International adoption is extremely rewarding and merits the additional effort. To adopt a foreign child, we encourage the "Choose Your Child" adoption program so that you can travel with the adoption agency to meet the prospective child or children in their native country.
Starting the Adoption Process
1. Contact Our Office
If you are interested in receiving additional information on the adoption process or need help choosing the country, please contact us by e-mail or by phone (800) 748-5169. We can explain the programs to you in detail, and you can decide whether the program suits your family and if you qualify. There are no fees associated with contacting us for information, and we are here to answer all of your questions. Adoption is a stressful and emotional experience. It is important to talk to a consultant or caseworker to see how it feels of working together.
2. Submit a Registration Form
If you have an idea of what are you looking for, please fill out our free Registration Form and let us know which program(s) you are interested in and the description of the child(ren) you are considering adopting. This form is also required to see photos of children whose countries, for the child's protection, forbid online photolistings. Once we receive your application, we will contact you and let you know if we know of children that might be suitable for your family. The Registration Form is a no-commitment form. The legal binding document, the Adoption Agreement, comes later. However, signing an Adoption Agreement early on in the process makes sense for those families who want to adopt as fast as possible. Upon receiving your Adoption Agreement, we will be here to help you with any of your adoption issues including dealing with state and government authorities in the US.
3. Apply for a Home Study
Families who are adopting internationally must have an approved adoption study (home study) completed by a licensed agency or agent in their state of residence. When you choose an agency, we suggest that you ask how much education you will receive on adopting internationally, the fees for the study, and the fees for post-placement reports. Some families need little help, while others would like us to get involved with every step of your adoption process. If you desire, we are ready and willing to help you find a fast and affordable home study agency in your state. We also offer you our help in filling out all the dossier forms for you while you are working on the home study.
Adoption ARK can assist parents living in Illinois with thier adoption home study and post adoption reports. Please click here for more information.
Fees are:
- $2,200 for clients who are working with Adoption Ark for home studies and international adoption. This amount is due at the time of the second homestudy interview. (Application included, as well as the one month and six month post placement fee—one year, two year, and three year post placement is not included)
- $2,900 for families who use the home study department for their home studies, but do not follow up with international adoption using Adoption Ark. This amount is due at the time of the second homestudy interview. (This fee does not include any post placement fees.)
- Each post placement fee for families using Adoption Ark as a placing agency is $200. For families not usuing Adoption ARK as thier placing agency the post placement fee is $300.
Each country has its own requirements for the home study; please put us in contact with your home study agency so that we can explain these requirements. Families can benefit from staying open to the possibility of adopting a child of either sex or a broader age range and listing several countries of adoption.
If you have a previous domestic home study, or a previous international home study, it will need to be updated.
4. Sign Up for a Foreign Program
If you already have a home study and wish to sign up with one of our foreign programs, we will get you started right away. We take minimal time to process your dossier (one day for review and three days for translation for most countries). Also, because we have connections that can expedite the in-country process, we have had families who have completed the adoption process in two months from beginning to end.
5. Start Immigration Processing
File your I-600A with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Service (BCIS), formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service. In order to bring a child from another country into the United States for the purpose of adoption, you must comply with the laws, requirements, and regulations of the BCIS and those of the child's country, such as meeting certain financial requirements. Your household income must equal or exceed 125% (100% for active military) of the federal poverty line for your household size. The family size includes the child you are to adopt. The information on this is located on the Affidavit of Support form that is included on your I600A package.
The I600 and I864 are processed overseas but will be included in the I600A packet. You may get a I600A packet by calling 1-800-870-3676 and asking for the I-600A form package by mail from the INS or by downloading and printing the forms. Call Adoption ARK for specific instructions on how to fill out forms. The I600A form or "Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition" must be filed at your local INS office. This petition must be approved before any child can enter the US for immigration purposes.
You can speed up this process by submitting the I600A without your home study. You need to include a cover sheet with your name(s), address, phone number, dates of birth, and social security numbers of the couple/single applying. This cover sheet should also state that the home study will follow. In addition to these papers, you will be required to be fingerprinted and processed by the FBI, as well as any adult living in your home over the age of 18. Only INS fingerprinting locations can be used. You will be notified of your fingerprint appointment shortly after you submit your I600A.
To submit the I600A, you will need to send the BCIS copies of both parents' birth certificates and a marriage license or divorce decree when applicable. Include a money order or bank cashiers check for $670 for the application, as well as $80 for each person to be fingerprinted (biometrics).
When you get your I171H approval in the mail, please read it to make sure the American Embassy visa section in the correct country has been cabled to notify them of your approval. If your approval has been over two months in coming, please contact our office for instructions.
Please note that even though your approval is good from 12-18 months (depending on the state) your fingerprints are only valid for 15 months.
If you have BCIS approval but wish to file a change of a country, feel free to contact us for help.
6. Apply for a U.S. Passport
If you do not already have a passport, apply now! Instructions for application can be found at any US Post Office. Passports generally take six to eight weeks to get to you. You will need an original certified birth certificate to apply.
7. Gather Dossier Documents
Once you sign and send your Adoption Agreement, we will send you a checklist of documents you need to obtain for your dossier.
8. Accept a Referral or Country Assignment
Our adoption policy is very flexible and is designed to accommodate our adoptive families’ needs. We will allow you to stay open and change the country of adoption if your personal plans or the country's laws have changed. If you change the country, your foreign fee will be adjusted to match the country's foreign fee. This flexible policy will protect you from losing money if a country closes its adoption program or puts it on hold. Once you have accepted your referral or country assignment, you will receive a travel itinerary and instructions on how to get ready for your trip.
9. Obtain an Entry Visa
For some countries, you will be required to obtain a letter of invitation and an entry visa. Please contact us for specific instructions.