Home » International Adoption » International Adoption Processes and Resources » How to Get a Visa for International Adoption How to Get a Visa for International Adoption If you are at the point where you need to obtain a visa for your child, then your international adoption is almost complete. Once you’ve completed this step, you will be ready to take your child home and begin your life as a new family. To receive your child’s visa, you will need to follow procedures to gain approval from the United States and from the child’s country of birth. Each of these procedures, along with the order in which you must complete them, can be found in the information below. Apply to USCIS Before travelling to your child’s country, you will have already applied to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to be found eligible to adopt (Form I-800A or Form I-600A). At this point in the adoption, you will apply for the child to be eligible to immigrate to the United States (Form I-800 or Form I-600). Depending on where you adopt, you may also need to include other documents when you send in this form. Submit Immigrant Visa Application After you’ve been approved by USCIS, you will need to apply for an immigrant visa in your child’s country of birth. This is done through the DS-260 form. As long as you have completed all the necessary previous steps (home study, etc.) and your child is eligible for adoption by the country’s standards, then everything should proceed normally. Gain Custody of the Child When you arrive in the country, you will at some point go through the adoption process of that country. Depending on the country you adopt from and whether or not both parents were there to meet the child, you will either complete your adoption in the country or gain legal custody and complete the adoption when you return home. Visa Interview Before you obtain your visa, you will need to meet with the embassy or consulate in the child’s country of birth to have a visa interview. This is the final step to make sure that the child is eligible for adoption and that the process was completed correctly. Hague vs. Non-Hague Process While the process of obtaining a visa for your child is fairly similar in a Hague and non-Hague adoption, there are some differences in when you will take certain steps. Below, you can see the order of the process in Hague and non-Hague adoptions: Hague Adoption: Submit an I-800 form to USCIS Submit Form DS-260 to the child’s birth country Obtain legal custody of child Have visa interview Receive visa Non-Hague Adoption: Obtain legal custody of child Submit I-600 to USCIS – Also include child’s original birth certificate and evidence of the adoption or intent to adopt Complete Form DS-260 Have visa interview – submit form DS-260 at this interview Receive visa Once you have received your child’s visa, you will be ready to bring your child home and take the final steps to growing your family. As you prepare for this stage of your adoption, you can learn more about the visa process or speak to your adoption professional about specific questions. International Adoption Processes and Resources International Adoption Process – How to Adopt from Another CountryIf you have decided to pursue international adoption to grow your family, you now may be wondering exactly how to adopt a child from another country. While parts of the process are similar to what you would find in a domestic adoption, other parts are more complex because you are cooperating with the government of...Learn More International Adoption Dossier ChecklistA dossier is a collection of the documentation you will need to complete your international adoption. With the information you provide in these documents,...Learn MoreOrganizations Involved in Your International AdoptionDue to the complexity of international adoptions, the laws of different countries, and Hague Convention standards, a number of organizations will play a large...Learn MoreWhat is the Hague Adoption Convention?If you have been considering international adoption, you have likely come across several references to the Hague Adoption Convention. But what is the Hague...Learn MoreWhen You Need an International Re-AdoptionInternational re-adoption refers to the act of finalizing your child’s adoption in the United States after gaining custody in the child’s country of birth....Learn More Get Free Info