TYPES OF DOCUMENTS
Documents of International Adoption
In order to adopt a child from a foreign country, the child's country of origin will require a portfolio of certain Documents of International Adoption also known as an Adoption Dossier. An Adoption Dossier is an essential profile of documents you will need to complete your International Adoption. This assembly of documents will show both the sending and receiving country that the prospective adoptive parents are in good standing and will provide a good forever home for the adoptive child.
The adoption process can be both long and confusing, especially for international adoptions. During this lengthy process the adopting family will need to meet with:
- Their social worker multiple times,
- Take pre-adoption parenting classes,
- Submit to background checks, and
- Apply to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to obtain permission to bring an orphan into the United States of America.
Once approved by USCIS, the Adoption Dossier will need to be prepared. It is essential that you know what Documents of International Adoption are required in an Adoption Dossier. Each country will specifiy the collection of documents they require for adoption. So make sure that you verify with the adoption agency the complete list of all of the required documents, the number of copies, and which of the documents require an Apostille. Each of the documents in an Adoption Dossier need to be notarized, apostilled, and then translated into the language of the country from which the the prospective family is adopting, before they can be sent to the central adoption authority of the child's country of origin. For more details please read this Article on What Documents Are Contained in a Dossier?
Generally the following Documents of International Adoption are required in an Adoption Dossier:
- Birth Certificate(s)
- Divorce Decree
- Employment Letter(s)
- Financial Statements
- Home Study
- IRS Form 1040(s)
- Letter to Central Adoption Authority
- Letters of Recommendation
- Local Police Clearance
- Marriage Certificate
- Passport Copies
- Photographs
- Physical Exam(s) / Medical Form(s)
- Proof of Residency
- Undertaking by a Relative
- USCIS Approval
If you have other children living in your home, you may also need to include:
- Adoption Decree
- Child's Birth Certificate
- Child's Medical Certificate
- Consent from Children
- Post-Placement Reports
Generally, Documents of International Adoption submitted for an Apostille must be the original, notarized, signed by an official or be a certified copy. Documents written in a foreign language must be submitted along with a Certified Translation.
Please Note - If a document in your Adoption Dossier is issued by a state, an Apostille can only be processed in that state's jurisdiction. For example a Birth Certificate issued in Minnesota can only be Apostilled in Minnesota. If an individual was born in Missouri, lives in New York, but works in New Jersey. That individual will need have their Birth Certificate Apostilled in Missouri, their Proof of Residence Apostilled in New York, and their Employment Letter Apostilled in New Jersey.
If Documents of International Adoption within an Adoption Dossier are needed for a Non-Hague Country the documents will also need to be legalized through the United States Department of State (USDOS) and country's Embassy / Consulate Office.
Once we receive your documents, in order to minimize errors and processing time, we verify all documents received from notaries before submitting them to be Apostilled to the proper State. We will contact you as soon as possible if any errors are encountered and we will instruct you on how they need to be corrected.
Obtaining an Apostille can be a complicated process and should not be left to someone who does not understand all of the steps involved. Untrained persons that do not understand all of the requirements for legalization in each country are more likely to make errors, which will severely delay the Apostille process and cost you more money.
Once the completed English Documents of International Adoption are properly prepared you can mail them to us to be Apostilled. We can also provide Certified Translation Services into the language required by the Country of Designation. Here at Ezra Notary and Apostille
Obtaining an Apostille can be a complicated process and should not be left to someone who does not understand all of the steps involved. Untrained persons that do not understand all of the requirements for legalization in each country are more likely to make errors, which will severely delay the Apostille process and cost you more money.
Once the completed English Documents of International Adoption are properly prepared you can mail them to us to be Apostilled. We can also provide Certified Translation Services into the language required by the Country of Designation. Here at Ezra Notary and Apostille