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The Office of Children’s Issues is responsible for policy matters regarding intercountry adoption between the United States and other nations and for the day-to-day oversight and implementation of the Hague Adoption Convention, which entered into force in the United States in April 2008. We carry out the Department of State’s role as the U.S. Central Authority for this important international agreement that establishes safeguards to ensure that intercountry adoptions take place in the best interests of the child.

We encourage you to review our website, http://adoptions.state.gov, where you will find information about intercountry adoption processing. Please note the Office of Children’s Issues does not have the authority to respond to inquiries regarding matters that fall under the jurisdiction of other Department of State offices or federal agencies (see below).

To ensure prompt receipt of Office of Children's Issues notices and announcements regarding intercountry adoption, subscribe to our stakeholder listserv by providing your name and email address.

If you are looking for general information about intercountry adoption, such as how to begin the adoption process, country-specific programs, working with adoption agencies, or the Hague Adoption Convention, please review our website, http://adoptions.state.gov.  

Information about some commonly asked questions can be found at the following links:

• Overview of the Intercountry Adoption Process
• Home Study Requirements
• Adoption from a Specific Country (this link includes a searchable database)
• Finding an Accredited Adoption Service Provider (ASP) (required for ALL intercountry adoptions)
• Adoption of a Relative Child
• Adoption by Non-U.S. Citizens Residing in the United States
• Intercountry Adoption by U.S. Citizens Residing Abroad (Expats)
• List of Convention countries
• Hague Convention Adoption Process
• Hague Visa/Immigration Process
• Non-Convention Country Adoption Process
• Non-Convention Country Visa/Immigration Process

Questions that are not addressed on our website and do not fall under the authority of the agencies/offices noted below may be submitted to the Office of Children’s Issues by email to Adoption@state.gov.

QUESTIONS ABOUT STARTING AN INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION OR ABOUT AN IN-PROCESS INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION CASE?

Prospective adoptive parents should work closely with and consult an accredited adoption service provider (ASP) for questions related to initiating an intercountry adoption or how to move an in-process case forward.  The Office of Children’s Issues cannot provide legal advice or adoption services.

QUESTIONS ABOUT U.S. PASSPORTS?

Information about U.S. Passports and the Passport Office’s contact information are available on the Department of State’s website.

QUESTIONS ABOUT VISAS FOR ADOPTED CHILDREN?

Information about U.S. visas is available on the Department of State’s website. Contact the National Visa Center for questions about the Form DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application or the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that is processing your adoption case for questions about scheduling a visa appointment or the status of your application.

QUESTIONS ABOUT ADOPTION-RELATED IMMIGRATION OR U.S. CITIZENSHIP ACQUISITION?

These matters fall under the jurisdiction of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at the Department of Homeland Security.  Helpful information is available in the Adoption Section of USCIS’s website. Additional questions should be directed to USCIS.

• Adoption of a foreign-born child who is already in the United States
• Home studies for the purpose of intercountry adoption
• Background checks and fingerprint-based criminal records checks
• Child Abuse Registry requirements
• Immigration to the United States through adoption
• Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, and Form I-600, Petition to  Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, for non-Convention adoptions
• Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, and Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, for Convention adoptions
• Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative – to immigrate a child adopted through the domestic process in the child’s country of origin (instead of through the intercountry process)
• Case processing times
• An adopted child’s acquisition of citizenship
• The Child Citizenship Act of 2000
• Certificates of Citizenship
• Citizenship status inquiries
• Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, or Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322
• Requests for documents filed for immigration after adoption (Form G-884 Request for Return of Original Documents)
• Adjustment of status
• Naturalization
• Humanitarian Parole
• Special Immigrant Juvenile status