Guidance From An International Adoption Agency For Foreign Adoption

Families starting on the home study process for an international adoption, are often unsettled by the huge and complex amount of paperwork required from them. I often inform families that though the list looks daunting, it is completely do-able and can be done fairly speedily, if a family is able to get their paperwork together hurriedly. Usually a home study can get done between 6 weeks and 2 months. I often tell families that there are 2 components to the home study. The first phase is completing the paperwork, to submit items such as: fingerprint clearances, physicals, collecting financial information, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and reference letters. Another new thing to these requirements is ten hours of info courses for parents, which may be studied online or in person. It is imperative that clients contact Adoption Options or any other home study agency when they come into possession of their home study list and packet so that the items can be reviewed. Part two of the home study process is the discussion with the social worker. Every family wanting to go for an international adoption is assigned a social worker for the purpose of a home tour to interview and get to know all the family members. This is also a way for the social worker to communicate issues related to international adoption and internationally adopted children.


Once the home study paperwork for international adoption has been submitted and the clients have met with their social worker, the home study document is prepared. This is usually a report of five to eight pages and is written by the assigned social worker. The information is extracted from the interviews and the documentation provided by the family. This document is signed by both the social worker and the executive director and notarized.

Once the home study is completed, it is ready to go to immigration. Families planning to adopt from non-Hague Convention countries can submit their Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition (I-600A) along with application and fingerprint fees and attachments to their local USCIS office before their home study is done. Once their home study is done, they will submit the home study to their local USCIS office to be linked with their I-600A and fingerprints. Once approved by USCIS, the local USCIS office will then send the family an approval called I-171H. This approval information will also be sent to the National Visa Center as well as the country from which the family is adopting.

The process when adopting from Hague Convention countries is different. In such cases the info and fees are submitted after the home study is finished. After the USCIS approves the documents and an officer at the National Benefits Center also approves it the family can go ahead with the adoption process.

By: Brent E Yoder

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Adoption Option provides professional assistance related to international adoption from Russian, Kazskhstan, Republic of Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Mexico. Contact us now for assistance with your foreign adoption plan!