Frequently Asked Questions on Adoptions in Nepal: November 16, 2007



 

  1. What is the current status of adoptions in Nepal?
  2. What is the U.S. Embassy in Nepal doing for American parents in the process of adopting a child from Nepal?
  3. Does this mean that Nepal is once  again "open" for international adoptions?

 

 

1. Q.: What is the current status of adoptions in Nepal?

 

A.: The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (WCS), the ministry in charge of international adoptions in Nepal, suspended all intercountry adoptions on May 8, 2007, pending approval of reforms of the adoption process by the Nepali Cabinet. On November 5 the Cabinet decided to resume processing the approximately 440 cases currently pending under the existing terms and conditions while moving ahead with proposed reforms.

 


2. Q.: What is the U.S. Embassy in Nepal doing for American parents in the process of adopting a child from Nepal?

 

A.: The U.S. Embassy is working closely with American prospective adoptive parents and U.S. agencies to ensure that there are no unnecessary delays now that the Government of Nepal has resumed processing intercountry adoption cases. There are, however, several complicating factors that make adoption cases more difficult and thus more time-consuming in Nepal. Procedures for foreign adoptions in Nepal are unpredictable and the Government of Nepal’s requirements are not enforced in a uniform manner. Fabricated documents or genuine documents that are fraudulently obtained are readily available and often at variance with the facts of the case. The complete facts of many adoption cases are uncertain and the U.S. Consular Officers must often conduct lengthy investigations. In Kathmandu, as in many places around the world, Consular Officers have been granted the authority to adjudicate I-600 petitions on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) but only if the petitions are "clearly approvable." Some cases must be sent to the DHS regional office in New Delhi for review. Other delays are beyond the control of the U.S. Embassy, as the approval of adoption cases by the Government of Nepal is unpredictable and varies in length from six months to two years.

 

The Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu is, as always, available to speak with American prospective adoptive families and to assist them when possible.

 


3. Q.: Does this mean that Nepal is once again “open” for international adoptions?

 

A.: No. This decision by the Government of Nepal affects only the approximately 440 cases of families who, prior to the suspension, had been matched with a child and had a file number registered by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare. No new adoption files will be accepted by the Ministry until new terms and conditions governing the adoption process are approved by the Cabinet.