INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION


MACEDONIA

April 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 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. 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.

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

Fiscal Year

Number of Immigrant Visas Issued

FY 2006

1

FY 2005

0

FY 2004

1

FY 2003

0

FY 2002

4

ADOPTION AUTHORITY IN Macedonia :  The office responsible for foreign adoptions in Macedonia is the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, whose address is:

14 Dame Gruev St .
Skopje 1000
Tel: ++389-2-3106-247 or 3117-288
Fax: ++389-2-3106-252

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS: Prospective adoptive parents may be either married or single. However, preference is given to married couples.  Adoptive parents must be at least 18 years older than their adoptive children, but no more than 45 years older.  In exceptional circumstances, persons older than 45 may be permitted to adopt, but the age difference between the parent and child may not exceed 45 years. When it comes to the age difference, the age of the younger parent is taken into account.  Note:  Under U.S. law, at least one parent must be 25 years old.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: There are no residency requirements to complete an intercountry adoption in Macedonia .  However, there is a fostering period of 2 to 3 months prior to the final adoption of the child, where the prospective adoptive parents are required to live with the child in Macedonia , before the final approval for adoption is given to the parents.

TIME FRAME:  The adoption process may take varying amounts of time, depending on availability of children and the number of requests for adoption.   The number of children available for adoption is usually much lower than the number of requests for adoption.  In Macedonia , domestic adoptions have priority over international adoptions.

ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS:  There are no U.S. adoption agencies operating in Macedonia . However, the prospective parents may hire a Macedonian lawyer or an individual with a power of attorney authorizing him/her to find a suitable child and proceed with the adoption process.  It is also possible for this entire process to be carried out by the prospective parents.   The U.S. Embassy in Skopje maintains a list of attorneys, which can also be seen at http://skopje.usembassy.gov.

Prospective adoptive parents are advised to research fully 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 see Important Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators at the Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs web site http://travel.state.gov/.

ADOPTION FEES IN MACEDONIA : The Macedonian government does not charge a fee for its role in the adoption process. 

ADOPTION PROCEDURES:  Persons who wish to apply to adopt a child from Macedonia can do so by submitting the complete paperwork (see below), along with a letter requesting permission to adopt, to the Adoption Board at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.  Parents and children are matched based on the needs of the child as well as the requirements of the prospective adoptive parents. If the match is successful, the Adoption Board gives an approval and forwards it to the Center for Social Welfare of the municipality in which the child originally resided.  The Center advises the family to come to Macedonia and proceed with the adoption process, which consists of releasing the child to the prospective parents for 2 to 3 months, and going through the fostering/adaptation period together.  The parents are expected to rent an apartment or stay in a hotel for that period of time.  After the adaptation period, the Center for Social Welfare submits a Proposal for Adoption to the Adoption Board, after which a date is set for the official adoption ceremony, which takes place at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.  At the ceremony, the prospective parents must provide a licensed court translator and be in possession of their passports. The presence of the child is necessary if the child is over the age of 12.  At the time of the adoption, the adoptive parents choose a name for the child, and designate a place of birth within Macedonia .   The Adoption Board issues an official adoption decree.  The Center is in charge of obtaining a birth certificate for the child on which the names of the adoptive parents are listed as his/her parents.  Once the adoption is completed, the next step for the adoptive parents is to apply for a passport for their adopted child with the branch office of the Macedonian Ministry of Interior, in order to apply for an immigrant visa at the American Embassy in Skopje .  The passport fee is $30.00 USD (subject to change).

Information on the Macedonian adoption law can be found at the official website of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy at http://www.mtsp.gov.mk.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION IN MACEDONIA : There is no specific application form.  A request for adoption should be in the form of a letter, written by the prospective adoptive parents, detailing their circumstances and their desire for adoption, and bearing original signatures of both parents.  It can be submitted by mail or through an authorized representative or attorney.  The application must be accompanied by the following documents for each of the adoptive parents:

Proof of Citizenship (certified copy of a Naturalization Certificate or passport);

  • Home study conducted by a licensed U.S. adoption agency;
  • Marriage Certificate (issued within the last 12 months);
  • Birth Certificate for each parent (issued within the last 12 months);
  • Medical certificate certifying good mental and physical condition of each parent;
  • Certificate from the Office of Social Services from the parents’ state of residence certifying that the adoptive parents were never deprived of their parental rights;
  • Police certificate issued by the local law enforcement authorities (stating that no criminal record exists);
  • A letter from the employer for each parent showing their current employment and their salary;
  • Documents testifying to the prospective parents’ income and property; i.e., proof of financial status sufficient to support a child;
  • Notarized Certificate showing parents’ educational background;
  • Copy of a U.S. passport;
  • Approved petition from DHS (Form I-171H).

All original documents and the application letter must be in English and each must be accompanied by a translation into Macedonian done by a licensed court translator.  It is easier and less expensive to have the translations done in Macedonia. 

MACEDONIANEMBASSY AND CONSULATE IN THE UNITED STATES: 
 Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia
2129 Wyoming Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 202-337-3063
Fax: 202-337-3093
E-mail:  usoffice@macedonianembassy.org

Macedonian Consulate General
2000 Town Center , Suite 1130
Southfield, MI 48075
Tel: 248-354-5537
Fax: 248-354-5538
E-mail:  gkrmdetroit@sbcglobal.net

U.S. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS:  Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult USCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adopting Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. The U.S. CSI 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, http://travel.state.gov, under “International Adoptions.”  Before completing an adoption abroad, prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to read the flyer describing the requirements for filing I-600 petitions for orphans adopted by U.S. citizens. Please see our flyer How Can Adopted Children Come to the United States at our web site http://travel.state.gov/.

APPLYING FOR A VISA FOR YOUR CHILD AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN MACEDONIA : Immigrant visa interviews may be scheduled as soon as the adoption is final and all paperwork for an I-600 petition has been obtained.  Please visit the web site for the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, Macedonia for information on how to apply for an immigrant visa for your adopted child at http://skopje.usembassy.gov/adoptions.html.  The Embassy is located at:

Ilindenska, b.b.
1000 Skopje
 Macedonia
Tel: ++389-2-3116-180
Fax: ++389-2-3213-767
Email: consularskopje@state.gov

U.S. Embassy In Macedonia :  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 in Skopje is located at:

Ilindenska, b.b.
1000 Skopje
Tel: ++389-2-3116-180
Fax: ++389-2-3213-767

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 check the following link for further information. http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/info/info_457.html.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Specific questions about adoption in Macedonia may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Skopje .  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 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 flyer. In addition, the State Department publishes Country Specific Information (CIS) 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/