Adopting a Child from P.R.C.

Getting Started

This brief synopsis serves as a general outline; the Consulate has not included every situation and every detail. Agencies that specialize in foreign adoptions can often answer case-specific questions. The Chinese government requires parents residing in the United States to employ an adoption agency to assist them throughout the entire process. (Americans who have resided in China for more than one year must work with a Chinese agency called Bridge of Love.)

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.

Initial Adoption Requirements		DHS, Citizen and Immigration Services
China Adoption Requirements		People's Republic of China
Immigrant Visa Stage		U.S. Department of State, U.S. Consulate Guangzhou