Deciding on an Adoption Pathway

International/intercountry adoption: A U.S. citizen adopting a child from outside of the country is known as international or intercountry adoption. Children available for intercountry adoption are often living in orphanages or group homes and all attempts to place them with relatives or other non-related adults within their home country have been exhausted. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) oversees the approval of prospective adoptive parents looking to adopt and the eligibility of children to immigrate to the United States. Additionally, each “sending country” has their own set of eligibility requirements for adoptive parents, such as age, marital status, sexuality, health status,  number of children already in the home, and more. The needs of the children available for adoption differ by country program as do their ages, medical conditions, and other factors.