Our office offers assistance and legal advice with regards to foreign adoptions as well as assistance with any new adoption laws in Georgia. Below you will find a summary of foreign adoption and the processes involved.
Foreign adoption refers to the adoption of a child from another country. Unlike adopting a child in Georgia, the process is a bit complicated and lengthy. The first step after you have decided that you wish to adopt a child internationally is to reach out to an international adoption agency, there are several that offer their services in the state of Georgia. The international adoption agencies will let you know what countries you can adopt from and they will also have photos of children waiting to be adopted.
To bring home a child from another country you will need to show that you are eligible. You will need to complete an international adoption home study. This study is information about you and your family that allows U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the other country’s adoption agency to ascertain if you and your family would be a suitable place for the child.
There may be other requirements given to you by the agency and the country that you are adopting from that you will need to fulfill. The processes largely depend on whether the child’s home country is part of the Hague Adoption Convention. This is an international agreement that sets up certain rules and regulations to safeguard and protect the child in intercountry adoptions. Our office can offer advice regarding the Hague convention and non-Hague convention countries processes. We can assist with the documentation and adoption application that you will send to the USCIS. In case your approval is rejected, we can offer legal assistance if applicable.
Once you get the approval for adoption you will need to travel to the child’s home country and apply for their immigration eligibility with USCIS. Once you get the visa and complete all requirements of the adoption process in your child’s home country you can bring your newest family member back to Georgia.
The process, however, does not end there. You will need to legally finalize your foreign adoption in the court of Georgia. Our office can assist with these legal processes and ensure that all Georgia adoption laws are followed. This is essential to ensure that your adopted child’s citizenship is recognized throughout the United States.
In conclusion, besides handling foreign adoption cases we offer legal assistance in all types of adoptions and help you with any Georgia adoption legal forms that may be required. You can look at our services in detail here.
