INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION


CHINA

February 2006

Disclaimer: The following is intended as a very general guide to assist U.S. citizens who plan to adopt a child from a foreign country and apply for an immigrant visa for the child to travel to the United States. Two sets of laws are particularly relevant: 1) the laws of the child’s country of birth govern all activity in that country including the adoptability of individual children as well as the adoption of children in country in general; and 2) U.S. Federal immigration law governs the immigration of the child to the United States.

The information in this flyer relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is based on public sources and our current understanding. It does not necessarily reflect the actual state of the laws of a child’s country of birth and is provided for general information only. Moreover, U.S. immigration law, including regulations and interpretation, changes from time to time. This flyer reflects our current understanding of the law as of this date and is not legally authoritative. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.

Prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services.  For U.S.- based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adoptive parents contact the Better Business Bureau and/or the licensing office of the appropriate state government agency in the U.S. state where the agency is located or licensed. 

PLEASE NOTE: Chinese authorities are extremely sensitive about the operation of foreign entities in China.  Moreover, adoption is also a sensitive subject in China.It is therefore advisable for any person interested in adopting a child from China to act with discretion and decorum.  High-profile attention to adoption in China could curtail or eliminate altogether adoption of Chinese children by persons from countries, including the United States, that have caused adoption to become the subject of public attention.

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

Chinese adoption law is very clear on which categories of children are eligible for adoption and what types of prospective adoptive parents China deems acceptable. These issues are discussed in further detail elsewhere in this flyer.

Only adoptions fully completed in China are permitted.  It is not possible under Chinese law to obtain guardianship of a Chinese child for later adoption in the United States.

The Chinese and U.S. authorities involved in the adoption and immigration process review each case individually to ensure that the child and the prospective adoptive family have met all of both countries’ legal requirements.  U.S. citizens considering adopting from China are strongly encouraged to contact U.S. consular officials in Guangzhou before formalizing an adoption agreement.  This will help to ensure that appropriate procedures have been followed, thus increasing the likelihood that the child will be eligible for a U.S. immigrant visa.

In September 2005, China ratified the Hague Convention on intercountry adoption.  The U.S. has signed the Convention and is working towards ratification and implementation.  The Chinese government has assured the U.S. Government that adoptions between China and the United States will continue uninterrupted despite the fact that China has ratified and the U.S. has not.

AVAILABILITY OF CHILDREN FOR ADOPTION:  To be eligible for adoption, Chinese children must first be identified and approved by the China Centre of Adoption Affairs (CCAA).  The CCAA matches individual children with prospective adoptive parent(s) whose completed applications have been submitted to the CCAA by a CCAA-licensed U.S. adoption agency whose credentials are on file at the CCAA. 


Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to Chinese orphans:

 

Fiscal Year

Number of Immigrant Visas Issued

FY 2005

7906

FY 2004

7044

FY 2003

6859

FY 2002

6119

FY 2001

4681

 

CHINESE ADOPTION AUTHORITY: The government office with overall responsibility for adoptions in China is the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and specifically the China Centre of Adoption Affairs (CCAA).  In addition, Child Welfare Institutes (roughly the equivalent of orphanages), the Civil Affairs Bureau, Chinese government notarial offices, and the Public Security Bureau are also involved. 


The China Centre of Adoption Affairs (CCAA)
103 Beiheyan St.
Dongcheng District
Beijing 100006
Phone: 86-10-6522-3102
86-10-6513-0607
Website: www.china-ccaa.org
Email: mail@ccaa.cn

Department of Civil Affairs
No. 147 Beiheyan St.
Beijing, 100032
 

Notarial Offices:  The provincial Notarial Offices, which are administered by the Ministry of Justice, Department of Notarization Division (No. 10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Beijing 100020 China) issue the final adoption certificate.  [Note: Detailed information about the role of the Notarial Offices may be found further down in this flyer, in the step-by-step analysis of the Chinese adoption process.]

Public Security Bureau:  The Public Security Bureau in the locality where the adoption takes place is responsible for issuing Chinese passports and exit permits to children adopted by U.S. citizens and other foreigners.  [Note: Detailed information about the role of the Notarial Offices may be found further down in this flyer, in the step-by-step analysis of the Chinese adoption process.]

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOPTIVE PARENTS:

Age of Children:  Chinese law allows for the adoption of children up to and including age 13; children ages 14 and up may not be adopted. 

Civil Status of Prospective Adoptive Parents:  Chinese law permits adoption by married couples (one man, one woman) and single heterosexual persons.  Chinese law prohibits homosexual individuals or couples from adopting Chinese children.

Residency: China does not require that prospective adoptive parents reside in China for a specified period prior to completing an adoption.  However, in order to finalize the adoption, at least one adopting parent must travel to China to execute the required documents in person before the appropriate Chinese authorities. If the prospective adoptive parents are married, they must adopt the child jointly.  If only one member of an adopting married couple travels to China, that person must have in his/her possession a power of attorney from the other spouse, notarized and authenticated by the Chinese Embassy in Washington or one of the Chinese Consulates General elsewhere in the United States.http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/t84229.htm

TIME FRAME:  It is hard to predict with certainty how much time is required to complete an adoption in China.  The time frames provided in this flyer are intended as guidelines only, and the specific circumstances of each case could affect significantly how long it takes.

As of February 2006, adoptions were taking approximately ten to twelve months from the time the U.S. adoption agency submitted the paperwork of the prospective adopter to CCAA to the time the CCAA gave the prospective adoptive parent(s) their initial referral.  Cases involving children with special needs may take longer. 

After the referral is sent and the prospective parent(s) accept the child (see the step-by-step description of the Chinese adoption process, below), four to eight more weeks are likely to elapse before the CCAA gives the prospective adoptive parents final approval to travel to China. 

With regard to time required in China, the CCAA has advised local officials to try to complete the process within 15 days after the arrival of the prospective parent(s) in China. The Chinese passport, exit permits, and U.S. visa process can take another 7-10 days after the adoption is finalized. Some U.S. families have been able to complete the in-country process, including obtaining the U.S. immigrant visa for the adoptive child, in approximately two weeks.

CHINESE ADOPTION FEES:  Fees charged by Chinese authorities in connection with foreign adoptions may vary depending on the province where the child is adopted. However, for each adoption, there are standard fees that adoptive parents must pay.

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

2. The initial CCAA fee is US$365, plus US$200 for translation of the documents submitted in the dossier.  (The translations can be done in the United States or China; however, the CCAA advises that the translations must be "correct" and that CCAA will "rectify," and charge for the rectification of, any errors.)

3. Fees for the issuance of the registration of the adoption by the Civil Affairs Bureau: US $30 (charge for expedited issuance differs in different provinces). 

4. Fees for issuance of the Chinese-notarized certificate approving the adoption, birth certificate and abandonment certificate may vary based on province.  Note: these documents normally come together in a packet notarized by the provincial notary office. The Guangzhou Consulate no longer request the notarized adoption certificate but still require the birth certificate and abandonment certificate to be notarized but many provincial notary offices still issue these three notaries as a package. Additional documents such as death certificates (for the orphan’s parents) or additional investigation is not included in this fee

5. Chinese passports cost US$25 for normal 15-working-day issuance.   (The extra charge for expedited issuance differs from province to province..)

6. Individual Children's Welfare Institutes (where the child has been living prior to being adopted) may charge from US$3000 to $5000 as a combined donation to the institution and a fee for having raised and cared for the child.  It is the experience of the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou that the assessed fees are reasonable based on the local economy and the costs associated with raising a child in China.

7.  Some U.S. families who have adopted in China have reported being required to pay additional charges of up to US$500 for transportation (if the orphanage staff travels to the capital with the child) or expedited processing of documents.

U.S. adoptive parent(s) who believe that they were compelled at any point during the adoption process to pay exorbitant fees out of keeping with the general outline provided in this flyer should notify the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou.

CHINESE ADOPTION PROCEDURES: 

Note:  Many U.S. adoption agencies are very familiar with Chinese adoption procedures and may have specific advice for their own clients, such as on how best to submit applications to the CCAA or when to travel to China.  In addition to reading this flyer carefully for a basic outline of Chinese and U.S. procedures, check with your particular adoption agency to obtain more information about its own procedures during the Chinese adoption process.

1.  A CCAA-licensed agency may submit adoption applications directly to the CCAA for consideration.  A listing of CCAA-licensed agencies can be found on http://www.china-ccaa.org/  Included with the application should be all the required documents along with authentications and translations.  In addition, each application should indicate any preferences the prospective adoptive parents may have about the child’s age, sex, physical/medical condition, or region of origin within China.  The application package should also include a cover letter, written along the lines found at the following web site:  http://www.gwca.org/adoption/faqs/p_faq.php?faq=30.

2.  The CCAA reviews the documents and advises the prospective adoptive parent(s) – either directly or through their adoption agency – whether additional documents or authentications are required.

3.  Once the CCAA approves the application, it matches the application with a specific child.  The CCAA then sends the prospective adoptive parent(s) a letter of introduction about the child, including photographs and the child’s health record.  This document is commonly called a ‘referral.’  Prospective adoptive parents who still have questions about the child after reviewing this information may follow up with the CCAA either directly or via their adoption agency.

4.  Prospective adoptive parent(s) then either accept or refuse the referral and send the document to their agency, which forwards it to CCAA.  CCAA requires a response on a referral within 45 days of sending a referral to a family.  If prospective adoptive parent(s) are considering refusing a referral they should discuss with their agency the possibility of getting a second referral.    (Please note that all communications with CCAA must be done via the adoption agency.)  CCAA will only accept referral rejections if there is a justified explanation provided. If the reason for the rejection is considered justifiable (such as a medical problem), then CCAA will refer the second child to the PAPs within a month’s time.  If CCAA regards the rejection as unreasonable, the PAPs will have difficulty obtaining a second referral and CCAA is more likely to suggest that the PAPs withdraw their application for adoption in China. 

5.  Prospective adoptive parents who have accepted a specific referred child will receive an approval notice from the CCAA ("Notice of Coming to China for Adoption").  This document will bear the "chops," or red-inked seals of the CCAA.  Prospective parents must have this approval notice in hand before departing for China to finalize the adoption. 

Important Note:  Prior to traveling to China, prospective adoptive parents must also already have been in contact with the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) and must have an approved I-600A form.  (See the “U.S. Immigration Requirements” section below for additional information.)

6.  With the CCAA’s sealed approval notice in hand, prospective adoptive parents arriving in China may proceed directly to the city in China where the Civil Affairs Bureau with jurisdiction over the appropriate Children's Welfare Institute is located.

Although the CCAA is headquartered in Beijing, prospective adoptive parents will not be required to travel to Beijing during this process. The CCAA will have already forwarded a copy of the adoption approval notice to the locality where the child resides.  Local Child Welfare Institutes, provincial Civil Affairs officials and Chinese notarial offices will not process adoptions unless they have seen this notice allowing the prospective adoptive parents take legal custody of the child.

Americans adopting in China will usually meet with a notary in the provincial capital for an informal interview before they notarize documents such as birth certificates or abandonment certificates. Chinese Adoption law does not require notarization of the adoption documents (birth certificate, and abandonment), but the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou does. The notary may conduct a brief interview with the prospective parents prior to notarizing the documents.   This is not uncommon.   A Chinese notary is not comparable to a notary public in the United States, but rather is an official with broad responsibilities. An interpreter supplied by the Child Welfare Institute is usually present.  Meetings are held in the notary's office in a non-courtroom-like setting. Common questions relate to the prospective adoptive parents’ motivations for adopting a Chinese child; whether the family already has other children and if not, why not, and what assurances China has that the child will be treated appropriately.

In all cases an interview at a registry office is conducted. According to Chinese Adoption Law, adoptive parents must meet with the adoption registry office to finalize the adoption. Sometimes prospective adoptive parent(s) are asked to write a paragraph or a page on the reasons for the adoption and their plans for the child.  Sometimes the local notary in the city where the Children's Welfare Institute is located meets with the parents and conducts a final interview in which questions similar to those posed at the provincial level are asked.  In some instances, the notary or registry officials have indicated to American prospective adoptive parents that Beijing's approval had been sought and obtained for their adoptions, in accordance with the procedures of the CCAA.

Prospective adoptive parents may request to see the child before completing the adoption.  If such a visit with the child leads them to have additional questions about the child’s health, background, etc., it is important to resolve these before finalizing the adoption.  Please note that although U.S. law requires that a physician from the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General's list of physicians will examine the child before a visa may be issued, the lack of legal custody or guardianship under Chinese law before the adoption is finalized makes it highly unlikely that prospective parents will be able to take the child to a distant city such as Beijing or Guangzhou for a pre-adoption medical examination.

7.  The next step, after the prospective adoptive parents have completed their interviews with the various Chinese government offices, is to complete the adoption.  At this point, the adopting parents will be required to make a fixed “donation” of US$3000 to $5000 to the Children’s Welfare Institute where the child was being raised prior to the adoption.  [Note:  This is not a bribe, and U.S. prospective adoptive parents should not consider it such.  As was noted earlier in this flyer, individual Children's Welfare Institutes may charge this fee as a combined donation to the institution and as compensation for having raised and cared for the child up to the point of adoption.  It is the experience of the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou that the assessed fees are reasonable based on the local economy and the costs associated with raising a child in China.]

As part of finalizing the adoption, prospective adoptive parents will have to sign agreements with the Child Welfare Institute, register the adoption at the provincial Civil Affairs Bureau, and pay all of the remaining required fees.  When the notarial office in the child's place of residence approves the adoption, that office issues a notarized certificate of adoption, a notarized birth certificate and either notarized death certificate(s) for the child's biological parent(s) or a statement of abandonment from the welfare institute. The adoptive relationship goes into effect on the day of the notarization.  Once the adoption is final, the adoptive parents are fully and legally responsible for the child.

8.  The final step in the process is for the Child Welfare Institute to obtain a Chinese passport and exit permit for the child from the Public Security Bureau with jurisdiction over the child’s place of residence at the time of the adoption.  The adopting parent(s) rarely have had to take care of the paperwork or visit the Ministry of Justice offices in this regard. Both of these documents will be required at the time of the U.S. immigrant visa interview in Guangzhou and in order for the child to be able to depart China with his/her new parents.  The local Public Security Bureau will normally expedite Chinese passport issuance for a stated fee.

 

CHINESE DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS:

Pre-adoption documents to be submitted in the initial CCAA dossier:

 

a) Adoption application letter
b) Birth certificate(s) of the prospective adoptive parent(s)
c) Marital status statement – Either a marriage certificate, divorce or death certificate (if applicable) or statement of single status is required.
d) Certificates of profession, income and property including; verification of employment and salary notarized and authenticated; a certified and authenticated copy of your property trust deeds, if applicable(not notarized?); Bank statements notarized/certified and authenticated
e) Health examination certificate(s) of the prospective adoptive parent(s)
f) 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.
g) Homestudy report
h) 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-171H Notice of Approval of an I-600A petition) along with copies of the U.S. passport(s) of the prospective adoptive parent(s)
i) Each applicant parent should also submit two front-view photos and several other photos reflecting the family's life in the United States.

Additional documents the prospective parents should bring to China

  • 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.
  • A copy of the I-171H form (I-600A approval notice from USCIS).

TRANSLATION REQUIREMENTS: All documents must be accompanied by a certified Mandarin Chinese translation.  For a $200 fee, the CCAA will provide the translation service. If a translated copy is submitted with the application, the translator must execute a statement before a notary public as to the validity of the translation. The notary's seal must be authenticated.

AUTHENTICATING U.S. DOCUMENTS TO BE USED ABROAD:  The language describing the process of authenticating U.S. documents to be used abroad is currently under review. Please click on the following link for more information until the new language is finalized. http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_840.html

 

U.S. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS

 

U.S. LAW

A Chinese child adopted by an American citizen must obtain an immigrant visa before he or she can enter the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.  Such a child could fall into one of two main categories, with different U.S. legal requirements applying in each scenario:

A Previously Adopted Child.  Section 101(b)(1)(E) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) defines an "adopted child" as one who was adopted under the age of 16 and who has been in the legal and physical custody of the adoptive parent(s) for at least two years.  Parents who can demonstrate that their adopted child meets this requirement may file an I-130 petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) office having jurisdiction over their place of residence in the United States.  Upon approval of the I-130 petition, the parent(s) may apply for an immigrant visa for the child at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. Please note: All immigrant visas for previously adopted children are processed by Guangzhou’s Immigrant Visa Unit and not the Adopted Children’s Immigrant Visa Unit (ACIVU), which only processes IR3 and IR4 visas for orphan children, not I-130 petitions. U.S. citizens who believe this category may apply to their previously adopted child should contact the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou for more information. 

An Orphan.  If an adopted child has not resided with the [prospective] adoptive parent for two years, or if the child has not yet even been adopted, the child must qualify under section 101(b)(1)(F) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act in order to apply for an immigrant visa.  [Please Note: This is a different definition of “orphan” than the Chinese government’s definition provided at the outset of this flyer.] 

The main requirements of this section are as follows:

  • The adoptive or prospective adoptive parent must be an American citizen (only the American citizen parent can file the orphan petition);
  • If the U.S. citizen adoptive or prospective adoptive parent is married, his/her spouse must also be a party to the adoption (but the second adoptive parent need not be a U.S. citizen);
  • If the adoptive or prospective adoptive parent is single, s/he/ must be at least 25 years old;
  • The child must be under age 16 when an I-600 petition is filed with USCIS on his/her behalf;
  • 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.  A child who does not qualify under this definition may not emigrate to the U.S. as an orphan even if a U.S. citizen has legally adopted him/her under the laws of the child’s country of origin.

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 USCIS can be found on USCIS's web site at http://www.uscis.gov .

FILING AN ORPHAN PETITION

CCAA in China does not allow for the pre-selection of children for adoption, so it is advisable for all adoptive parents to begin the adoption process by filing an “Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition” (Form I-600A) with the USCIS office having jurisdiction over their place of residence.  This form allows the most time-consuming part of the process to be completed in advance. A prospective adoptive parent with an approved I-600A may file an I-600 in person at the U.S. Consulate Guangzhou.

Adoptive parents who normally live outside of China, who have completed the Chinese adoption process, and who are in possession of a final adoption decree issued by a Chinese notarial office must file their I-600 petition at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou.  When the petition is filed at the Consulate in Guangzhou, the child and at least one of the prospective adoptive parents must be physically present in the consular district. All U.S. immigrant visa cases in China are reviewed and all applicants are interviewed in Guangzhou. 

Note:  Adoptive parents who normally reside in China should contact the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou for specific guidance on how and where to file their I-600 petitions.  

Married prospective adoptive parents do not both need to travel to China.  It is sufficient for only one member of the couple to go to China.  However, U.S. immigration law requires that both members of the couple sign the original I-600 petition after at least one of the prospective adoptive parents has seen the child.  Powers of attorney are not accepted for the purpose of the I-600.  The purpose of requiring both original signatures is to ensure both parents’ informed concurrence in the process.  In such cases, USCIS recommends that the non-traveling spouse retain the I-600 until the other spouse has notified him/her that the Chinese adoption procedures have been completed.  The non-traveling spouse may then sign the I-600 form and send it by international courier to the spouse in China for subsequent presentation at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou.  Children adopted in this manner may only be issued U.S. immigrant visas in category IR-4, which means that both parents must adopt/readopt the child in the United States.  This also has an effect on how and when the child acquires U.S. citizenship (see below). 

Detailed information about filing these forms can be found on USCIS's web site at http://www.uscis.gov.  Americans who have adopted or hope to adopt a child in China should request, at the time they file these forms, that USCIS notify the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. as soon as the form is approved. Upon receipt of such notification, the Adopted Child Immigrant Visa Unit at ConGen Guangzhou will contact the parents and provide additional instructions on the immigration process.  U.S. consular officers may not begin processing an orphan adoption case until they have received formal notification of approval from an USCIS office in the United States.

One part of the petition process that USCIS 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 U.S. immigration law. The staff of the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou conducts this investigation in conjunction with the child's immigrant visa interview.

APPLYING FOR THE CHILD’S IMMIGRANT VISA

I.  Scheduling the Immigrant Visa Interview

Prospective adoptive parents and/or their agency representative(s) should contact the U.S. Embassy in Guangzhou before departing the United States.  The U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou strongly advises adoption agencies and/or adoptive parent(s) to set an appointment for the immigrant visa interview, and not make final travel plans until the appointment has been confirmed in writing by email or fax.

Appointments can be scheduled using the U.S Consulate Guangzhou’s Appointment Form http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzhou/acivu/forms.html.  Appointment times are assigned on a first-come first-served basis so prospective adoptive parents and/or their agency representative are encouraged to contact the U.S. Consulate Guangzhou immediately after receiving "Notice of Coming to China for Adoption" from CCAA and before making travel plans to come to China. Appointment times are Monday through Thursday beginning at 9:00 a.m.  Parents should expect to spend 3-4 days in Guangzhou.  This is the average amount of time it takes to complete the child's medical examination and immigrant visa processing.

II.  Medical Examination

A physician from an approved list of doctors ("panel physicians") must perform the medical examination that the adoptive child needs as part of the immigrant visa process.  The medical examination can be performed in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, or Taishan.  The most convenient site for medical examinations in Guangzhou is:  Guangzhou Health and Quarantine Service, a modest walk from the main U.S Consulate General building, located at 33 Shamian North Road, telephone: 020-8188-9513.  The panel physician reports the results of the examination using a form provided by the Adopted Children’s Immigrant Visa Unit that will be given to the prospective adoptive parent(s) and to adoption facilitator.

III.  Documentation

All families will need to take the following to the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou for their immigrant visa interviews:

  • A valid Chinese passport and Chinese exit permit
  • The results of the medical examination conducted by one of the Consulate’s “panel physicians”
  • Two 1¾ inch color photos of the child
  • The Chinese notarized documentation

In addition, prospective adoptive parent(s) of children who are eligible to obtain an IR-4 visa [i.e., the child will have to be readopted in the United States] are required to submit a completed, signed and notarized Form I-864, “Affidavit of Support,” together with any/all supporting documentation.   Prospective adoptive parents of children eligible for IR-3 visas [i.e., the children will not have to be readopted in the U.S.] do not need to submit Form I-864.

Important Note: The day of the appointment the facilitator (local agency) will hand all relevant documents into the Adopted Children’s Immigrant Visa Unit at the U.S Consulate in Guangzhou.  Required processing will take 24 hours after all documents are received and the visa will be available the next day.

ACQUIRING U.S. CITIZENSHIP: The language describing the acquisition of U.S. citizenship for adopted children is currently under review. Until the new language is finalized, please click on the following link for further information. http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/info/info_457.html

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOUR TRIP TO CHINA

 

  • Travel Documentation:  Prospective adoptive parents are required to have a valid U.S. passport and Chinese visa in order to travel to China.  These must also be presented at various points in the Chinese adoption and U.S. immigration processes.  Information on obtaining a U.S. passport may be found at http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_840.html.  Plan ahead, as the passport application and issuance process takes several weeks.   For information about obtaining a Chinese visa, contact the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., or one of the other Chinese consulates elsewhere in the United States.

Embassy of the People's Republic of China
Consular Section
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 202-328-2500

China also has Consulates in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Chicago, IL; New York, NY, and Houston, TX.

2.  What to take with you for the child:  It is difficult to predict how long it may be necessary

for you to remain in China with your adopted child.  There are small grocery and sundry stores in major hotels in China.  Nevertheless, not all western-style baby products are readily available in China. You may wish to consider bringing certain items with you. These might include:

  • Plastic or cloth baby carrier
  • Bottle nipples
  • Disposable paper diapers
  • Baby wipes
  • Baby blankets
  • Infant wear
  • Thermos bottle, for hot water to prepare dry formula
  • Milk bottles (plastic, glass, and disposable)
  • Disposable plastic bags for milk bottles
  • Medical Needs:  A list of available hospitals in the Guangzhou area and medical evacuation services can be found at http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/guangzhou/.  Anyone who needs emergency medical service can call the city Emergency Center (in Guangzhou: 020-120), which will inform the hospital nearest the patient to arrange an ambulance and a medical team to the patient's location as soon as possible.
  • Other Assistance While in China:  American citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov/, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within the country of travel. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.  By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.

The mailing address and contact information for the Consulate General of the United States in Guangzhou is:

Adopted Children Immigrant Visa Unit
#1 Shamian South Street
Guangzhou, P. R. C. 51033
PHONE: 011-86-20-8121 8000
DIRECT LINE: 011-86-20-8518 7653
FAX: 011-86-20-3884 4420
EMAIL: GuangzhouA@state.gov

The U.S. Embassy is located in Beijing.  The U.S. also has Consulates General in Shanghai, Shenyang, and Chengdu.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  Specific questions about adoption in China may be addressed to the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou at the address, phone and fax numbers provided earlier in this flyer.  General questions regarding intercountry adoption may be addressed to the Office of Children’s Issues, U.S. Department of State, CA/OCS/CI, SA-29, 4th Floor, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520-4818, toll-free Tel: 1-888-407-4747.

Useful information is also available from several other sources:

  • Telephone:
  • Toll Free - For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, call Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-202-501-4444.
  • U.S. Department of State Visa Office - recorded information concerning immigrant visas for adopting children, (202) 663-1225.
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - recorded information for requesting immigrant visa application forms, 1-800-870-FORM (3676).
  • Internet :
  • Adoption Information Flyers: The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs web site at: http://travel.state.gov/ contains international country adoption information flyers like this one and the International Adoptions brochure.
  • Country Specific Information: The State Department has general information about hiring a foreign attorney and authenticating documents that may supplement the country-specific information provided in this flier. In addition, the State Department publishes Country Specific Information for every country in the world, providing information such as location of the U.S. Embassy, health conditions, political situations, and crime reports. If the situation in a country poses a specific threat to the safety and security of American citizens that is not addressed in the CSI for that country, the State Department may issue a Travel Alert alerting U.S. citizens to local security situations. If conditions in a country are sufficiently serious, the State Department may issue a Travel Warning recommending that U.S. citizens avoid traveling to that country. These documents are available on the Internet at: http://travel.state.gov/ or by calling the State Department's Office of Overseas Citizen Services Toll Free at 1-888-407-4747. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-202-501-4444.

USCIS web site - http://uscis.gov/