Because China is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, adoptions from China must follow a specific process designed to meet the Convention’s requirements. A brief summary of the Convention adoption process is provided below. You must complete these steps in the following order to meet all necessary legal requirements. Adoptions completed out of order may result in the child not being eligible for an immigrant visa to the United States.



Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider that has been authorized by China’s Central Authority to Operate in China Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt (Form I-800A) Apply to China’s Authorities to Adopt and Be Matched with a Child Apply to USCIS for the Child to be Found Provisionally Eligible for Immigration to the United States as a Convention Adoptee (Form I-800) and Receive U.S. Agreement to Proceed with the Adoption (Art. 5/17 letter) Adopt the Child in China Apply for a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child and Bring Your Child Home

1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider That Has Been Authorized by China’s Central Authority to Operate in China



The first step in adopting a child from China is to select an adoption service provider in the United States that has been accredited or approved to provide services to U.S. citizens in Convention cases and that has been authorized by the Government of China. A list of the accredited ASPs authorized to operate in China is located here. A primary provider must be identified in each Convention case and only accredited or approved adoption service providers may act as the primary provider in your case. Your primary provider is responsible for:



Ensuring that all six adoption services defined at 22 CFR 96.2 are provided consistent with applicable laws and regulations;

Supervising and being responsible for supervised providers where used (see 22 CFR 96.14); and

Developing and implementing a service plan in accordance with 22 CFR 96.44.

Learn more about Agency Accreditation.



2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt



After you choose an accredited or approved adoption service provider, you must be found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS by submitting Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country. You will need to submit a home study, fingerprints, and a background check as part of this application. Read more about Suitability and Eligibility Requirements.



3. Apply to China’s Authorities to Adopt and be Matched with a Child



Submit Your Dossier to the Central Authority

After USCIS determines that you are suitable and eligible to adopt and approves the Form I-800A application, your adoption service provider will provide your approval notice, home study, and any other required information to the adoption authority in China as part of your adoption application. China’s adoption authority will review your application to determine whether you are also suitable and eligible to adopt under China’s law.



Receive a Referral for a Child from the Central Authority

If both the United States and China determine that you are suitable and eligible to adopt, and China’s Central Authority for Convention adoptions has determined that a child is available for adoption and that intercountry adoption is in that child’s best interests, the Central Authority for Convention adoptions in China may provide you with a referral for a child. The referral is a proposed match between you and a specific child based on a review of your dossier and the needs of the child. The adoption authority in China will provide a background study and other information, if available, about the child to help you decide whether to accept the referral or not. We encourage families to consult with a medical professional and their adoption service provider to understand the needs of the specific child but family must decide for itself whether or not it will be able to meet the needs of, and provide a permanent home for, a specific child and must conform to the recommendations in the home study submitted to USCIS for the number of children and capacity to deal with any disability-related needs of an adoptive child. Learn more about Health Considerations. If you accept the referral, the adoption service provider communicates that to the Central Authority in China. Learn more about this critical decision.



Prospective adoptive parents either accept or refuse a referral and send the document to their agency, which forwards it to CCCWA. CCCWA requires a response on a referral within three months of sending a referral to a family. If PAPs are considering refusing a referral they should work with their ASP to approach CCCWA for second referral. CCCWA will only accept requests for a second referral is the CCCWA considers the reason for rejecting the first referral to be justified. If the reason for the rejection is considered justifiable, such as a medical need that the prospective adoptive parents feel they cannot meet, the CCCWA may refer a second child to the prospective adoptive parents within a month's time. If CCCWA regards the rejection as unreasonable, the prospective adoptive parents will have difficulty obtaining a second referral and CCCWA may suggest that the prospective adoptive parents withdraw their application for adoption in China.



Requirements for Adopting Children with disabilities or older children: Once prospective adoptive parents decide to accept a referral of a child with disabilities or an older child, they have 72 hours to fill out the necessary forms to complete their pre-approval application. Prospective adoptive parents can review the case, including the medical and growth records and a photo of the child. The specific medical or other needs of the child is documented in the referral and the prospective adoptive parents can decide if they can meet the child's needs; for example, whether their insurance would cover the child's medical needs, and whether they themselves are able to provide any educational or rehabilitative support, etc. If the prospective adoptive parents decide they are able to meet this child's needs, they indicate such to the CCCWA and from that point onward they have 72 hours to fill out the necessary forms to complete the dossier. If the prospective adoptive parents have not completed the forms and submitted them within 72 hours, the child's name goes back on the list and other prospective adoptive parents can review that child's file. For detailed information, please consult your adoption service provider.



4. Apply to USCIS for the Child to be Found Provisionally Eligible for Immigration to the United States as a Convention Adoptee and Receive U.S. Agreement to Proceed with the Adoption



Submit a Petition for a Determination on the Child’s Immigration Eligibility

After you accept being matched with a particular child, you will apply to USCIS for provisional approval for the child to immigrate to the United States by filing the Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative. USCIS will make a provisional determination as to whether the child appears to meet the definition of a Convention adoptee and will likely be eligible to enter and remain in the United States.



Submit an Immigrant Visa Application

After provisional approval of Form I-800 petition, you or your adoption service provider will submit a visa application to the consular section of the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou responsible for issuing immigrant visas to children from China.



You should receive a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and assigning a case number and an invoice ID number. Use this information to log into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) to file the Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) for your child. You should fill out these forms in your prospective adoptive child's name. Answer every item on the form. If information is not applicable, please write “N/A” in the block. Please review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact the NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov or +1-603-334-0700 if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form. A consular officer will review the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and the visa application and, if applicable, advises you of options for the waiver of any ineligibilities related to the visa application.



Warning: Do not attempt to adopt of a child in China before you receive provisional approval of your Form I-800 petition AND a U.S. consular officer issues the “Article 5/17 Letter” for your adoption case.



Remember: The consular officer will make a final decision about a child’s eligibility for an immigrant visa later in the adoption process.



5. Adopt the Child in China



Remember: Before you adopt or obtain legal custody of a child in China, you must have completed the above four steps. Only after completing these steps can you proceed to finalize the adoption or a grant of legal custody by China for the purposes of emigration and adoption. The process for finalizing the adoption [or obtaining legal custody] in China generally includes the following:



Role of Adoption Authority: The CCCWA as the Chinese Central Authority:

Regulates and monitors intercountry adoptions, and implements the Hague Adoption Convention in China; Provides information regarding children available for intercountry adoption; Authorizes Adoption Service Providers; and Issues “Letters of Seeking Confirmation” and "Notices of Coming to China for Adoption" The Ministry of Civil Affairs Administers the provincial Departments of Civil Affairs, which issue the final adoption certificate; and Licenses Child Welfare Institutes (CWI) and SWIs which place children for intercountry adoption.

Role of Adoption Agencies: Accredited agencies and approved persons facilitate case specific communication with, and submit supporting documentation on behalf of PAPs to, CCCWA.

Accredited agencies and approved persons facilitate case specific communication with, and submit supporting documentation on behalf of PAPs to, CCCWA. Time Frame: The time between when the adoption process commences and when a match is completed may vary based on the specific circumstances of the case and availability of necessary documents. In general, intercountry adoption of a healthy infant may take 9 or more years to be matched with a child. Intercountry adoptions involving a child with special needs generally may take between six months to two years.

The time between when the adoption process commences and when a match is completed may vary based on the specific circumstances of the case and availability of necessary documents. In general, intercountry adoption of a healthy infant may take 9 or more years to be matched with a child. Intercountry adoptions involving a child with special needs generally may take between six months to two years. Adoption Application: Adoption application letter (submitted with dossier through ASP). See full list of documents required below.

Adoption application letter (submitted with dossier through ASP). See full list of documents required below. Adoption Fees:

We encourage prospective adoptive parents to obtain detailed receipts for all fees and donations paid, either directly or through your U.S. adoption service provider, and to raise any concerns regarding any payment that you believe may be contrary to the Convention, U.S. law, or the law of China with your adoption service provider, or, when appropriate, through the Complaint Registry. For more information in this regard, please refer to information concerning the Complaint Registry. Improper payments may violate applicable law or create the appearance of child buying, and could put all future adoptions from China at risk. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, for instance, makes it unlawful to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business. Further, the IAA makes certain actions relating to intercountry adoptions unlawful, and subject to civil and criminal penalties. These include offering, giving, soliciting, or accepting inducement by way of compensation intended to influence or affect the relinquishment of parental rights, parental consent relating to adoption of a child, a decision by an entity performing a central authority function or a decision by an accrediting entity with respect to accreditation of an agency or approval of a person.



In the adoption services contract that you sign at the beginning of the adoption process, your agency will itemize the fees and estimated expenses related to your adoption process.



Some of the fees specifically associated with adopting from China include:



The authentication/legalization of documents by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in the United States costs $10 per document, whether the document is one or multiple pages. The fee is for authentication of the seal.



The initial CCCWA service fee is $1100, plus $350 for translation of the documents submitted in the dossier. For step-children who are being adopted by a step-parent, the service fee is $800, and there is no translation fee. The translations can be done in the United States or China, however, the CCCWA advises that the translations must be correct and that CCCWA will rectify, and charge for correcting any errors.



Fees for issuance of certificates, and for notarization of those certificates, may vary based on province.



Note: The certificate approving the adoption, birth certificate and abandonment certificate normally come together in a packet notarized by the provincial notary office. The U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou no longer requests the notarized adoption certificate but still requires the birth certificate and abandonment certificate to be notarized. Many provincial notary offices still issue these three notaries as a package. Additional documents may be required (e.g., death certificates, if applicable) but the cost of issuance and notarization of such documents is not included in this fee.



Chinese passports cost $25 for the normal 15-working-day issuance. Charges for expedited service differ by province.



Individual Children's Welfare Institutes (if where the child lives before adoption) may charge 35,000 RMB (approximately $5,000 dollars in local currency) as a combined donation to the institution and a fee for caring for the child.



U.S. adoptive parent(s) who believe that they were compelled at any point during the adoption process to pay exorbitant fees not in of keeping with the general information provided in this information sheet should notify the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou.

We encourage prospective adoptive parents to obtain detailed receipts for all fees and donations paid, either directly or through your U.S. adoption service provider, and to raise any concerns regarding any payment that you believe may be contrary to the Convention, U.S. law, or the law of China with your adoption service provider, or, when appropriate, through the Complaint Registry. For more information in this regard, please refer to information concerning the Complaint Registry. Improper payments may violate applicable law or create the appearance of child buying, and could put all future adoptions from China at risk. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, for instance, makes it unlawful to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business. Further, the IAA makes certain actions relating to intercountry adoptions unlawful, and subject to civil and criminal penalties. These include offering, giving, soliciting, or accepting inducement by way of compensation intended to influence or affect the relinquishment of parental rights, parental consent relating to adoption of a child, a decision by an entity performing a central authority function or a decision by an accrediting entity with respect to accreditation of an agency or approval of a person. In the adoption services contract that you sign at the beginning of the adoption process, your agency will itemize the fees and estimated expenses related to your adoption process. Some of the fees specifically associated with adopting from China include: The authentication/legalization of documents by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in the United States costs $10 per document, whether the document is one or multiple pages. The fee is for authentication of the seal. The initial CCCWA service fee is $1100, plus $350 for translation of the documents submitted in the dossier. For step-children who are being adopted by a step-parent, the service fee is $800, and there is no translation fee. The translations can be done in the United States or China, however, the CCCWA advises that the translations must be correct and that CCCWA will rectify, and charge for correcting any errors. Fees for issuance of certificates, and for notarization of those certificates, may vary based on province. Note: The certificate approving the adoption, birth certificate and abandonment certificate normally come together in a packet notarized by the provincial notary office. The U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou no longer requests the notarized adoption certificate but still requires the birth certificate and abandonment certificate to be notarized. Many provincial notary offices still issue these three notaries as a package. Additional documents may be required (e.g., death certificates, if applicable) but the cost of issuance and notarization of such documents is not included in this fee. Chinese passports cost $25 for the normal 15-working-day issuance. Charges for expedited service differ by province. Individual Children's Welfare Institutes (if where the child lives before adoption) may charge 35,000 RMB (approximately $5,000 dollars in local currency) as a combined donation to the institution and a fee for caring for the child. U.S. adoptive parent(s) who believe that they were compelled at any point during the adoption process to pay exorbitant fees not in of keeping with the general information provided in this information sheet should notify the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou. Documents Required: Adoption application letter. Birth certificate(s) of the prospective adoptive parent(s). Marital status statement - Either a marriage certificate, divorce or death certificate (if applicable) or statement of single status is required. Certificates of profession, income and property which may include; verification of employment and salary; bank statements; a copy of your property trust deeds, if applicable. All documents must be notarized or certified. Health examination certificate(s) of the prospective adoptive parent(s). Certificate(s) of criminal or no-criminal record - A certificate of good conduct for the adoptive parent(s) from a local police department notarized or bearing the police department seal and authenticated. An FBI report is acceptable in lieu of a local police record. This is separate from the FBI check conducted by USCIS as part of the petition process. You can request an FBI record check by sending two sets of fingerprints, an $18 money order, your full name, date and place of birth, social security number and letter of request explaining purpose for clearance to: FBI ID Division, Room 10104, Washington, DC 20537-9700. The FBI certificate should also be authenticated. Home study report. Certificate of child adoption approval by the competent department of the adopter's country of residence, also known as the Department of Homeland Security Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services I-797 Notice of Action on an I-800A application along with copies of the U.S. passport(s) of the prospective adoptive parent(s). Each applicant parent should also submit two front-view photos and several other photos reflecting the family's life in the United States. Power of attorney notarized and authenticated (if only one spouse will travel to China). In case of married couples, if only one adopting parent comes to China, Chinese law requires that the spouse traveling bring a power of attorney from his/her spouse, notarized and properly authenticated by Chinese Embassy or one of the Chinese consulates general in the United States.

Note: Additional documents may be requested.

Additional documents may be requested.

6. Apply for a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child and Bring Your Child Home



Now that your adoption is complete there are a few more steps to take before your child can head home. Specifically, you need to apply for three documents before your child can travel to the United States:



Birth Certificate

If you have finalized the adoption in China, you will first need to apply for a birth certificate for your child so that you can later apply for a passport.



Requirements vary from province to province. The SWIs and ASPs help adopting parents obtain birth certificates and Chinese passports. Birth certificates always have birth-parents’ names if known or otherwise state “unknown.” Authorities do not put in adopting parents’ names in the birth certificate.



Chinese Passport

Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or passport from China. The Social Welfare Institute (SWI) will assist in obtaining a passport from the Public Security Bureau in the city of SWI for the prospective adoptee.



U.S. Immigrant Visa



After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child, you also need to finalize your application for a U.S. visa for your child from the U.S.Consulate General in Guangzhou, China. After the adoption or custody for purposes of emigration and adoption is granted, visit the U.S. Consulate General for a final review of the case, and if applicable, the issuance of a U.S. Hague Adoption Certificate or Hague Custody Certificate, the final approval of the Form I-800 petition, and to obtain your child’s immigrant visa. This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you and be admitted to the United States as your child. Please contact the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou by email at ACIVUappointment@state.gov to schedule your child’s immigrant visa appointment. As part of this process, you must provide the consular officer with the Panel Physician’s medical report on the child if you did not provide it during the provisional approval stage. Read more about the Medical Examination in China here.



Before coming for your child’s immigrant visa interview, please be sure to complete an Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) online at the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC). You should receive a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and assigning a case number and an invoice ID number. You will need this information to log into CEAC to file the DS-260 for your child. An adoptive parent should fill out these forms in your child's name. Answer every item on the form. If information is not applicable, please write “N/A” in the block. Print and bring the DS-260 form confirmation page to the visa interview. Please review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact the NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov or +1-603-334-0700 if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.



Please visit the U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou’s website for the latest information on appointment scheduling and visa procedures.





CHILD CITIZENSHIP ACT

For adoptions finalized abroad prior to the child’s admission into the United States: An adopted child residing in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent residence generally will acquire U.S. citizenship automatically if the child otherwise meets the requirements of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, including that the child is under the age of eighteen.

For adoptions finalized after the child’s entry into the United States: You will need to complete an adoption following your child’s entry into the United States and before the child turns eighteen for the child (if he or she otherwise meets the requirements of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000) to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship.



Read more about the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.