LIBERIAN ADOPTION INFORMATION PAGE

ADOPTIVE PARENT REQUIREMENTS:

Any adult who has an approved International Homestudy may adopt in Liberia. There are no marriage requirements, no age requirements, no family size restrictions.

Boys and girls from infant to sixteen years of age may be adopted. The place of birth and residence are irrelevant of the adoptive parent

WACSN ADOPTION REQUIREMENTS

WACSN is committed to work exlusively with:

*Devout Born Again Christian Families who believe that Jesus is the one and only Saviour of the world and who hold the Holy Bible as the only written word of GOD withpit error.

*Married couples who live with each other in harmony

*Single Christian Sister or Brothers who live alone.

• The adoptive or prospective adoptive parent must be an American citizen;
• The child must be under the age of 16 at the time an I-600 Petition is filed with the BCIS on his or her behalf;
• If the adoptive or prospective adoptive parent is married, his or her spouse must also be a party to the adoption;
• If the adoptive or prospective adoptive parent is single, he or she must be at least 25 years of age;
• The child must be an orphan, as defined by U.S. regulations. Although the definition of an orphan found in many dictionaries is "A child whose parents are dead," U.S. immigration law and regulations provide for a somewhat broader definition. Children who do not qualify under this definition, however, may not immigrate to the U.S. as an orphan even if legally adopted by an American Citizen. The Department of State encourages Americans to consider if a particular child is an orphan according to U.S. immigration law and regulations before proceeding with an adoption. A detailed description of the orphan definition used by BCIS can be found on BCIS's web site at http://www.uscis.gov.

U.S. IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES FOR ORPHANS:

THE ORPHAN PETITION

A WACSN adoptive parent must file Form I-600A Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition with the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (BCIS) office having jurisdiction over their place of residence. This form allows the most time-consuming part of the process to be completed in advance, even before the parent has located a child to adopt. In addition, a parent who has an approved I-600A must file an I-600 in person at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia .

Detailed information about filing these forms can be found on BCIS`s web site at http://www.uscis.gov. Americans who have adopted or hope to adopt a child from Liberia should request, at the time they file these forms, that BCIS notify the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia as soon as the form is approved. U.S. consular officers may not begin processing an orphan adoption case until they have received formal notification of approval from an BCIS office in the US.

FILING THE I-600 (ORPHAN PETITION):

An  I-600 (Orphan Petition) must be filed on behalf of the adopted child after the adoption is completed in Liberia. The I-600 must be presented in person at the US Embassy by the adoptive parent(s) . WACSN requires that at least one parent travel to Liberia to file their I-600. The I-600 work and visa processing work is combined during the adoptive parents visit to Liberia and thereby shorten the length of time that a child is waiting to go home. .

VISA PROCESSING AT A GLANCE:

Once you have received your I-600a approval your immigration officer will send a notice of your approval to the US Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia.

VISA APPLICATION:

A visa application will be made on your child`s behalf once you have notified WACSN that you have your I-600a approval. When the Embassy has received your I-600a approval from your immigration officer and teh visa application from WACSN they will open a file on the adopted child  place it into their system. It is extremely important that you notify WACSN about your I-600a approval as soon as possible so that your child`s visa application can be submitted in a timely manner.

The Orphan Investigation:

One part of the petition process that BCIS cannot complete in advance is the "orphan investigation". An orphan investigation Form I-604 Report on Overseas Orphan Investigation) is required in all orphan adoption cases - even if an I-600 has already been approved - and serves to verify that the child is an orphan as defined by US immigration law. This investigation is performed by a consular officer at the time of the child's immigrant visa interview. .

VISA MEDICAL:

Part of the visa processing includes a visa medical which is ordered by the US Embassy. The adopted child must be presented to an Embassy approved doctor and receive a overall physical exam and testing for HIV, TB, and most types but not all types of HP. The medical results are sealed and returned to the US Embassy and are not made available to the adoptive parents.

VISA INTERVIEW:

Once the Orphan invesitagaion and the Visa Medical have been completed, the US Embassy will set up a Visa Interview for the adopted child. During this interview the US Counsular will review the adopted child1s adoption papers and the adoptive parent(s) dossier (see document check list). The counsular may also interview the adoptive parents (If present), the adopted child, and immediare relatives of the adopted childinto  if so  desired.

VISA DECISION:

After the visa interview the US Consular will make a determination on the visa application. If the visa is approved a visa for the adopted child will be ordered and the Embassy will instruct the adoptive parent(s) or their agent when the visa will be ready. Although every adoptive family is required to be in Liberia for a 2 week stay, there may be times when the US Embassy`s work load will lengthen the Liberian stay. This is rare but it can happen, so stay flexible with your travel!

TYPE OF VISA:

DISCLAIMER: