INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION


RWANDA

 

September 2007


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: Immigrant visas for Rwandan citizens including adopted orphans are issued at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.  Please visit the web site for the Immigrant Visa Section at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi for information on immigrant visa services. http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/wwwhins1.html or e-mail: nairobiivdv@state.gov.
Please check with the Kenyan Embassy in Washington about visa requirements to travel to Nairobi.


PATTERNS OF IMMIGRATION OF RWANDAN ORPHANS TO THE UNITED STATES:  Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics indicate that eight immigrant visas were issued to Rwandan orphans in the last five fiscal years.


ADOPTION AUTHORITY IN RWANDA:
Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF)
P.O. Box 969
Kigali, Rwanda
Tel: 011-250-587-128
Fax: 011-250-587-127


ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS: Adoptive parents must be under age 50.  However, a judge can waive the age requirement


RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: There are no residency requirements for foreign adoptive parents.


TIME FRAME: Allow 1-2 months to complete the Rwandan adoption and subsequent U.S. immigration procedures. 


ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS: There are no known Rwandan or U.S. adoption agencies that provide adoption services in Rwanda. Upon request, the U.S. Embassy can provide a list of attorneys. Neither the Department of State nor the U.S. Embassy can vouch for the efficacy or professionalism of any attorneys on this list.

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


ADOPTION FEES IN RWANDA: There are no Rwandan government fees associated with intercountry adoptions. However, adoptive parents can expect to pay attorneys’ fees for services rendered.


ADOPTION PROCEDURES IN RWANDA: Prospective adoptive parents must petition the local court having jurisdiction over the prospective adoptive child’s residence. Once the adoption is approved, the adoption decree is filed at the local vital records registry for the child’s place of residence.

Documents are filed with the Ministry of Family and Gender.  A travel letter is required for the child to exit Rwanda. Documents from the Government of Rwanda are in French.  Prospective adoptive parents will need English translations of the birth certificates and death certificates (if applicable) of the adopted child’s birth parents to complete immigrant visa processing in Nairobi. The U.S. Embassy in Rwanda can assist in locating translation services, but no U.S. Government resources are available for translating documents.


DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION IN RWANDA:

  1. Birth certificate(s) of the adoptive parent(s). If a birth certificate is unavailable, a legal or administrative certificate that proves date of birth and identity may be submitted;
  2. Original birth certificate of the child to be adopted;
  3. Marriage Certificate of adoptive parents
  4. Waiver of age limit certificate, if applicable (for adoptive parents over the age of 50);
  5. The “Act of Adoption,” which is prepared by the local Bureau de l'Etat Civil (Vital Statistics Office);
  6. Declaration of the adoptive parent’s spouse and adult children consenting to the adoption;
  7. The Adoption Act. The act must reference the information on the birth and death certificates, whichever are applicable, as well as the identities/documents of the adopting persons (passports and International Adoptive Home Study);
  8. Authorization letter for departing Rwanda (issued by the Ministry of Family and Gender)
  9. Legal Judgment Document (a court order approving the adoption), which is prepared by the local court having jurisdiction where the child is located.
  10. Recommendation from Rwandan Embassy in Washington, DC
  11. Home Study Report
  12. Certificate of Good Behavior / Police Record
  13. Certificate of Complete Identification
  14. Household Composition
  15. Proof of Income
  16. Adoption acceptance letter from US Department of State (because Rwanda has not ratified the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, available from US Embassy Consular Office)

Note: Documents should be certified by a notary public as well as by the Rwandan Embassy in the U.S., if possible.


AUTHENTICATING 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.


RWANDAN EMBASSY IN THE U.S.:
Rwandan Embassy in the United States
1714 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
Phone: 202-232-2882/3/4
Fax: 202-232-4544
e-mail:  rwandaembassy@rwandaembassy.org
http://www.rwandaembassy.org


U.S. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS:  Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (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.

Parents who do not have an approved I-600A, must file their Form I-600 (Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative) with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office having jurisdiction over their place of residence in the United States. A parent who has an approved I-600A may file an I-600 in person at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali. 


U.S. EMBASSIES IN RWANDA AND KENYA:  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:

Rwanda:
Embassy of the United States of America
337 Boulevard de la Revolution
B.P. 28
Kigali, Rwanda
E-mail: consularkigali@state.gov
Website: http://kigali.usembassy.gov
Tel: (250) 505601, 505602, 505603 Extension: 3241
Fax: (250) 572128

Kenya:
Embassy of the United States of America
United Nations Avenue, Gigiri
P.O. Box 606
00621 Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: 254-20-363-6000
fax: 254-20-363-6410


APPLYING FOR A VISA AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN NAIROBI:  U.S. immigrant visas for Rwandan citizens are issued at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Please visit the web site for the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi for more information on immigrant visa application procedures at http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/wwwhins1.html or e-mail nairobiivdv@state.gov

Note:  Visa issuance after the final interview now generally takes 24 hours and it will not normally be possible to provide the visa to adoptive parents on the day 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 Rwanda may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda. 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