving parent who is incapable of providing the proper care and has in writing irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption.

In addition to qualifying as an orphan under U.S. immigration law, the child must also meet the following requirements of Japan:

• Relinquishment: Relinquishment for purpose of intercountry adoptions takes place through the special adoption process. According to Article 817-7 of the Japanese Civil Code, a special adoption can be granted when a court determines that:

1. The birth parent is unfit or It is difficult to take care of the child, and
2. It is in the interests of the child.

• Age of Adoptive Child: To be adopted under the special adoption law, a child must be under the age of 15 at the time the petition to adopt is filed. However, the special adoption can still proceed if the child is under the age of 18 and there were unavoidable circumstances that prevented the prospective adoptive parents from filing the petition to adopt earlier. Please note that for a child to meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law, a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, must be filed on the child’s behalf while the child is under the age of 16 (or under the age of 18 if the child is the birth sibling of another adopted child who meets the age and other requirements to immigrate based on adoption by the same adoptive parent(s)). Please see the USCIS website and Form I-600 instructions for special rules on filing dates for children aged 15-16 or siblings under 18.
• Please Note: Japanese family courts determine whether to grant special adoptions, taking the specific circumstances of each case into account. It is possible for a Japanese court to issue a final adoption order, but for the child to still be ineligible for an immigrant visa because he or she does not meet the U.S. definition of "orphan" in the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA 101(b)(1)(F)). For more information on the eligibility of children for U.S. immigrant visas, please see the Immigrant Visa Process page on the Department’s website.

Caution: Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that not all children in orphanages or children’s homes are eligible for adoption. In many countries, birth parents place their child(ren) temporarily in an orphanage or children’s home due to financial or other hardship, intending that the child return home when possible. In such cases, the birth parent(s) have rarely relinquished their parental rights or consented to the adoption of their child(ren).

Japan’s Adoption Authority

Japan's principal adoption authorities are the Family Courts and Child Guidance Centers (CGC), both of which are administered at the prefectural or municipal level.

The Process

The process for adopting a child from Japan generally includes the following steps:

1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider To Act as Your Primary Provider 
2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt (Form I-600A) (or file a Form I-600 combination filing to have USCIS review both your suitability and eligibility as an adoptive parent and the child’s status as an orphan at the same time) 
3. Apply to Japan’s Authorities to Adopt, and to be Matched with a Child 
4. Adopt the Child in Japan. 
5. Apply for Your Child to be Found Eligible to Immigrate to the United States as an Orphan (Form I-600)
6. Secure a U.S. Immigrant Visa if You Intend to Reside with Your Child in the United States 
7. Obtain U.S. Citizenship for Your Child

1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider that has been authorized by the Government of Japan

The accredited agency or approved person you identify as the primary provider is responsible for:

• Ensuring that all six adoption services defined at 22 CFR 96.2 are provided consistent with applicable laws and regulations; 
• Supervising and being responsible for any supervised providers, and otherwise complying with the requirements regarding the provision of adoption services using other providers.  (see 22 CFR 96.14); and
• Developing and implementing a service plan in accordance with 22 CFR 96.44.

Only accredited agencies, approved persons, supervised providers, exempted providers, public domestic authorities, and public foreign authorities that have been authorized by the Government of Japan may provide adoption services in intercountry adoption cases.

For more information on primary providers and the UAA, please see Universal Accreditation Act of 2012. See additional guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required. Learn more about Agency Accreditation.

2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt (or file a Form I-600 combination filing to have USCIS review both your suitability and eligibility as an adoptive parent and the child’s status as an orphan at the same time)

In order to adopt a child from Japan, you will need to meet the requirements of the Government of Japan and U.S. immigration law.

To meet U.S. immigration requirements, you may choose to file a Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, with USCIS, to be found suitable and eligible to adopt. Please see the USCIS website for more information about filing options. If you have already identified the child you wish to adopt, you may alternatively choose to file the Form I-600 petition for the child and include all the required supporting documentation for the Form I-600A application (i.e. an approved home study) so USCIS can make a determination on your suitability and eligibility to adopt before reviewing the child’s eligibility as an orphan. Please see USCIS webpages on suitability determinations and USCIS policy guidance on adoptive parent suitability determinations. Unless an exception applies, the home study must be prepared by a person who is authorized under 22 CFR 96 to prepare home studies and who holds any license or other authorization required by the law of the jurisdiction where the home study is conducted (unless a public domestic or public foreign authority). The home study must comply with the requirements in 8 CFR 204.311 and USCIS policy.

3. Apply to Japan’s Authorities to Adopt, and be Matched with a Child

If you are found suitable and eligible to adopt under U.S. law, you must also submit an adoption application to Japanese adoption authorities to be found eligible to adoption by Japan. if you are found eligible to adopt, and a child is available for intercountry adoption, the Japanese adoption service provider or the Child Guidance Center that has custody of the child arranges for child/prospective adoptive parent matches.

The competent adoption authority or other authorized entity in Japan will review your adoption dossier and, if an appropriate match is found, may provide you with a referral. We encourage families to consider consulting with a medical professional and their adoption service provider to understand the needs of the specific child, but you must decide for yourself whether you will be able to meet the needs of and provide a permanent home for a specific child. You must also ultimately adhere to the USCIS’ suitability determination (i.e. typically the Form I-600A approval notice) with respect to the number of children you are approved to adopt and the characteristics of the child(ren) (such as age, sex, nationality, and/or special need, disability, and/or impairment) that you are approved to adopt. Learn more about Health Considerations.

The child must be eligible to be adopted according to Japan’s requirements, as described in the Who Can Be Adopted section. The child must also meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law.

4. Adopt the Child in Japan

The process for finalizing the adoption in Japan generally includes the following:

• Role of the Court: Final Adoption (Special Adoption): 
   
  The Family Court reviews the adoption application. To be approved by the court to proceed with the special adoption process, the prospective adoptive family must obtain a consent from the child’s birth parents or legal custodian. Please note that you may never actually need to appear in court in front of a judge; the paperwork may be done at the clerk's office. In reviewing the application, the court examines the law governing intercountry adoptions in the prospective adoptive parents' U.S. state of legal domicile. During the trial nurturing period, the child and prospective adoptive parents share a residence, and the prospective adoptive parents exercise primary care of the child. The court informs the prospective adoptive parents of the date of a hearing before their investigation officer; this generally occurs at the end of the nurturing period, during which time a family court investigation officer conducts an interview with the prospective adoptive parents and conducts at least one home visit. Some, but not all, cases require court hearings. Approximately two to three weeks after the judge receives a report from the investigation officer, the judge will decide whether to approve the adoption. The court will then issue a ruling establishing the special adoption (tokubetsu yoshi no shimpan). If the biological parents or any interested parties do not object to the court’s decision within two weeks, the adoption is finalized. The adoptive parents can then register the adoption at the ward office.
• Role of Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Providers: The adoption agency can match the prospective adoptive parents with a child, provide all of the necessary forms and instructions on how to complete the adoption process in Japan, and help collect the documents necessary for the U.S. immigrant visa, including the birth certificate and adoption decree. Families should ensure that the U.S. Adoption Service Provider they are working with is accredited in Japan or working with an agency in Japan that is accredited. Adoption service providers, other than national, prefectural, or city entities, must receive approval from the ordinance-designated city office, prefectural government office, or city Child Guidance Center (CGC) which has jurisdiction.

As noted above, any agency or person providing an adoption service on behalf of prospective adoptive parents in any non-Convention intercountry adoption case must be accredited or approved or be a supervised or exempted provider.

Adoption service means any one of the following six services, 22 CFR 96.2 Definitions:

• Identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption;
• Securing the necessary consent to termination of parental rights and to adoption;
• Performing a background study on a child or a home study on a prospective adoptive parent(s), and reporting on such a study;
• Making non-judicial determinations of the best interests of a child and the appropriateness of an adoptive placement for the child;
• Monitoring a case after a child has been placed with prospective adoptive parent(s) until final adoption; or
• When necessary because of a disruption before final adoption, assuming custody and providing (including facilitating the provision of) child care or any other social service pending an alternative placement.

Note: See additional guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required.

• Adoption Application: The prospective adoptive parents submit their adoption application to the Family Court with jurisdiction over the prospective adoptive parents' residence. When the prospective adoptive parents do not reside in Japan, they can submit the application to the Tokyo Family Court.
• Time Frame: Intercountry adoptions through the Family Court require a trial nurturing period. The Japanese court system will take into account the laws of the prospective adoptive parent(s)’s state of residence as well as Japanese requirements. The Family Court does not mandate a time limit on when an adoption must be completed.
  
• Adoption Fees: Families should expect to pay fees to cover the following: 
  • Fee charged to prospective adoptive parents for consultation and facilitating the adoption.
  • All travel costs, correspondence/clerical fees, cost of preparing documents for submission to court, and training costs. 
  • Child delivery costs. (Includes prenatal checkups. If the birth mother receives a government lump sum payment, the lump sum payment must be deducted from the delivery cost.) 
  • Cost of child nurturing until the child is referred to the prospective adoptive parents. 
  • For international adoptions, the cost of translating relevant documents and all costs associated with the visa application.
  • **It is prohibited for any adoption service provider to receive any donation or membership fee from the prospective adoptive parents until six months after the adoption process is complete. This does not include fees for the Family Court, adoption agency, immigration processing, and document translations and authentications. 
     
    Japanese adoption service provider fees can range from US$5,000 to US$50,000 or higher, so the overall cost of adoption depends on the agency used by the prospective adoptive parents and the services needed in the case. Japanese law prohibits adoption service providers operating in Japan from profiting from adoptions, and the provider is required to give you an itemized invoice. That list may include fees to cover the birth of the child, as such costs are not covered by Japanese health insurance. Prospective adoptive parents may incur additional fees when adopting a child with medical conditions.

We encourage prospective adoptive parents to obtain detailed receipts for all fees and donations paid, either by them directly or through their U.S. adoption service provider, and to raise any concerns regarding any payment that you believe may be contrary to U.S. law, or the law of Japan, with your adoption service provider, and, when appropriate, through the Complaint Registry. Improper payments violate applicable law, or create the appearance of buying a child, and could put all future adoptions in Japan at risk. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, for instance, makes it unlawful to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business. Further, the UAA and IAA make certain actions relating to intercountry adoptions unlawful, and subject to civil and criminal penalties. These include offering, giving, soliciting, or accepting inducement by way of compensation intended to influence or affect the relinquishment of parental rights, parental consent relating to adoption of a child, or a decision by an entity performing functions as a competent authority, or to engage another person as an agent to take any such action.

In the adoption services contract that you sign at the beginning of the adoption process, your adoption service provider will itemize the fees and estimated expenses related to your adoption process.

• Documents Required: When completing a full and final adoption under Japanese law, the Japanese adoption agency should provide you with a complete list of required documents. These may include: 
  • Birth certificate and/or family register of all parties 
  • Passport, Japanese visas and alien registration cards for all parties 
  • Copy of U.S. military ID (where applicable) 
  • Marriage, divorce, and death certificates (where applicable) 
  • Copy of any property ownership deeds and/or bank statements 
  • Certificate of foster parent registration (where applicable) 
  • Certificate of good conduct/no criminal record for each adoptive parent (issued by their home city or state police department) 
  • Certificate of legal address, employment, and income 
  • Biographic history of all parties 
  • Statement of consent to adopt by the child's biological parent(s) or guardian 
  • Statement of prospective parent(s)' intent to adopt the identified child 
  • Home study (approved by an authorized and licensed adoption agency) 
  • Two character references 

Note: Additional documents may be requested. (English documents must be translated into Japanese prior to submission to a Japanese court.)

• Authentication of Documents: You may be asked to provide proof that a document from the United States is authentic. The U.S. Department of State’s Authentications Office has information on the subject.

5. Apply for Your Child to be Found Eligible to Immigrate to the United States as an Orphan

After you finalize the adoption in Japan, USCIS must determine if the child meets the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law in order for the child to immigrate to the United States. You will need to file a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, on behalf of the child and unless a limited exception applies, you must identify a primary provider.

If you have a valid Form I-600A approval, you may file your Form I-600 petition in the United States with the USCIS National Benefits Center, or at U.S. Embassy Tokyo. Please see the USCIS website for more information about filing options.

When a Form I-600 petition is adjudicated by USCIS in the United States, U.S. Embassy Tokyo must complete a Form I-604, Determination on Child for Adoption (sometimes informally referred to as an orphan determination), to verify the child’s orphan status.

When a Form I-600 petition is filed with the Embassy’s consular section, the consular officer must complete the Form I-604, Determination on Child for Adoption, to verify the child’s orphan status.

Conducting the Form I-604 determination is a critical part of the non-Convention adoption process. It can take approximately 8 months or longer to complete, depending upon the circumstances of your case. Consular officers appreciate that families are eager to bring their adopted child home as quickly as possible. Some of the factors that may contribute to the length of the process include prevailing fraud patterns in the country of origin, civil unrest or security concerns that restrict travel to certain areas of the country, and the number of determinations performed by available staff. Consular officers make every effort to conduct them as quickly and thoroughly as possible. You are advised to keep your travel plans flexible while awaiting the results.

6. Secure a U.S. Immigrant Visa if You Intend to Reside with Your Child in the United States

Once your adoption is complete and the Form I-604 determination has been completed, finding that your child meets the legal definition of an orphan for immigration purposes, there are a few more steps to take before your child can enter the U.S.

Your child will need an immigrant visa if you intend to reside in the United States with your child. If instead you intend to continue residing overseas with your child but still seek naturalization of your child by application (Form N-600K), you will not need an immigrant visa, but you may need a different type of visa to complete the process. Please discuss this with the consular officer handling your case and consult the USCIS website for more information.

You need to obtain three documents before you secure a visa so your child can travel to the United States:

Birth Certificate

You will need to obtain a new or updated birth certificate for your child. 

You will first need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child with your name on it

Japanese Passport

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

Only the child's biological or adoptive parent or legal guardian may apply for a passport on behalf of the minor child, but an adoption service provider should be able to help get the document.

Please note: according to Japanese nationality law, a child is not considered to have gained citizenship of a second country (the United States, in this case) by his or her own will, so the child does not automatically lose Japanese citizenship when they become a U.S. citizen.

U.S. Immigrant Visa

After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child and you have filed Form I-600, you will then need to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa for your child from U.S. Embassy Tokyo if you intend to bring your child to reside in the United States with you. This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you and be admitted to the United States as your child. Please contact U.S. Embassy Tokyo at support-japan@usvisascheduling.com  to schedule your child’s immigrant visa appointment. As part of this process, you must provide the consular officer with the Panel Physician’s medical report on the child. Read more about the Medical Examination.

You must complete an Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) online at the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) after receiving a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the approved Form I-600 petition and assignment of a case number and an invoice ID number. Print and bring the DS-260 confirmation page to the visa interview. Review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.

Upon receipt of the case at post, the Consular Section generally notifies the petitioner. Visa issuance after the final interview generally takes 24 hours. It is not usually possible to provide the visa to adoptive parents on the same day as the immigrant visa interview. You should verify current processing times with U.S. Embassy Tokyo before making final travel arrangements. Additional information on immigrant visa processing can be found on our website.

If you will reside outside the United States with your child, you should contact the adoption authority or competent authority where you reside for additional information about how to bring your child to that country.

7. Obtain U.S. Citizenship for Your Child

If you obtain an immigrant visa for your child, USCIS will mail your child either a permanent resident card (green card), or a Certificate of Citizenship, after your child enters the United States. If you plan to reside outside the United States with your child (and, therefore, may not benefit from an immigrant visa for your child), please see the relevant section below.

For adoptions finalized abroad before the child’s admission into the United States: A child who was adopted abroad and has satisfied Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 101(b)(1)(E), INA 101(b)(1)(F), or INA 101(b)(1)(G) requirements, who is residing in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent residence generally will acquire U.S. citizenship after admission if the child is under the age of 18 when these conditions are met.

Depending on the visa your child receives, their age, and the other INA 320 requirements, you may not need to take any additional action for your child to acquire U.S. citizenship. However, if your child does not meet the requirements of INA 320 at the time of admission into the United States, you may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met. More information is available on the USCIS website.

For adoptions not finalized until after the child’s admission to the United States:  

If the adoption is not finalized before the child is admitted to the United States, the child’s adoptive parent(s) must complete the adoption (or re-adoption or obtain judicial recognition of the foreign adoption) in the United States before the child turns 18 for the child to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship (if the child otherwise meets the requirements of INA 320). You may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met. More information is available on the USCIS Fact Sheet: Securing U.S. Citizenship for Your Child.

If you reside outside the United States with your child, you may file a Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322 with USCIS to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for your child if your child satisfies the requirements of INA 322. Note: If you are a military service member or U.S. government employee who chooses to seek an immigrant visa for your child versus completing the Form N-600K process, you may need to use Form N-600 to apply for a Certificate of Citizenship. Please note, however, that USCIS cannot mail Certificates of Citizenship abroad for children who acquire citizenship under INA 320. 

Read more about INA 320 and 322 in the USCIS Policy Manual and USCIS website U.S. Citizenship for an Adopted Child.

Applying for Your U.S. Passport

U.S. citizens are required to enter and depart the United States on a valid U.S. passport. Once your child acquires U.S. citizenship, s/he will need a U.S. passport for international travel. Only the U.S. Department of State has the authority to grant, issue, or verify U.S. passports.

Getting or renewing a passport is easy. The Department of State’s Passport Application Wizard will help you determine which passport form you need, help you to complete the form online, estimate your payment, and generate the form for you to print all in one place.

Obtaining a Visa to Travel to Japan

In addition to a U.S. passport, you may also need to obtain a visa. Where required, visas are affixed to your passport and allow you to enter a foreign nation. To find information about obtaining a visa for Japan, see the Department of State’s country page.

Staying Safe on Your Trip

Before you travel, it is always a good practice to investigate the local conditions, laws, political landscape, and culture of the country. The Department of State provides country information for every country in the world about various issues, including health conditions, crime, currency or entry requirements, and any areas of instability.

Staying in Touch on Your Trip

When traveling abroad during the adoption process, we encourage you to enroll with the Department of State through our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive important information from the U.S. Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country. Enrollment makes it possible for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Japan, to contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency. Whether there is a family emergency in the United States or a crisis in Japan, enrollment assists the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in reaching you.

Enrollment is free and can be done online via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

Your child's name needs to be removed from the birth mother's family registry (koseki). You will need to work with the Japanese adoption service provider on this process. This may be important to the birth mother because she may have chosen intercountry adoption so that the child's name would be removed from her family registry, and to the child and prospective adoptive parents because it confirms the severing of parental rights. 
 
Japanese children who are adopted by foreign parents and acquire a second nationality retain Japanese citizenship because they are not viewed as having acquired the second nationality by their own choice. According to Japanese law, they should select their citizenship before reaching the age of 22. For more information, click here.

We urge you to comply with Japan’s post-adoption/post-placement requirements in a timely manner. Your adoption service provider may be able to help you with this process. Your cooperation will contribute to Japan’s positive experiences with U.S. citizen adoptive parents.

Post-Adoption Resources

Many adoptive parents find it important to find support after the adoption. There are many public and private nonprofit post-adoption services available for children and their families. There are also numerous adoptive family support groups and adoptee organizations active in the United States that provide a network of options for adoptees who seek out other adoptees from the same country of origin. You may wish to take advantage of all the resources available to your family, whether it is another adoptive family, a support group, an advocacy organization, or your religious or community services. Your primary provider can provide or point you to post- placement/post-adoption services to help your adopted child and your family transition smoothly and deal effectively with the many adjustments required in an intercountry adoption.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains a website, the Child Welfare Information Gateway, which can be a useful resource to get you started on your support group search. In particular you may find the pages on Parenting After Adoption - Child Welfare Information Gateway and Post Adoption and Permanency Support Services - Child Welfare Information Gateway useful.

COMPLAINTS

If you have concerns about your intercountry adoption process, we ask that you share this information with U.S. Embassy Tokyo, particularly if it involves possible fraud or misconduct specific to your child’s case. The Department of State takes all allegations of fraud or misconduct seriously. Our Adoption Comment Page provides several points of contact for adoptive families to comment on their adoption service provider, their experience applying for their child’s visa, or about the Form I-600/A process.

The Complaint Registry is an internet-based registry for filing complaints about U.S. accredited or approved adoption service providers. If you think your provider's conduct may not have been in compliance with accreditation standards, first submit your complaint in writing directly to your provider. If the complaint is not resolved through the provider's complaint process, you may file the complaint through the Complaint Registry.

U.S. Embassy in Japan
1-10-5 Akasaka Minato-ku
Tokyo 107-8420, Japan
Tel: (81)(3) 3224-5000 
Internet: jp.usembassy.gov/

Japan’s Adoption Authority
The Family Court and the Child Guidance Center (CGC) are administered at the local prefectural level and are often located in the City or Ward Office.

Embassy of Japan
2520 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20008-2869
Tel: (202) 939-6700

Japan also has consulates in: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Miami, Kansas City (MO), Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Portland (OR), Saipan (Mariana Islands), San Francisco, Seattle, and Tamuning (Guam).

Office of Children’s Issues
U.S. Department of State
CA/OCS/CI
SA-17, 9^th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20522-1709
Tel: 1-888-407-4747
Email: Adoption@state.gov
Internet: adoption.state.gov

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
For questions about a pending Form I-600A application, Form I-600 petition or related supplements:
USCIS
Tel: 1-877-424-8374 (toll free); 1-913-275-5480 (local); Fax:1-913-214-5808
Email: NBC.Adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov

For other USCIS-related questions:
USCIS Contact Center
Tel: 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833)
Internet: uscis.gov