The Hague Adoption Convention is an international treaty entered into by over 70 countries with a common goal—to safeguard and unify the standards of international adoption while prioritizing the best interests of the child. Notable aspects of a Hague Convention adoption include the following:

• Prospective adoptive parents will need to meet specific eligibility criteria outlined by their home country and the country from which they plan to adopt.
• A home study is an important step in the international adoption process, which typically includes an assessment of your home, background checks, interviews, and references to determine your suitability as adoptive parents.
• Adoption agencies involved in Hague Convention adoptions are required to be accredited or approved by the competent authority in their home country.

Orphan intercountry adoption involves adopting a child who has been deemed an orphan under the immigration laws of your home country.

• Prospective adoptive parents will need to meet specific eligibility criteria outlined by their home country and the country from which they plan to adopt.
• A home study is an important step in the international adoption process, which typically includes an assessment of your home, background checks, interviews, and references to determine your suitability as adoptive parents.
• Adoption agencies involved in Hague Convention adoptions are required to be accredited or approved by the competent authority in their home country.

Not all international adoptions fall under the auspices of the Hague Convention. When attempting to adopt from a country that is not a member of the Hague Convention, adherence to non-Hague Adoption Convention rules and procedures will be required.

• Prospective adoptive parents will need to meet specific eligibility criteria outlined by their home country and the country from which they plan to adopt.
• A home study is an important step in the international adoption process, which typically includes an assessment of your home, background checks, interviews, and references to determine your suitability as adoptive parents.
• Adoption agencies involved in Hague Convention adoptions are required to be accredited or approved by the competent authority in their home country.

Foreign-born relatives may be adopted by extended family members. However, the child must be eligible for adoption under U.S. law and their country’s laws. 

• Prospective adoptive parents will need to meet specific eligibility criteria outlined by their home country and the country from which they plan to adopt.
• A home study is an important step in the international adoption process, which typically includes an assessment of your home, background checks, interviews, and references to determine your suitability as adoptive parents.
• Adoption agencies involved in Hague Convention adoptions are required to be accredited or approved by the competent authority in their home country.

To qualify for a green card, a child in a Hague Convention adoption country must meet the definition of a Convention adoptee. A foreign-born child in non-Hague Adoption Convention countries must meet the U.S. definition of an orphan. 

• Prospective adoptive parents will need to meet specific eligibility criteria outlined by their home country and the country from which they plan to adopt.
• A home study is an important step in the international adoption process, which typically includes an assessment of your home, background checks, interviews, and references to determine your suitability as adoptive parents.
• Adoption agencies involved in Hague Convention adoptions are required to be accredited or approved by the competent authority in their home country.

Obtaining a green card for your child via international adoption is a multi-step process. For U.S. citizens and Green Card holders, an immigrant petition must be filed. When the adoptive child is a citizen of a Hague Convention country, the adoption and petition for a green card must follow the guidelines outlined in the Hague Convention documents. For example, under the Hague Process, applicants must use an Accredited Adoption Service Provider authorized to facilitate adoptions under the Convention. This is where retaining the services of an immigration adoption lawyer can pay dividends since these Providers are prohibited from providing legal advice or representing the adoptive parents before the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

• Prospective adoptive parents will need to meet specific eligibility criteria outlined by their home country and the country from which they plan to adopt.
• A home study is an important step in the international adoption process, which typically includes an assessment of your home, background checks, interviews, and references to determine your suitability as adoptive parents.
• Adoption agencies involved in Hague Convention adoptions are required to be accredited or approved by the competent authority in their home country.