The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is the federal government agency responsible for approving immigration to the U.S. by people from other countries.  Children adopted internationally are granted immigrant visa's so that they may legally enter the U.S. and be eligible for U.S. citizenship.  For this reason, the USCIS is involved with every international adoption completed by U.S. adopters.  The USCIS pre-approves your family's eligibility for international adoption by ascertaining your citizenship, reviewing your home study, and checking your criminal history.  The USCIS then ultimately approves you for adoption of a specific child once the child has been identified.  The procedure for obtaining USCIS approval for your adoption is fairly straightforward.  Adoption from the countries of China and Colombia involves the simultaneous submission of a USCIS I-800A (Application for Determination of Suitability as Adoptive Parent(s) for a Convention Adoptee), supporting vital records, and a home study.  Families adopting from Nepal will submit Form I-600A (Application For Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) and supporting vital records prior to the completion of the home study.

• Proof of U.S. citizenship, most often in the form of a birth certificate (for married couples, at least one spouse must be a U.S. citizen)

• Fingerprints for each adult household member.  (after receiving your application, the USCIS will send you an appointment to have your fingerprints  taken and they are then submitted to the FBI for clearance)

• Proof of marriage and previous divorces (if applicable)

• The application fee (currently $830.00) - includes 2 adult finger prints

• Home study

Once these documents have been submitted, the USCIS will make a determination of your eligibility to adopt internationally. 

For families adopting from China or Colombia - once a child has been identified and prior to travel and your adoption of the child, Form I-800, (Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative) will be filed with the USCIS along with various supporting documents which will be provided by the country's central adoption authority and La Vida.  In processing Form I-800, the USCIS assesses the eligibility of a child who habitually resides in a Hague Convention country as a Convention adoptee.   Form I-800 and supporting evidence are required for the USCIS to determine the child's eligibility for classification as a Convention adoptee.  Upon review and approval, a provisional approval for immigration of the child will be granted by the USCIS. 

Once at least one spouse travels to China or both travel to Colombia and completes the adoption, there will be a final review of the documentation by the U.S. Consulate/Embassy in country.  Upon review and approval, a visa granting the child permission to travel to the U.S. will be issued.

For families adopting from Nepal - once a child has been identified, at least one spouse will travel to Nepal and complete the adoption of the child.  Form I-600 (Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative) and supporting documentation regarding the child and the legal completion of the adoption will then be filed at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal.  Upon review and approval, a visa granting the child permission to travel to the U.S. will be issued.

La Vida provides assistance in completing all necessary USCIS applications, files and monitors the applications on behalf of each of  our clients.

La Vida International 
150 S. Warner Rd., Suite 144, King of Prussia, PA 19406
Phone: 610.688.8008 Fax: 610.688.8028
Birth parents may call collect
e-mail: info@lavida.org web: www.lavida.org
© 1998 La Vida International

This page was last updated on December 28, 2008.