The Unique Steps Involved in International Adoptions

If you are thinking about adoption, one of your options is to adopt a child from a foreign country. Though similar in some respects to a domestic adoption, there are some requirements that are unique to the international adoption process. As in a domestic adoption, you’ll need to complete a home study. Once your home study is done and you have selected the country where you want to adopt, you’ll need to put together all documents required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The I-600a and I-800-a Applications

The first step is the completion and submission of your “Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition (Form I-600a).” You will also need to complete form I-800a, the Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country. Once submitted, USCIS will begin the process of determining your suitability as a parent and whether you can provide a proper home environment for an immigrant child. As a part of the process, you will need to be fingerprinted. You will also need to obtain or bring current a passport to allow you to go to your child’s country.

Once USCIS has processed and approved your Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, you will receive your I-171/I797H letter, which allows your adopted child to enter the United States. USCIS will also advise you that they have notified the U.S. embassy in your country of adoption.

Once you have received and accepted your referral (information about a specific child that you can adopt), you must complete form I-600 or I-800, the Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative. You must also complete form I-864, the Affidavit of Support, indicating that you will provide financial support to the child.

Contact Adoption Attorneys Cofsky & Zeidman, LLC

At the law office of Cofsky & Zeidman, LLC, our lawyers bring more than 25 years of experience to every matter we handle. Attorney Donald C. Cofsky has personally handled more than 1,500 adoption proceedings since joining the bar in 1974. Attorney Bruce D. Zeidman has protected the interests of clients in state and federal courts in New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 1984. We understand the challenges you face, and can help you identify all your options so that you can make good decisions that are in your best long-term interests.

Contact our office online or call us at (856) 429-5005 in Haddonfield, NJ, at (856) 429-5005 in Woodbury, NJ, or in Philadelphia, PA, at (856) 429-5005.