Hague vs non-Hague countries
The Hague Adoption Convention governs adoptions between the U.S. and ~100 partner countries. Hague cases use USCIS forms I-800A/I-800 and provide stronger protections. Non-Hague countries use I-600A/I-600 with different procedures.
The process in 6 steps
- 1. Choose an accredited agency — required for Hague adoptions; verify at the State Dept's adoption site
- 2. Home study — by a licensed provider in your state
- 3. USCIS suitability approval — Form I-800A (Hague) or I-600A (non-Hague)
- 4. Match & foreign adoption — complete the adoption under the child's country laws
- 5. Immigrant visa — I-800/I-600 petition + visa interview at the U.S. embassy (IR-3/IR-4 or IH-3/IH-4 visas)
- 6. U.S. entry & citizenship — most children become citizens automatically under the Child Citizenship Act
The child's passport & visa
The child needs a passport from their birth country plus a U.S. immigrant visa before travel. The embassy interview includes a medical exam and document review — incomplete paperwork is the main cause of delays at this stage.
Key cautions
- Never work with unaccredited facilitators — adoption fraud is a real risk
- Some countries suspend programs with little notice — check current status before committing
- Post-adoption reports to the birth country are legally required for years in many cases