Sometimes international adoption begins with an unexpected phone call.
A child in another country has lost parental care, and relatives in the United States want to step forward.
We regularly hear from families asking some version of the same question:
“My relative needs a family. Can I adopt them and bring them to the United States?”
Possibly—but relative adoption across international borders can be legally and procedurally complex, and being related to a child does not automatically mean the child qualifies for adoption or U.S. immigration.
The Child’s Country of Origin Has Authority Over the Adoption
One of the most important things to understand is that an international adoption involves the laws and authorities of the child’s country of origin as well as U.S. immigration requirements.
A family in the United States cannot simply decide to adopt a relative and bring the child to America. The child’s country of origin must determine whether the child is eligible for adoption and whether the proposed adoption can proceed under its laws.
U.S. immigration requirements must then also be satisfied before the child can immigrate through an applicable adoption process. Child needs to have a status of an orphan in the country of their origin to be able to be adopted.
Schedule a consultation if you have questions.
Being a Relative Doesn’t Automatically Make a Child Eligible
Families sometimes contact us because they want to provide a relative with better educational opportunities, financial stability, or other resources in the United States.
Wanting to help a child is admirable, but international adoption cannot simply be used as a means of bringing a relative to the United States for greater opportunities.
The child’s circumstances must meet the legal requirements applicable to the particular adoption and immigration process.
That distinction is extremely important.
Relative Cases Require Individual Guidance
International relative adoption is not an area where we recommend relying on general information online and assuming it applies to your family.
Every situation is different.
The child’s country, parental circumstances, legal status, caregiving situation, age, relationship to the prospective adoptive parents, and immigration pathway can all affect whether and how an adoption can proceed.
KidsFirst International Adoption has worked with families pursuing relative adoptions from countries including the Dominican Republic and Ukraine, among others.
Depending on the case, a family may need an accredited or approved primary provider for the international adoption process as well as a qualified home study provider in the state where the prospective adoptive parents reside.
Call Us Before You Start the Process
If you have a relative abroad who has lost parental care and you are considering adoption, we strongly encourage you to contact us before making assumptions, promises, or major decisions.
Tell us what is happening. Tell us where the child lives. Tell us about the child’s current legal and family circumstances.
From there, we can discuss whether KidsFirst International Adoption may be able to assist and what the next steps could look like.
International relative adoption can be complicated, but you don’t have to try to untangle the process by yourself.
Have questions about adopting a relative internationally? Contact KidsFirst International Adoption to discuss the specifics of your family’s situation.
