In the event that you come to the important decision of adopting a child – more specifically, adopting a child from another country – there are many things to consider beforehand. Adoption laws vary by country, which is why it’s best to have an attorney versed in both countries’ laws. LOIT & Associates is a Jalisco and Texas-based Mexican adoption lawyer that can handle your case thoroughly and with understanding.
Firstly, you must be eligible to actually adopt a child under the laws of the United States of America. The one federal agency that is responsible for making such an important determination is the USCIS, or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This agency is part of the Department of Homeland Security. Until the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is able to successfully determine that you are eligible to adopt a child from another country, under absolutely no circumstances are you permitted to bring an adopted child into the United States. This also applies to any child for which you may have gained legal custody for the purposes of both adoption and immigration.
There are a specific set of requirements that you will have to meet in order to be able to bring a foreign-born child that you’ve adopted into the United States to live with you. Here are some of the most basic requirements:
- You must be a legal United States citizen.
- You must be at least 25 years of age and at least 17 years older than the child if you are not married at the time of the adoption.
- If you are married, the child must be jointly adopted, and only one parent is required to meet the previously-mentioned age requirement. This is also the case if you are separated, but are not divorced. Furthermore, your spouse must either be a legal United States citizen or have legal status in the United States.
- You must meet a specific set of requirements that will help to determine whether you are suitable to be a possible adoptive parent. This includes submitting to a home study, fingerprinting, and criminal background checks.
- You must be able to demonstrate that you will have the financial means to support a child that you want to adopt, such as submitting evidence including bank statements, pay stubs, photos of your home, and more. Generally, these documents will be presented as part of the court process.
On top of qualifying to be able to adopt a foreign-born child under the laws of the United States, you will also be required to meet all of the requirements imposed by your home state involving possible adoptive parents. You can contact your local child welfare agency in order to obtain more information regarding what these requirements are, as they may vary depending on the location in which you currently reside.
As it pertains to the exactly country in which you will be adopting a child from, each one will no doubt have their own specific set of requirements for those who are seeking to adopt. The best way to obtain this type of information is to contact the United States Embassy and Consulates in the country that you are considering adopting from so that you will be able to remain as informed as possible.
If you are looking to adopt a child from Mexico, either relative or not blood related, make sure you contact an experienced Mexican adoption lawyer first. You will need an attorney that can help you navigate the business laws of both the United States and Mexico. We are based in both Jalisco and Texas and handle cases about documents, immigration, family law, personal injury, real estate, and more.