USCIS Lists Foreign Countries and Geographic Entities Having No Available Child Abuse Registries

WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reminds customers preparing paperwork for adoptions from Hague Convention countries of the need to check available child abuse registries for potential adoptive parents and other adult household members who have lived in foreign countries.  This is a reporting requirement for the home study which must be attached to the Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country.

USCIS, in cooperation with the Department of State, has developed a list of countries and geographic entities confirmed to have no child abuse registry information available. This list contains the most recent information currently available to USCIS, and is subject to change.  If a home study preparer finds that a country on this list has established an appropriate registry, he or she must address that information in the home study. 

For more information, contact USCIS' National Benefits Center, 1-877-424-8374; or e-mail nbc.hague@dhs.gov.