The landscape of international adoption has been changing rapidly over the last several years. International adoptions are governed primarily by the laws and practices of the sending country – and those laws vary significantly country to country. You must also comply with American immigration laws in order to obtain a visa to bring your child back to the United States. Brian can help you choose the right sending country and agency for you, evaluate potential referrals, and navigate the requirements of the various sending countries and our immigration system.

Under certain circumstances, you may need to re-adopt your child back home. If your child entered the United States on an IR-4 or IH-4 visa, your child will not be a US citizen unless you re-adopt him or her.

If your child entered the United States on an IR-3 visa, you may wish to register the foreign adoption. This process will permit you to obtain a judgment of adoption that will be recognized in all states. Registering the foreign adoption will also allow you to change your child’s name, and can be advantageous if you are adopting from a country where it could be difficult to get a replacement copy of the adoption judgment in the future.

Brian can advise you on which steps are required in any given situation and which processes may be helpful to you in the future.