What is an intercountry adoption?

Intercountry adoption is when a person or family adopts a child who was born outside of the United States. The process of intercountry adoption is regulated by federal, state, and international laws. In Virginia, The Uniform Intercountry Adoption Act (UICA) governs most adoptions involving foreign countries. The UICA defines an intercountry adoption as “the formal act of creating a legal parent-child relationship between persons of different nationalities.” This process is usually facilitated by a licensed adoption agency, and some states have specific requirements that must be met before adoptive parents can adopt from abroad. In most cases, prospective adoptive parents must first obtain approval from the agency in their home state before they can begin the process of adopting a child from a foreign country. The process typically includes completing an application, undergoing a home study, and traveling to the country where the child is located so that the adoptive parents can meet the child before finalizing the adoption. Once approved, the adoptive parents must work with the foreign government, the State Department, and U.S. embassies abroad to complete the legal paperwork. Once the paperwork is finalized, the adoptee will be eligible for U.S. citizenship and can be brought to the United States. The adoption process can be lengthy and costly, so it is important to understand all of the regulations and requirements before beginning the process. It’s also important to be aware of any ethical or legal concerns related to intercountry adoption so that those issues can be addressed beforehand.

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