Each year, thousands of United States citizens adopt children from other countries with the intention of bringing the adopted children to the United States. Immigration through adoption, or “Intercountry adoption,” refers to the adoption of a child born in one country by an adoptive parent living in another country.
United States immigration law provides three different processes through which someone may immigrate on the basis on an intercountry adoption. An individual may immigrate under one of these provisions only if the individual’s adoption meets all the requirements of that specific process.
Two separate processes apply only to children adopted by U.S. citizens. The child may immigrate immediately after the adoption or may immigrate to the U.S. to be adopted here.