The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adopted Children is a 43-page booklet that describes the intercountry adoption process and explains the major issues adoptive parents should understand before they begin the process. You can download the entire booklet as a PDF file (Adobe Acrobat Reader required). Note that it is a very large document (2.5 MB) and may take some time to download. Or, use the links from the table of contents below to view each section separately.

Table of Contents

1. Advanced Processing At A Glance: The Fastest Way
2. Orphan Processing At a Glance: The Other Way
3. Eligibility for Immigration Benefits as an Orphan
4. Basic Orphan Petition Procedures
5. Basic Orphan Petition Requirements
6. Overseas Orphan Investigation
7. Difficult Issues in Orphan Cases
8. Other Procedures Concerning Adoptive Relationships
9. U.S. Citizenship for a Foreign-Born Adopted Child
10. Appendix
    1. Sections of Law and Regulations Relating to Orphan Petitions
    2. Glossary / Definitions
    3. Forms Used in Orphan Cases
    4. Links to useful websites

Prospective adoptive parents may find the services of an adoption agency helpful for guidance and assistance with the immigration of orphans and adoptive children. While USCIS cannot recommend specific agencies, we strongly advise prospective adoptive parents to seek out a reputable agency with established foreign adoption experience and/or competent legal representation in their efforts to bring foreign-born orphans into the United States. One place to start looking for an agency is through the adoption advocacy community.