To adopt a child from another country and bring the child to live in the United States, you must be found eligible under the U.S. law and the law of foreign government. This is determined by the the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and by the central adoption authority of the foreign country. There are different set of requirements that the prospective adoptive parents must qualify in order to adopt from a foreign country: national requirements, state requirements, and foreign country requirements.
National Requirements
At least one adoptive parents must be a U.S. citizen. If you are unmarried, you must be at least 25 years old. If you are married, you must jointly adopt the child (even if you are separate but not divorced), and your spouse must also be either a U.S citizen or in legal status in the United States. You must meet certain requirements that will determine your suitability as a prospectie adoptive parent, including criminal background checks, fingerprinting, and a homestudy.
State Requirements
In addition to qualifying to adopt under U.S. law, you must also meet your home state’s requirements for prospective adoptive parents.
Foreign Country Requirements
Each country has its own set of requirements for prospective adopting parents. Visit the program page to learn about requirements for country that you are interesting in adopting from.
