• Full and final Haitian adoption decree
• GOH Custody grant to prospective adoptive parents for emigration and adoption
• Secondary evidence of either of the adoption or custody decree

Evidence of suitability must include one of the following:
• Approved Form I-600A
• Current FBI fingerprints and security background check
• Physical custody in Haiti plus security background clearance

Children previously identified by an Adoption Service Provider (ASP) or an intercountry adoption
facilitator and matched to an American prospective adoptive parents.

Evidence of a relationship between the prospective adoptive parents and the child and evidence
of the parents' intention to complete the adoption. Evidence may include:

• Proof of travel by the prospective adoptive parents to Haiti to visit the child
• Photos of the child and prospective adoptive parents together
• ASP "Acceptance of Referral" letter signed by the prospective adoptive parents
• Documentary evidence that the prospective adoptive parents initiated the adoption process
prior to Jan. 12, 2010 with intent to adopt the child (filed Form I-600A and/or Form I-600,
completed a home study, located an ASP to work with in Haiti, etc.)
• Evidence of the child's availability for adoption. Evidence may include:

• IBESR (Haitian Adoption Authority) approval
• Legal relinquishment or award of custody to the Haitian orphanage
• Secondary evidence of the above (e.g. e-mail correspondence, copies, ASP correspondence
• Evidence of suitability must include one of the following:

• Approved Form I-600A OR
• Current FBI/FP and security background clearances

If you have eligible children for this program, please follow the instructions below on how to
schedule an appointment for an orphan screening.

Adoptive Parent(s) in the United States

We encourage you to work closely with your Adoption Service Provider if you have one since we
frequently provide updated information to them. We strongly discourage parents from traveling
to Haiti on their own.

To request an appointment for an orphan screening at the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince, contact
us at HaitianAdoptions@dhs.gov. To ensure your request is processed correctly please follow the
instructions below:

1. In the subject line of your email type: "APPOINTMENT REQUEST," Your surname and the name
of the orphanage
2. In the body of the e-mail be sure to include:
• Your child's full name
• Your child's date of birth
• Any information you believe we should have in regard to the child's vulnerability
 (e.g. the child is ill, has special needs, is particularly vulnerable)
• The name and location of the orphanage where your child is living
• A point of contact for the orphanage (either in the United States or Haiti)

Please note that your child is likely to be scheduled as part of a larger group, so your response
from us may refer to that group as well as to your child. Scheduling all eligible children from a
given orphanage together is safer for the children, as they will be able to travel together to the
embassy, and ultimately depart from Haiti as a group since all will be authorized and issued their
documentation at the same time.

USCIS is actively reaching out to all Haitian orphanages that we are aware of in an effort to
schedule appointments. If you know that USCIS is already working with your orphanage, it is not
necessary for you to request an appointment, although you are free to do so.

Adoptive Parent(s) in Haiti with Your Adoptive Child(ren)

If you have access to the Internet, please send an e-mail to HaitianAdoptions@dhs.gov.
To ensure that your request is processed correctly, please follow the instructions below:

1.In the subject line of your email type: "URGENT -- ADOPTIVE PARENT IN HAITI"
2.In the body of the e-mail be sure to include:
• Your full name
• Your home address
• Your child's name
• Your child's date of birth
• Information about how to best contact you
We will make every effort to reply to your message promptly with instructions on when to go to
the embassy. You are more likely to get into the embassy and processed quickly if you email us
to make the appointment.

• It is extremely important that you bring all available adoption documents, identity documents and current photos of your child.

If you cannot e-mail us in advance, you may proceed directly to the embassy with your child and
identify yourself to the guards as an adoptive parent with an orphan child in need of orphan
screening at the USCIS Field Office. Although the embassy guards have been instructed to bring
all such cases immediately to the front of the line and admit them into the embassy, it may be
very difficult for you to gain access, particularly if we are unaware that you are coming. You may
also have to make several visits or wait for long periods of time, depending on the information
we have available about your case.

USCIS is actively reaching out to all Haitian orphanages that we are aware of in an effort to
schedule appointments. If you know that USCIS is already working with your orphanage, it is not
necessary for you to request an appointment, although you are free to do so.

Orphanage Directors or Other Individuals Caring for Orphan Children

The embassy is scheduling appointments in advance in an effort to pre-process groups of cases.
This will allow all children who are eligible in a particular orphanage to be screened at the same
time and will only require one trip to the embassy for physical identification. Do not try to enter
the embassy without first arranging an appointment, as you may be turned away.

To request an appointment for orphan screenings at the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince,
contact us at HaitianAdoptions@dhs.gov. To ensure your request is processed correctly please
follow the instructions below:

1. In the subject line of your email type: "ORPHANAGE SEEKING APPOINTMENT"
2. In the body of the e-mail be sure to include:
• A list of the children in your care with their dates of birth
• Name(s) of the children's adoptive parent(s)
• Contact information for the children's adoptive parents (addresses and e-mail addresses)
• Status of the each child's case (e.g. pre-IBESR, MOI, etc.)
• Your contact information (phone number, email, through a U.S. contact, etc.)
If you do not have all the information requested above, provide as much as possible.

USCIS will respond by informing you of your appointment time. Only the orphanage director or
other responsible adults should appear for the initial appointment. Bring all available adoption
and identity documentation for each child who will be screened as well as current photos if
available.

The children will need to be seen at the embassy for physical identification after the cases have
been vetted and prior to issuance of the travel documentation. You should only bring the children
to the embassy when instructed to do so by USCIS or the U.S. Embassy.

NOTE: We are aware that some orphanages are located a long way from the U.S. Embassy in
Port au Prince. We are currently considering how we might make processing available in remote
locations, and will provide further information on this at a later time. Last updated:  (USCIS - Feb.23,2010)

Questions & Answers: Information for Adoptive Parents of Paroled Haitian Orphans

Introduction:
Under normal circumstances, a child immigrating to the United States from Haiti as the adopted
orphan child of a U.S. citizen is adopted before leaving Haiti, and is then admitted to the
United States with an immigrant visa for Lawful Permanent Residence (LPR) status. The adopted
child then acquires citizenship upon entry as specified in section 320 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA).

In light of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland
Security authorized Haitian children, who were adopted or were in the process of being adopted
by American families prior to the earthquake, to be paroled into the United States.
• Category 1- parolees are Haitian orphans who were already legally adopted in Haiti.
• Category 2- parolees are certain Haitian orphans whose cases had not yet resulted in final
adoptions. You may find more information about the parole policy on USCIS' Haiti Earthquake
Response page at www.USCIS.gov.

To determine what steps to take next, it is most important to understand where you were in the
adoption process in Haiti, regardless of the category you believe your child fell within at the time
of parole. The following is provided for informational purposes to U.S. citizen adoptive parents
and prospective adoptive parents.

Questions & Answers

Q1.  Are there any additional requirements from the Haitian government that I should be aware
of during this process?
A1.  The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is working closely with the Haitian government regarding
the Haitian children, who were identified and matched for adoption by U.S. citizens before the
earthquake, and who entered the United States under the special humanitarian parole program
for those children. The DOS will inform adoptive parents on the Web page, www.adoption.state.gov, of any requests the Haitian government makes concerning these children and their adoption by U.S. parents. For example, the DOS understands that the Haitian government may want adoptive parents to complete the Haitian adoption process at some point in the future. In addition, the Haitian
government may wish that adoptive parents complete post-adoption reports about their adoptive
children. We are seeking details on these and any other requests from the Haitian government.
We strongly encourage adoptive parents to fulfill any such requests. Failure to respond appropriately could have an adverse impact on future adoptions from Haiti as well as other countries.

Q2.  What if I had already filed a Form I-600 for my child?
A2.  As indicated in the table above, if you have adopted the child in Haiti, and the child qualifies
 as an “orphan” as defined in section 101(b)(1)(F) of the INA, the Form I-600 may be approved,
even after the parole of the child into the United States. If you have filed Form I-600 for a child
who has been adopted in Haiti and it is approved or pending, you may file Form I-485 with
USCIS. However, if you are not able to complete an adoption in Haiti, and you decide to adopt the child in the United States instead, you will still need to file a Form I-130 and Form I-485 in order for
the child to immigrate as your adopted child based on your adoption of the child in the United States,  provided all of the relevant requirements are met.

Q3.  Why is the age of my adoptive child important?
A3.  For a Form I-130 case, U.S. immigration law requires that the child must be adopted before
his or her 16th birthday. For a Form I-600 case, U.S. immigration law provides that the
Form I-600 must be filed before the child’s 16th birthday.

•The only exception to this is for a child whom you adopted or filed a Form I-600 for after his or
her 16th birthday but before his or her 18th birthday, if:
•The child is the birth sibling of another child who you legally adopted, if you adopted or filed a
Form I-600 for the birth sibling before his or her 16th birthday, and
•The birth sibling obtained LPR status in the United States based on adoption by you.
Q4.  My adopted Haitian child entered the United States with an immigrant visa. Do I need to do anything else in order for my child to obtain evidence of U.S. citizenship?
A4.  This depends on how your child was admitted to the United States.

• If your adopted child was admitted to the United States with an immigrant visa, he/she became
a lawful permanent resident upon admission to the United States.
• If your child was admitted with an IR-3 immigrant visa, your child should receive a Certificate
of Citizenship soon after admission.
• If your child was admitted with an IR-4 immigrant visa, you must complete the adoption process
in the United States and file a Form N-600 if you wish to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship or
apply for a U.S. passport for your child.
• If your adoptive child was admitted with an IR-2 visa(which is extremely rare), you may file a
Form N-600 to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship or apply for a U.S. passport for your child.

Q5.  My adoptive child’s period of humanitarian parole will expire before the child acquires LPR
 status. What do I need to do?
A5.  The expiration date for your child’s parole is shown on the DHS Form I-94, issued upon the
child’s arrival in the United States. If your child’s humanitarian parole is going to expire before the child acquires LPR status, you should apply for an extension of your child’s humanitarian parole. Be sure to file the extension application before the period of parole expires. This is important because any lapse in your child’s lawful immigration status could affect future applications. 

To apply for an extension of parole with USCIS you must:

• File an Application for Travel Document, (Form I-131), and on the first page write
 'EXTENSION REQUEST' in big, bold letters,
• Include the filing fee,
• File an Affidavit of Support (Form I-134),
• Include current supporting documentation, and
• Include a copy of your Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, which your child was issued upon
 parole into the United States.
You must submit requests for extensions of parole to USCIS at the following address:

Department of Homeland Security/USCIS
Attn: Chief, Parole Branch
20 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Suite 3300
Washington, DC 20529-2100

USCIS recommends that you file for an extension of parole at least 30 days (and up to 120 days)
before the expiration date on your Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record.

Q6.  When can my adoptive child travel outside the United States?
A6.  Your child may travel outside the United States after the Form I-485 or N-600 is approved,
 and your child has received his or her permanent resident card or Certificate of Citizenship.
Once your child is a citizen, he/she may need to obtain a passport to travel abroad and return to
 the United States.

Before the Form I-485 is approved, your child may travel if you file a form I-131, Application for
Travel Document, and your child has received the advance parole document, which may be used
as a travel document for return travel to the United States.

Remember to check the CBP Web site, www.cbp.gov to determine what other documents your
child will need to return to the United States.

You should also find out what documents any foreign country may require your child to have,
such as a passport or visa, to enter and leave that country.

Q7.  Where can I get the forms mentioned above?
A7.  All USCIS forms are available for free download at http://www.USCIS.gov/forms. Individuals
may also call the toll-free USCIS forms hotline, (800) 870-3676. Last updated: (USCIS - Feb.26,2010)

Intercountry Adoption

Laws
The intercountry adoption process is governed by three different sets of laws:
• U.S. federal law
• The laws of the child’s country of birth.
• The laws of where you reside (U.S. state/territory or foreign country).

Which Process is For You?
There are three processes for adopting a child internationally.
Two separate processes apply only to children adopted by U.S. citizens.

Orphan (Non-Hague)
This process applies to a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident who may petition for his/her adoptive child through an Immediate Relative Petition. Depending on what country you choose to adopt from will determine which process you will adopt by.

Immigrating Other Adopted Children.
Home Studies
Home studies are very important to the intercountry adoption process.
What is a home study?
Who can conduct a home study?
What are the home study requirements?
When to Contact Us
We are committed to deciding cases as promptly as possible.  If your case has not been decided within the regular processing time, you should contact us. See the USCIS Adoptions Contact Information” go to http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis type adoption in the search box.

Hague Home Study Guidelines:

Home Study Preparer
Only an individual or entity defined as a home study preparer for Hague Convention cases may complete a home study for a Hague adoption. 

If the home study is conducted in the United States, the preparer must hold whatever license or authorization the law of that State requires of practicing home study preparers.  However, if the home study is conducted outside the United States, the preparer must hold any license or authorization required to conduct home studies under the law of that country.

If the adoption service provider who prepares home studies abroad is also engaged in the provision of any adoption services in the United States, the adoption service provider must also be authorized or licensed to do so in any State in which the adoption service provider practices
 (see 8 CFR 204.301).

A home study preparer means an entity (whether an individual or an agency) that is authorized to conduct home studies for Hague adoption cases and includes:

• A public domestic authority

• An accredited agency

• An approved person

• A supervised provider

• An exempted provider

Someone (if not a public domestic authority) who holds any license or other authorization required to conduct adoption home studies under the law of the jurisdiction in which the home study is conducted (see 22 CFR 96 and 8 CFR 204.301)

After the Adoption
The process does not stop with the adoption. Make sure you understand citizenship requirements and how to obtain documentation of citizenship. Click here: "CITIZENSHIP"

USCIS is Responsible For:
Determining the eligibility and suitability of the Prospective Adoptive Parents (Individuals) looking to adopt. Determining the eligibility of the child to immigrate to the United States.

Country Information 
The conditions in the country from which you choose to adopt will dictate the process of your adoption. Understanding the procedures in the different countries is an important part of selecting which country to adopt from. Due to conditions in the following countries, case processing has been severely impacted.

China
China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has announced that all prospective adoptive families will be required to work with a U.S. Hague accredited adoption service provider for both transition cases and Convention cases beginning December 1, 2009.  This will require all families to work with an agency that is both U.S. Hague  accredited and a CCAA-licensed agency for both transition cases and Convention cases for all steps in the intercountry adoption process.  In order to facilitate this transition, CCAA has indicated that each non-accredited agency will be required to choose an accredited agency and transfer all remaining cases to that agency no later than December 1, 2009.  This information will in turn be provided to CCAA.  If an agency chooses not to turn over their files to an accredited agency, CCAA has indicated they will terminate the processing of those documents. Prospective adoptive parents grandfathered under the orphan process will not be required by USCIS to obtain an updated home study based on this change in service provider.  All cases grandfathered under the orphan process (I-600 process) transferred to a Hague accredited agency and a CCAA-licensed agency will continue to be processed in accordance with U.S. immigration regulations for orphan adoptions. 

Vietnam
In June 2005, the United States and Vietnam concluded a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption. This agreement expired September 1, 2008. Until a new bilateral agreement is reached, USCIS and the Department of State (DOS) determined it is in the best interest of children and families to not process any new Vietnam adoption cases filed after September 1, 2008.
The United States continues to strongly support the Vietnamese government’s efforts to establish an appropriate child adoption system with sound safeguards and protections for children and families. We cannot predict when a new bilateral adoption agreement with adequate safeguards for all parties will be concluded.