What is the difference between a domestic and an international adoption?

The main difference between a domestic and an international adoption is the location of the child being adopted. A domestic adoption occurs when the adopted child is born within the United States, or in a territory of the United States. Generally, in a domestic adoption, the adoptive parents will undertake the legal process to formally transfer parental rights from the birth parents to the adoptive parents, and the child will be born in the United States. In Nebraska, the adoption process may be handled entirely by the adoptive family, or it may be handled by a private social service agency, in which case Nebraska law defines specific regulations that must be followed. An international adoption occurs when a child is adopted from another country. International adoptions require additional steps and much more paperwork than a domestic adoption. Generally, an adoption agency or an attorney will need to be hired to help complete the international adoption. The regulations and requirements vary between countries, and parents need to be aware of and carefully follow those rules. In the state of Nebraska, the adoption of a foreign child will require approval from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the adoptive family will need to meet certain eligibility requirements.

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What is the difference between a domestic and an international adoption?

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