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Home > About Adoption > Intercountry > The Process
An International Process: The step-by-step of what you need to know before you begin your intercountry adoption. Below our Education and Cross-Cultural Coordinator has laid out the basic information to get you started on your adoption journey. Under BC law, all intercountry adoptions must be facilitated by one of BC's five licensed adoption agencies. Agencies are required to provide a homestudy (see below) and an educational component to adopting families. The laws, requirements and processes for inter-country adoption vary greatly by country and are subject to change at any time. Intercountry adoption costs range from $15,000 to $50,000, depending on the country chosen, and associated costs, such as agency fees, travel and hotel costs, orphanage donation, individual country requirements, consultant fees and lawyer fees. The average cost is $25,000. Prospective adoptive parents are advised to consult with BC adoption agencies, as they each have programs with several countries. It is also useful to connect with individual families that have adopted internationally, join intercountry adoption networking groups and research international adoption before proceeding. All parents must also complete a sponsorship application with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The CIC website gives details on the immigration process, which includes the initial sponsorship of the child and obtaining the visa to bring the child into Canada. A homestudy, and a medical examination of the child are required to complete the Canadian immigration process. Your agency will help you find out each country's requirements and costs. In addition to completing the homestudy, education component and Immigration Sponsorship, there is a list of required documents needed set by each country. Once these components have been satisfied, you waut for a child to be proposed to you. Upon acceptance of a proposed child, travel clearance must be granted for the child. Most international adoptions are completed in the child's country, according to the adoption laws of that country, most often this means waiting for the adoption to be completed there and for travel visas and passports to be issued. Your homestudy All prospective adoptive parents must legally complete a homestudy. A homestudy is conducted by an agency social worker, who interviews you and your family over several weeks or months, and prepares a written report that becomes a critical working document in your adoption process. The social worker is not looking for perfection and the homestudy is not a test. The social worker will is interested in your views and knowledge of adoption, how you have dealt with life's challenges (in particular, infertility, or grief and loss issues), parenting strategies, and how well prepared you are to deal with any adoption or cultural issues as they arise. The homestudy process can be an excellent opportunity for self-reflection, clarification, and personal growth. Agency Education Component The educational component is also a legal requirement. It is designed to help you understand the key issues for adoptive families, such as attachment, grief and loss, trauma, racial identity and the need for cultural connections. Each agency offers their own format of education to their clients. It may be on-line learning, classroom setting, self-study, referrals to AFABC workshops or a combination of those. As you consider which agency to contract with, think about what style of learning suits you best.Required documents: Your Dossier This is a major portion of the international process. It is the collection of documents, which you need to present to the foreign country prior to adoption. The dossier verifies who you are and that you have met the criteria for intercountry adoption. Requirements for dossiers vary depending on the country you are adopting from. This is a list of common requirements--check with your agency and consultant for the specific requirements of the country you wish to adopt from. NOTE: You will need a valid passport to travel to a foreign country. Adoption consultants Some inter-country processes require the use of a consultant, and BC licensed agencies work with a number of them. These consultants assist families with the adoption process for certain countries. They have particular knowledge of the adoption systems, experience working with other families who have adopted from the country, and relationships with orphanages and agencies overseas. These consultants may be licensed in other provinces to complete adoptions, but in BC, they cannot facilitate the adoption--your BC agency must agree to work with them. Ask your agency what the process is for the countries that you are interested in and if a consultant is required. The Countries At any time there are a number of countries that it is possible for BC residents to adopt from. Some countries will open up to international adoption while others may close their doors to adoption, for various reasons. Families can only adopt from a country that has an agreement with Canada and a working process and agents in place to process the adoption. The requirements of each country determine accessibility of that country. For example, some countries have restrictions related to age, marital status, sexual orientation, overall physical/mental health, financial status, or family configuration of adopters. These eligibility requirements can change, and you are advised to consult with your agency to ensure accuracy of information. It may be useful to call or send an email to all of the agencies explaining the dynamics of your family, your particular interests and inquiring what countries might be a fit for you. Any family in the province can work with any of the agencies as they each have social workers in all regions of the province. The Hague Convention is an international agreement, which Canada and many other countries have signed and ratified, designed to protect the interests of children involved with adoption. Hague procedures must be complied with when Canada and the sending country have both signed and ratified the agreement. It is possible to adopt from a non-Hague country, however Canada is still bound by Hague requirements. Your agency will be able to inform you of the Hague status of any country. Choosing your country
Prospective adoptive parents need to carefully consider many factors when choosing a country. Country requirements, costs, potential medical issues, culture, heritage and age of the child, time frame to adopt, are all important to adoptive parents. Your agency social worker will be able to help you work through these decisions in the homestudy process. Your agency and AFABC can try to connect you with other families who have adopted from different countries so you can benefit from their knowledge and experiences. Parents should attend adoption education workshops, do as much research on the country as they can, and talk to as many adoptive parents as possible before making a decision. Waiting for Your ChildThe length of time it takes to adopt internationally varies depending on the needs and requirements of the participating agency, sending country, or individuals adopting. The education program, the homestudy, and the Canadian Immigration process take a minimum of several months. Gathering required documents also takes time. Adoptive families will usually wait a number of months (sometimes years) to have a child proposed to them and then wait for the legal adoption papers and travel documents to be completed. In intercountry adoption, country politics, natural disasters and shifting regulations can speed up or slow down the adoption process. The entire process can take up to 2 years and sometimes longer. Ask your agency for information on other family’s past experiences. |
Citizenship Alert!
Significant changes regarding birth citizenship will be implemented April 17, 2009. Read about the changes and how they will affect you and your family here.
Click here for a list of Agency required documentation.
Click here for a list of common dossier documents.
Click here for questions to ask yourself when choosing a country to adopt from.
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