Getting Started

On April 1, 2008, the Hague Convention was implemented for adoptions from China to the United States. From start to finish, the adoption process for a healthy Chinese infant can take four years or more. As the process involves three different government agencies, multiple stages, and specific legal requirements, we recommend prospective adoptive parents spend time familiarizing themselves with the terminology. In addition, the Chinese government requires parents residing in the United States to employ a Hague-accredited adoption agency to assist them throughout the entire process. Prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services. For investigating U.S. based agencies, consider contacting the Better Business Bureau and the licensing office of the Department of Health and Family Services in the state where the agency is located.

The Chinese government only permits adoptions completed in China. Adoptive parents cannot obtain guardianship of a Chinese child for adoption while located in the United States.

Different government entities administer the three main phases. The Department of Homeland Security, Citizen and Immigration Services reviews and approves required U.S. petitions. The China Center of Adoption Affairs, a branch of the P.R.C. government, oversees Chinese petitions. Finally, the Department of State (U.S. Consulate Guangzhou's Adopted Children Immigrant Visa Unit) adjudicates the child's immigrant visa petition permitting him or her to travel to the United States.

The Department of State's website for Chinese adoptions, http://adoption.state.gov/country/china.html, includes specific information on the adoption process from start to finish, statistics from the last ten years of adoptions, as well as a step-by-step explanation of the Hague Convention adoption process.