INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION

January 2007

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 come 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. 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.


PLEASE NOTE: The adoption process in Honduras is currently in flux.   Policies regarding eligibility requirements for adoptive parents, residency requirements, and time frame are under review by the Honduran Family Court (IHNFA).


PATTERNS OF IMMIGRATION OF ADOPTED ORPHANS TO THE U.S.: Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to Honduran orphans:

Fiscal Year       Number of Immigrant Visas Issued
FY 2006                                      4
FY 2005                                     10
FY 2004                                      8
FY 2003                                     13
FY 2002                                       5


ADOPTION AUTHORITY IN HONDURAS:  Instituto Hondureño de la Niñez y la Familia (IHNFA) for children under 14 years old. Honduran Family Court for children 14 and older.

Instituto Hondureño de la Niñez y la Familia (IHNFA)
Honduras, Centro America
Tegucigalpa, Col. Humuya, Calle la salud,
Apartado Postal 3234

Phone: (504) 23.57.754, (504) 23.57.755, (504) 23.57.756
Fax: (504) 23.53.598
Website: http://www.ihnfa.hn/


ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS:  All adoption agencies must be accredited.  IHNFA has the information about registration and accreditation to operate.

The U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa maintains a listing of attorneys in Honduras on their website at: http://honduras.usembassy.gov/attorneylistfeb06.pdf.

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 seeImportant Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators at the Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs web site travel.state.gov .


ADOPTION FEES IN HONDURAS:  Between U.S. $3,000 and U.S. $10,000 for attorney fees.


ADOPTION PROCEDURES:  If a child is under 14 years old, a petition (available at the IHNFA) must be submitted with the IHNFA.  If a child is 14 - 18 years old, a petition may be submitted to the Honduran Family Court by an attorney.


DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION IN HONDURAS: These are currently under review by IHNFA.  Please contact IHNFA for more specific information.


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://www.travel.state.gov/law/info/judicial/judicial_701.html.


HONDURAN EMBASSY AND CONSULATE IN THE US:

Embassy of Honduras
3007 Tilden Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
Telephone: (202) 966-7702. 
E-mail: embassy@hondurasemb.org
Website: http://www.hondurasemb.org/

Honduran Consulates are located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, San Juan, and Tampa.


U.S. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS:  Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult USCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adoptive Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions.  The USCIS publication is available at the USCIS web site. The Department of State publication International Adoptions can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs web site, travel.state.gov , under “intercountry adoption.”

Before completing an adoption abroad, prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to read the requirements for filing Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative.  Please see the flyer “How Can Adopted Children Come to the United States” at the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs web site travel.state.gov .


U.S. EMBASSY IN HONDURAS: Americans 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 Consular Section is located at:
Avenida La Paz
Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Americans may contact the American Citizen Services Unit of the Consular Section at: Email: usahonduras@state.gov
Telephone: (504) 238-5114 ext. 4400. 
Website: http://honduras.usembassy.gov/

E-mail inquiries with USCIS/Tegucigalpa, Honduras:  USCISTGU.Inquiries@dhs.gov


APPLYING FOR A VISA AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN TEGUICGALPA: 
First, an I-600 petition may be filed with USCIS in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  For a list of requirements and appointments, please contact USCIS at USCIS.Inquiries@dhs.gov or by telephone at 011-504-236-9320 ext. 4500.

Once the DHS petition (the I-600) is approved, the Consulate at the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa will contact the petitioners to schedule an interview appointment.  Prior to the interview, the Consulate at the U.S. Embassy will send a packet of materials to the petitioners that describes the interview process and explain in detail what information will be required at the time of the interview.


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.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Specific questions about adoption in Honduras may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa. 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 intercountry adoption 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 intercountry 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 flyer. 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/.