Country Information

The conditions in the country from which you choose to adopt will dictate the process of your adoption. Understanding the procedures in the different countries is an important part of selecting which country to adopt from. 

Due to conditions in the following countries, case processing has been severely impacted.

China

China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has announced that all prospective adoptive families will be required to work with a U.S. Hague accredited adoption service provider for both transition cases and Convention cases beginning December 1, 2009.  This will require all families to work with an agency that is both U.S. Hague accredited and a CCAA-licensed agency for both transition cases and Convention cases for all steps in the intercountry adoption process.  In order to facilitate this transition, CCAA has indicated that each non-accredited agency will be required to choose an accredited agency and transfer all remaining cases to that agency no later than December 1, 2009.  This information will in turn be provided to CCAA.  If an agency chooses not to turn over their files to an accredited agency, CCAA has indicated they will terminate the processing of those documents.

Prospective adoptive parents grandfathered under the orphan process will not be required by USCIS to obtain an updated home study based on this change in service provider.  All cases grandfathered under the orphan process (I-600 process) transferred to a Hague accredited agency and a CCAA-licensed agency will continue to be processed in accordance with U.S. immigration regulations for orphan adoptions.  For more information please refer to the Department of State country information page to the right or contact your individual adoption agency.

Vietnam

In June 2005, the United States and Vietnam concluded a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption. This agreement expired September 1, 2008. Until a new bilateral agreement is reached, USCIS and the Department of State (DOS) determined it is in the best interest of children and families to not process any new Vietnam adoption cases filed after September 1, 2008.  

The United States continues to strongly support the Vietnamese government’s efforts to establish an appropriate child adoption system with sound safeguards and protections for children and families. We cannot predict when a new bilateral adoption agreement with adequate safeguards for all parties will be concluded.

Guatemala

Guatemala is a party to the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention. DOS determined that Guatemala is currently not meeting its obligations under the Convention. For this reason, DOS Consular officers cannot issue the required Hague Adoption Certificate or Hague Custody Declaration at this time.

In light of the inability to complete the immigration process for Hague cases, prospective adoptive parents are strongly urged not to file Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, identifying Guatemala as the country from which they intend to adopt.

Cambodia

Cambodia is a party to the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention. DOS determined that Cambodia is currently not meeting its obligations under the Convention. For this reason, DOS Consular officers cannot issue the required Hague Adoption Certificate or Hague Custody Declaration at this time.

In light of the inability to complete the immigration process for Hague cases, prospective adoptive parents are strongly urged not to file Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, identifying Cambodia as the country from which they intend to adopt.

Additionally, the United States suspended orphan visa petition processing in Cambodia on December 21, 2001, due to the inability to verify that any particular Cambodian child is an “orphan” as defined in U.S. immigration law. It is important to note that this suspension remains in effect for any Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, filed prior to April 1, 2008.

General Country Conditions

The DOS has dedicated a substantive section of its intercountry adoption website to country information. See the “Department of State Country Information” link to the right to find more information about:

• Whether a country is party to the Hague Adoption Convention
• A specific country’s adoption authority
• The eligibility requirements for prospective adoptive parents
• Who can be adopted