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Adoption
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International Adoption is a very complicated and at
the same time is a very rewarding process. Thousands and thousands
families adopt every year from overseas. Orphans Adoption is proud
to be part of this exciting process and making some ground braking
changes in the way it’s done. Our agency solely focuses on the
family and its needs rather then simply on the paperwork alone like
many other agencies do. We stay close to our families through the
whole process of international adoption from start to very end.
From your fist phone call or email to Orphans Adoption you will be
working with a live person and will be able to talk on the phone
with a live person whenever you needed in order to resolve any
obstacles or confusions (we are not supporting automated phone
services, and if you call us during business hours there always be
a live person answering your phone on the other side with the
greeting from Orphans Adoption).
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Adoption
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Russia Adoption: Communication
Russia Adoption: Economy
Russia Adoption: Geography
Russia Adoption: Government
Russia Adoption: Military
Russia Adoption: Population
Russia Adoption: Transportation
Russia Adoption: Visa Stats
THE CHILDREN
Children of all ages, including babies and sibling groups, are available through Russian Adoption program. All children must be on the Russian national database for four months prior to being approved for foreign adoption. Families will receive pictures and medical reports of available children, though sometimes this information is not provided before the first trip to Russia. Although it is not necessary that a child have medical or developmental disabilities to be eligible for international adoption from Russia, adopting parents should consider all children adopted internationally to be special needs. Adopting parents should expect developmental delays. In general, limited information is available regarding the child’s birth parents. Both boys and girls are available for adoption.
ELIGIBILITY TO ADOPT
In accordance with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services guidelines, and Russian adoption laws married couples and single individuals greater than 25 years of age will be considered.
In addition, it is required that adoptive families make two trips to Russia to complete the adoption. Both parents, if applicable, must make these trips.
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*Information below is provided by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Overseas Citizens Services, Office of Children Issues. Please note that some information below carries a suggestive form and/or could be outdated. |
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U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Overseas Citizens Services
Office of Children Issues
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International Adoption - RUSSIA |
DISCLAIMER: The information in this notice concerning the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is provided for general information only. Questions involving interpretation of specific foreign laws should be referred to a local attorney.
PLEASE NOTE: Please plan to stay a minimum of three business days in Moscow to obtain documents and complete the medical exams necessary for the immigrant visa interview. Parents should calculate a five-day "cushion time" in the validity dates they request when applying for a Russian visa. The U.S. Embassy recommends that flight arrangements for departing Russia not be finalized until the immigrant visa is issued.
GENERAL: The following is a guide for U.S. citizens who are interested in adopting a child in Russia and applying for an immigrant visa for the child to come to the United States. This process involves complex foreign and U.S. legal requirements. U.S. consular officers give each file careful consideration on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the legal requirements of both countries have been met, for the protection of the prospective adoptive parent(s), the biological parents(s) and the child. Interested U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to contact U.S. consular officials in Russia before formalizing an adoption agreement to ensure that appropriate procedures have been followed, which will make it possible for the Embassy to issue a U.S. immigrant visa for the child.
AVAILABILITY OF CHILDREN FOR ADOPTION: Recent U.S. immigration statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to orphans from Russia (IR-3 and IR-4 visas combined)*:
 FY-2002…. 4939
FY-2001…. 5004
FY-2000…. 4687
FY-1999…. 4470
*Immediate Relative (IR)-3 visas are issued to orphans adopted in Russia. IR-4 visas are issued to orphans whose adoption will be finalized in the United States.
Russian law requires that a child must have been registered in the state database for children left without parental care for at least three months before he or she is considered eligible for international adoption.
ADOPTION AUTHORITY: The government office responsible for adoptions in Russia is the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.
Ministry of Education
#6 Chistoprudny Blvd.
Moscow
Tel: 7-095-237-9763 (Russian only)
Fax: 7-095-924-6989(legal office) 236-0171(main)
Web site: www.ed.gov.ru/eng (English version)
AGE AND CIVIL STATUS REQUIREMENTS: Single parents can adopt but there must be at least 16 years difference between the parent and adoptive child.
RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: There are no residency requirements for adopting parents.
TIME FRAME: The average time for the adoption process was 5 months from the time BCIS approved the petition to the issuance of the IV visa.
ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS: Prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services. For U.S.-based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adoptive parents contact the Better Business Bureau and licensing office of the Department of Health and Family Services in the state where the agency is located. The U.S. Embassy in Russia has a list of agencies accredited by the Russian authorities to provide adoption services. The list is available at the adoptions page of the U.S. Embassy's Web site at http://www.moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/wwwhci5.html Neither the U.S. Embassy nor the Department of State can vouch for the efficacy or professionalism of any agent or facilitator.
Please see Important Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators at the Web site for the Bureau of Consular Affairs at http://travel.state.gov.
FEES: Based on interviews with adoptive parents by U.S. Embassy officials, the average cost of an adoption is approximately $20,000.00.
ADOPTION PROCEDURES: Parents first apply to a regional Ministry of Education, which directs them to an orphanage. Adoptive parents are required to travel to Russia to meet prospective adoptive children. There they select a child and apply to the court to get a court date. Adoptive parents may return to the United States after applying for a court date. However, the prospective adoptive child must remain in Russia during this time. Adoptive parents travel a second time to Russia to attend the court hearing. After the court hearing, they obtain the adoption certificate and a new birth certificate (showing the child's new name, and the adoptive parents as the parents) from the ZAGS (civil registration office), after which they can obtain the passport for the child from the OVIR (visa and registration department). Parents then can contact the Embassy to make an appointment to apply for the immigrant visa. (Note: the child's passport will be issued in the child's new name, which will appear in Cyrillic characters and in "English." However, the Russian officials will transliterate the name from Cyrillic into English and the result usually will not be spelled as your family spells it. For example, Smith will be Smit (there is no "th" in Russian); Callaghan will be Kalahan, etc. The fact that the child's name is "mis-spelled" in the passport will NOT cause a problem when you travel and should not be a cause for concern).
REGISTRATION OF RUSSIAN ORPHANS WITH THE MFA: Adopted Russian children must be registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before they leave the country. For U.S. citizen families, this is done after an adopted child receives an immigrant visa to the United States.
The Consular Section of the MFA is open for the registration of adopted children
Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.; on Friday - from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The fee for the registration is $65 (the equivalent in rubles)
The following documents are needed for registration:
Original of the child's passport
Copies of the parents' passports
Letter from the orphanage (orphanage release)
Letter from the Ministry of Education of Russia
Court decision
Adoption certificate
Immigrant visa of the child (original)
DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS: The following documents are required by the Russian court for an adoption:
Home Study
BCIS approval notice (I-171H or I-797)
Copies of prospective adoptive parents' passports
Marriage certificate/divorce certificate (if applicable)
Police certificate
Medical examination report
Financial documents: employment verification letter, bank statements, tax forms
Evidence of place of residence
All of these documents should be translated into Russian and apostilled (see below for information on authenticating documents).
After prospective parents identify the child they should fill out the adoption application, which can be obtained at the Russian court where the adoption hearings will take place.
Additional required statements for the court hearings from the parents, which should be signed in front of a Russian notary, are:
Prospective adoptive parents have been informed about the health conditions of the child and they accept them;
They will register their adopted child with the MFA; and
They will provide the Department of Education with periodic, required post placement reports on time.
AUTHENTICATION PROCESS: All U.S. documents submitted to Russian government must be authenticated. Russia is a party to the Hague Legalization Convention. Generally, U.S. civil records, such as birth, death, and marriage certificates, must bear the seal of the issuing office and an apostille must be affixed by the state's Secretary of State where the document was issued. Copies of tax returns, medical reports and police clearances should likewise be authenticated. Prospective adoptive parents should contact the Secretary of State for the state where documents originate for instructions and fees for authenticating documents.
Documents issued by a federal agency must be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State Authentications Office. Their address is Authentications Office, Department of State, 518 23rd St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20520, (202) 647-5002. Fee: $5.00. For additional information, call the Federal Information Center: 1-800-688-9889, and choose option 6 after you press 1 for touch tone phones. Walk-in service is available from the Authentications Office from 8 a.m. to 12 noon Monday-Friday, except holidays. Walk-in service is limited to 15 documents per person per day (documents can be multiple pages). Processing time for authentication requests sent by mail is 5 working days or less.
For additional information about authentication procedures, please see the Judicial Assistance page of the Bureau of Consular Affairs Web site at http://travel.state.gov.
EMBASSY AND CONSULATES IN THE UNITED STATES:
Embassy of the Russian Federation
2650 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20007
The Russian Federation also has consulates in San Francisco, California, New York, New York, and Seattle, Washington.
Travel Notes: SARS continues to be a concern in areas near the Russia-China border. Prospective adoptive parents traveling to these areas are advise to read the State Department notice on SARS at http://travel.state.gov/sars_notice.html and the CDC Web site for the recent information on SARS. |
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A child adopted by a U.S. citizen must obtain an immigrant visa to enter the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident. The child must be an orphan, as defined by U.S. immigration regulations. Children who do not qualify under this definition may not immigrate to the U.S. as an orphan even if legally adopted by a U.S. citizen. There are two distinct categories of immigrant visas available to orphans adopted by U.S. citizens. The two categories are Immediate Relative-3 (IR-3) and IR-4. An IR-3 is issued when a child is adopted under the laws of a foreign country. An IR-4 is issued when a child will be adopted in the United States. (That is, the American parents have custody of a child to take him or her to the United States to be adopted there.) An IR-4 is also issued when state pre-adoption requirements require that a child be adopted in that state or if both parents have not seen the child. The Department of State encourages U.S. citizens to verify that a particular child is an orphan according to U.S. immigration law and regulations before proceeding with an adoption.
An Orphan. If an adopted child has not resided with and been in the legal custody of the adoptive parent for at least two years (or if the child has not yet been adopted) the child must qualify under section 101(b)(1)(F) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act in order to apply for an immigrant visa. The main requirements of this section are as follows:
The child is under the age of 16 at the time an I-600 Petition is filed with the BCIS on his or her behalf;
The child meets the U.S. immigration law definition of "orphan" either because:
(a) The child has no parents because of the death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation from or loss of both parents**; or
(b) The sole or surviving parent is incapable of providing proper care and has, in writing, irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption;
The adopting parents must have completed a full and final adoption of the child (for IR-3) or must have legal custody of the child to take the child to the United States for adoption (for IR-4).
**Prospective adopting parents should note that the terms "disappearance of both parents," "abandonment by both parents," "desertion by both parents," "separation from both parents," and "loss from both parents" all have specific legal meanings defined in section 204.3(b) of Title 8 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. Whether a child qualifies as an orphan under any of these categories is determined by reference to the U.S. regulatory definitions and not by any local (foreign) law designations that may be used to identify a child as orphaned.
The adopting parent(s) must meet the following BCIS requirements in order to file the I-600 petition for the immigrant visa for an adopted child:
If the adoptive or prospective adoptive parent is married, his or her spouse must also be a party to the adoption;
If the adoptive or prospective adoptive parent is single, he or she must be at least 25 years of age;
The adoptive or prospective adoptive parent must be a U.S. citizen.
U.S. IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES FOR ORPHANS
The Petition
Adoptive and prospective adoptive parents must obtain approval of a Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative (Form I-600) from the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) before they can apply for an immigrant visa on behalf of an orphan. The adjudication of such petitions can be very time-consuming and parents are encouraged to begin the process well in advance.
A prospective adoptive parent may file Form I-600A Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) office having jurisdiction over their place of residence. This form allows the most time-consuming part of the process to be completed in advance, even before the parent has located a child to adopt. In addition, a parent who obtains an approved I-600A may file an I-600 in person at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
Documentary Requirements for the I-600A
Approved Form I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition);
Fingerprints of each prospective adoptive parent on Form FD-258;
Proof of the prospective petitioner's United States citizenship;
Proof of the marriage of the prospective petitioner and spouse, if applicable;
Proof of termination of any prior marriages of the prospective petitioner and spouse or unmarried prospective petitioner, if applicable;
A "home study" completed by the appropriate State organization with a favorable recommendation;
Filing fee of U.S. $460.00.
The I-600 is filed at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow after an adoptive parent has legal custody of a child. If an I-600A has already been approved, there is no fee. However, if parents are adopting two or more biologically unrelated children, there will be a $460.00 fee for each additional child.
Documentary Requirements for the I-600Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative;
Proof of the orphan's age;
Death certificate(s) of the orphan's parent(s), if applicable;
Proof that the orphan's sole or surviving parent cannot give the orphan proper care and has, in writing, forever or irrevocably released the orphan for emigration and adoption, if the orphan only has one parent;
A final decree of adoption, if the orphan has been adopted abroad;
Proof that the orphan has been unconditionally abandoned to an orphanage, if the orphan is in an orphanage;
Proof that the pre-adoption requirements, if any, of the state of the orphan's proposed residence have been met, if the orphan is to be adopted in the United States.
Detailed information about filing these forms can be found on the BCIS web site at http://www.uscis.gov. U.S. citizens who have adopted or hope to adopt a child from Russia should request, at the time they file these forms, that BCIS notify the U.S. Embassy in Russia as soon as the form is approved. Upon receipt of such notification, the Embassy will contact the adopting parent(s) and provide additional instructions on the immigration process. U.S. consular officers may not begin processing an orphan adoption case until they have received formal notification of approval from a BCIS office in the U.S.
The Orphan Investigation
One part of the petition process which BCIS cannot complete in advance is the "orphan investigation". An orphan investigation Form I-604 Report on Overseas Orphan Investigation is required in all orphan adoption cases - even if an I-600 has already been approved - and serves to verify that the child is an orphan as defined by U.S. immigration law. A consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Russia will conduct this investigation at the time of the immigrant visa interview.
DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS FOR AN IR-3 or IR-4 VISA:
Both adoptive parents' passports with a photocopy of the information page of each passport.
• Power of Attorney and /or any affidavits from the non-traveling parent, if applicable. If one parent is not present, the remaining parent should provide photographic proof that he/ she has met the child and a statement consenting to the adoption.
The child's original birth certificate, i.e. the one with the birth parents listed, certified by ZAGS.
• Information on the resolution of the birth parents' rights: death certificates, certificates certifying that the listed parents were not legally registered, letters of relinquishment, court decrees removing parental rights, etc. If the child was a foundling and /or the orphanage has been unable to locate the child's parents, there should be certified copies of any official documents such as records of the orphanage's attempts to locate the parents.
The adoption decree issued by the local court.
The letter from the Ministry of Education which indicates that the child has spent the required amount of time on the Federal Data Bank and has been released for adoption by foreigners.
The letter from each orphanage or hospital that the child has been in. This letter should include the dates of the child's stay in the institution, any information as to whether the child was visited and a statement of no objection to the adoption by the orphanage.
The adoption certificate.
The amended birth certificate, i.e. the one that indicates the names of the American adoptive parents.
The child's passport and a photocopy of the information page.
The medical form in a sealed envelope from the clinic.
Form I-600 (the "blue" form) completed, signed, and dated by both parents.
Form DS-230 (the "white" form) - Application for Immigrant Visa. This form should be completed from the perspective of the adopted child. Please do not sign this form until asked to do so.
• Form I-604 (investigation form). This form should be completed by parents and must contain information about the child before adoption.
For IR-4 cases only: I-864 - Affidavit of Support (only required if one of the parents was not present at the court hearing or if parents reside outside the US), photocopies of last 3 year's tax returns and proof of current employment. The tax returns do not have to be notarized, but you have to provide complete sets (all the schedules and forms you submit to the IRS). If you are adopting more than one child, you must submit a separate I-864 and set of financial documents for each child.
For more information on filing the I-600 at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, please refer to the adoptions page on the Web site for the U.S. Embassy.
U.S. EMBASSY IN RUSSIA:
U.S. Embassy of Russia
#19/23 Novinsky Blvd.,
Moscow, Russia 123242
Tel: 728-5000 switchboard
728-5567 (orphan visas)
728-5058 (orphan visas)
Fax: 728-5247 (orphans only)
Web site: http://www.usembassy.ru
NATURALIZATION: Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, which became effective on February 27, 2001, children automatically become U.S. citizens when all of the following requirements have been met: at least one parent is a U.S. citizen; the child is under 18 years of age; there is a full and final adoption of the child; and, the child is admitted to the United States as an immigrant. A foreign-born child who enters the United States on an Immediate Relative (IR) -3 visa, the child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen that day. A foreign-born child who enters the United States on an IR-4 visa and is adopted in a U.S. court, will become a U.S. citizen when the adoption is finalized in the United States (the child will be a legal permanent resident until then). For further information, please consult with the consular section at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow or the nearest office of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Additional information is available at http://www.travel.state.gov/childcitfaq.html.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult BCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adoptive Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. The BCIS publication is available at the BCIS Web site. The Department of State publication can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Web site under "International Adoptions" (see link below to return to International adoptions page).
QUESTIONS: Specific questions regarding adoption may be addressed to the Consular Section of a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. Parents may also contact the Office of Children's Issues, SA-29, 2201 C Street, NW, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC 20520-2818, toll-free Tel: 1-888-404-4747 with specific questions.
Information is also available from several sources:
Telephone - Call Center -Toll Free Hotline: Overseas Citizens Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA/OCS) has established a toll free hotline for the general public at 1-888-407-4747. The OCS hotline can answer general inquiries regarding international adoption and will forward calls to the appropriate Country Officer. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calls from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-317-472-2328.
1) State Department Visa Office - recorded information concerning immigrant visas for adoptive children, (202) 663-1225.
2) Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services - recorded information for requesting immigrant visa application forms, 1-800-870-FORM (3676).
Internet - the Consular Affairs web site, at: http://travel.state.gov contains international adoption information flyers and the International Adoptions brochure.
BCIS web site - http:\\www.uscis.gov.
Other information:
Consular Information Sheets - The State Department has general information about hiring a foreign attorney and authenticating documents that may supplement the country-specific information provided in this flier. In addition, the State Department publishes Consular Information Sheets (CIS) for every country in the world, providing information such as location of the U.S. Embassy, health conditions, political situations, and crime reports. If the situation in a country poses a specific threat to the safety and security of American citizens that is not addressed in the CIS for that country, the State Department may issue a Public Announcement alerting U.S. citizens to local security situations. If conditions in a country are sufficiently serious, the State Department may issue a Travel Warning recommending that U.S. citizens avoid traveling to that country. These documents are available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov.
March 2003.
US GOVERNMENT
US STATE DEPARTMENT INFO
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Financial Resources for Waiting Child Adoptions
Financial assistance often is available to families who adopt waiting children. Check with your child's agency to be sure you understand when each type of assistance is available and what you need to do to be sure the plans stay in effect for your child.
BE SURE to apply for subsidies and receive subsidy agreements in writing before the adoption becomes final! It is preferable to negotiate the subsidy before the child is placed in your home, if at all possible. It is very difficult to obtain assistance after finalization. »read more
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2004-1/8/2009 5:00:17 AM www.orphansadoptions.com
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