The Foreign Adoption Process
Are you thinking about adopting a child from a foreign country? Be aware that foreign adoption has its own considerations.
Every country has their own process and peculiarities.
The United States has its own policies regarding children from outside the country.
You will need to be aware of all these policy intricacies before you get started down the adoption road.
It is likely that you will complete the process in one of two ways.
For example, you might complete the entire process in the child's native country.
This might be the case if you already reside in that country.
As soon as you complete all the adoption steps in that country, the child will acquire what is known as an IR-3 visa, and will become a United States citizen once he or she crosses the border into the United States.
It generally takes up to 45 days to process and receive the official citizenship documentation.
However,in the other case, if you do not currently reside the the child's country of origin you will have to travel there to pick the child up.
The visa the child will be issued in this case is an IR-4.
Then, once you return to the United States you will go through the entire adoption process here.
The first step of the process is the foreign adoption.
Only then will your child receive the status of United States citizen.
In the case that the prospective parents are foreign citizens, they will have to pursue their citizenship cases on a individual basis, separate from the child's case.
In the case that you went through the foreign adoption procedure in the foreign country, you will most likely have an additional step to complete when you return stateside.
Oddly enough, your individual state might not officially recognize the adoption as being legitimate.
This is true in twenty four states.
The solution is go to court and adopt the child.
If you fail to do this at this time, the issue will come up over and over as the child grows up.
For example, there are cases when the child could face deportation after he or she reaches adulthood.
Another likely scenario is that if you die prematurely, the child will not be legally eligible for any inheritance provisions you may have made for him.
It may sound extreme but these are the consequences of the law.
Every country has their own process and peculiarities.
The United States has its own policies regarding children from outside the country.
You will need to be aware of all these policy intricacies before you get started down the adoption road.
It is likely that you will complete the process in one of two ways.
For example, you might complete the entire process in the child's native country.
This might be the case if you already reside in that country.
As soon as you complete all the adoption steps in that country, the child will acquire what is known as an IR-3 visa, and will become a United States citizen once he or she crosses the border into the United States.
It generally takes up to 45 days to process and receive the official citizenship documentation.
However,in the other case, if you do not currently reside the the child's country of origin you will have to travel there to pick the child up.
The visa the child will be issued in this case is an IR-4.
Then, once you return to the United States you will go through the entire adoption process here.
The first step of the process is the foreign adoption.
Only then will your child receive the status of United States citizen.
In the case that the prospective parents are foreign citizens, they will have to pursue their citizenship cases on a individual basis, separate from the child's case.
In the case that you went through the foreign adoption procedure in the foreign country, you will most likely have an additional step to complete when you return stateside.
Oddly enough, your individual state might not officially recognize the adoption as being legitimate.
This is true in twenty four states.
The solution is go to court and adopt the child.
If you fail to do this at this time, the issue will come up over and over as the child grows up.
For example, there are cases when the child could face deportation after he or she reaches adulthood.
Another likely scenario is that if you die prematurely, the child will not be legally eligible for any inheritance provisions you may have made for him.
It may sound extreme but these are the consequences of the law.
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