International open adoptions require a lot of paperwork.
International open adoption is a wonderful way to build a family -- and a complicated legal and clerical process. You should engage the services of an adoption agency or an adoption lawyer to help you understand which documents and legal procedures will be necessary in your specific case, but most of the forms you'll need are common among all international adoptions.
Documents About You
The first thing you'll need to do is obtain a homestudy, or a procedure in which an approved social worker visits your home and interviews you to determine whether your home and family will make a suitable environment for a child. After the homestudy is complete, your social worker will type up a document summarizing her findings and, if applicable, stating that she believes you are good candidates for adoption. You will receive a copy of this document and need to present it along with your other paperwork. If you are adopting from a Hague country, you will also need to fill out the Department of State's Form 1-800A (Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country). This form asks questions about your identity, citizenship, and personal history and will be reviewed by the State Department. The Department of State's Form I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) asks for similar information. It is not mandatory, but may expedite your adoption process if filled out.
Petition to Classify as Immediate Relative
Once you have been matched with a child, you will need Form I-800 (Petition to Classify Petition Adoptee as Immediate Relative) if you are adopting from a Hague Convention Country. If you are adopting from a non-Convention country, you will need Form I-600 (Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative).
Medical Documents
Typically, anyone who immigrates to the United States must have received certain vaccinations before they can enter the country. Children who are being adopted are generally allowed to get these vaccinations after they arrive; to ensure this, you will need to fill out Department of State form DS-1981 (Affidavit Concerning Exemption from Immigrant Vaccination Requirements for a Foreign Adopted Child). Other documents concerning the child's medical state may be necessary, depending on the circumstances of the adoption; for information on this, talk to your agency.
Documents Concerning Visas and Citizenship
In order to arrange for a child to receive the visa that will allow them to enter the United States, you will need Form DS-230 (Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration). To prepare your child to receive citizenship once he is here, you'll need Form DS-5509 (Application for U.S. Hague Adoption Certificate or Custody Declaration), Form I-134 (Affidavit of Support), Form N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship), and Form N-600K (Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322).
Documents Concerning Openness
In all open adoptions, an agreement between the adoptive and birth families regarding the type and frequency of contact they will have should be put in writing. The format of this agreement is more flexible than the government-issue forms mentioned above. Look to your agency and attorney for instructions and advice on negotiating with your child's birth relatives, formulating and formalizing the agreement.
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