With Russia closing we are hearing from many, many families who are looking to switch their adoptions to one of our Hague programs (Hungary, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria or Colombia; click here for a full list of Hague countries).  Families with approval from USCIS for Russia, or any other non-Hague country, must revise their home studies and get a new approval in order to move forward.

Home Study 

For all country changes the first step is to revise your home study to reflect the new country.  Be sure you know the protocols in your new country for age range of children, gender requests, health expectations of children and any particular information the country requires in the home study and revise the home study accordingly.  A Hague home study varies slightly in format and content from a non-Hague home study so discuss the Hague home study requirements with your social worker.  Most home study agencies will charge a fee for revising your home study.  You will need a full, revised home study for the new program, as opposed to using your previous home study with a one-page update.

To go from a non-Hague country to a Hague country

An approval in a non-Hague country (for example Ethiopia, Russia, Congo, Uganda, South Korea, Ukraine and Taiwan) can not be transferred directly to a Hague country.  If you filled out the I-600A for your adoption then you are adopting from a non-Hague country. If you have I-600A approval, in addition to revising your home study you will need to file the I-800A form with USCIS and pay the fee of $720.  If your fingerprints from the I-600A have not expired CIS will transfer those to your new process at no charge.  You will send USCIS the completed I-800A form, a copy of your revised home study, the fees and copies of proof of citizenship.

To go from a Hague country to a different Hague country

If you already have an approved I-800A for a Hague Convention country you can use I-800A Supplement 3 (Request for Action on Approved Form I-800A) to change to another Hague country. You will check Part 2(d) and enter your new country in item 3: “Indicate Change of Country.” You might also need to check the box in item 3 indicating an update in the number of children, age of children, etc. if that information has changed in your home study.

You should send in your revised home study along with Supplement 3 to USCIS.  The first request for a change between Hague countries is free. If you have a change in any other parts of the document, other than country, the fee is $360.

To go from a non-Hague country to a different non-Hague country

If you already have an approved I-600A for a non-Hague country you can use the I-824 form to move to another non-Hague country.  Check Part 2(b) and write in the embassy or consulate location that should receive the approval of your application.  You should send in your revised home study along with the I-824 form to USCIS.  The first request for a change between non-Hague countries is free.

Little Miracles International, Inc. is thrilled to announce that we have received notification that we have achieved the honor of Hague Re-Accreditation through the Council on Accreditation (COA) as authorized by the U. S. Department of State, according to an announcement made to Lori Scott, Executive Director on 10/12/12.  We thank our Board Members and Staff for their tireless hours and devotion to our accreditation process.   Our current Hague countries are:   Bulgaria, Colombia, Hungary, Kazakhstan.  We look forward to our continual service to families and children in these and other countries.

On July 1, 2012 the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) entered into force for Rwanda. However, the Government of Rwanda has notified the U.S. Embassy in Kigali that the current suspension on intercountry adoptions will remain in effect until the country has a fully functional Convention process in place. The Government of Rwanda believes implementation will take several months.

We caution adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents that important steps to ensure intercountry adoptions from Rwanda comply with the Convention must take place before intercountry adoptions between the United States and Rwanda resume. Adoption service providers should neither initiate nor claim to initiate adoption programs in Rwanda until the Department of State notifies them that the Government of Rwanda has lifted its suspension on intercountry adoptions and that Rwanda’s procedures meet the requirements of the Convention.

The Department of State will provide updated information on adoption.state.gov as it becomes available. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Office of Children’s Issues at 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States. Email inquiries may be directed to AdoptionUSCA@state.gov.

After several months of waiting, families in the Kazakhstan Adoption Program and those still considering Kazakhstan Adoptions will be pleased to know that information has been officially released.

LMI understands there are also some key legislation pieces that need to be voted on and put into place as well before adoptions can commence.  All in all we feel this is great news!

The Dept of State, Office of Children's Issues has issued the below notice regarding adoptions from Kazakhstan. This notice can also be viewed on their website.

Kazakhstan will become a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) on November 1, 2010.

Government of Kazakhstan stated it will not accept any new intercountry adoption dossiers until it completes adoption reforms, which is expected to be March 2011, at the earliest.

Processing of Convention adoptions from Kazakhstan

Until the Government of Kazakhstan becomes a party to the Convention, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will not process a Form I-800A (Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country), that indicates an intention to adopt a child from Kazakhstan. For this reason, prospective adoptive parents should not attempt to initiate any new adoptions in Kazakhstan at this time. On or after November 1, 2010, a U.S. citizen seeking to complete a Convention adoption of a child habitually resident in Kazakhstan may file a Form I-800A as specified in the Form I-800A instructions.

Prospective adoptive parents and adoption service providers should be aware that the Government of Kazakhstan continues to revise its intercountry adoption regulations, including those that will establish the number of and requirements for foreign adoption service providers. The Government of Kazakhstan stated it will not accept any new intercountry adoption dossiers until the adoption reforms are complete and its intercountry adoption process meets Convention standards. The Government estimates these reforms will be in place and that new intercountry adoptions may resume in March 2011. Prospective adoptive parents are warned not to enter into any agreement, implied or stated, regarding the prospective adoption of a child in Kazakhstan until such a time as the Government of Kazakhstan establishes the requirements and regulations governing the intercountry adoption of its citizens. The United States Central Authority cautions adoption service providers that they should not offer or appear to offer adoption services in Kazakhstan (other than for those transition cases still being processed under the former regulations) until the Government of Kazakhstan authorizes specific adoption service providers

Transition (orphan) cases

Prospective adoptive parents who may already have filed a Form I-600 or Form I-600A should also be aware of the Government of Kazakhstan’s position on “transition” cases. The Government of Kazakhstan announced that cases will qualify as transition only if the Kazakhstani Embassy or Consulate General sent the dossier to the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on or before May 25, 2010. These transition cases will be processed under the former procedures. Hague implementing measures will not affect the processing of these adoptions. Thus, prospective adoptive parents who filed a Form I-600A or Form I-600 before November 1, 2010, may need to file a Form I-800A, if the dossier was not sent by May 25, 2010.

Information regarding adoption requirements and procedures in Kazakhstan will be posted as soon as it is made available.