INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION


LEBANON


June 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. 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.

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 NOTE: Islamic Shari’a law does not allow for full adoptions as generally understood in the United States.  However, immigrant visas can be issued in cases where the Islamic court that grants the guardianship of an orphan and where that court understands that the parents intend to obtain a full and final adoption of the child once that child is in the United States and expressly signals that agreement.  Please refer to our flyer Adoption from Islamic Countries for more information on this issue.

In Lebanon, only Christian institutions recognize adoptions as a legal convention and define the conditions, rights and duties thereof.  Christian orphanages in Lebanon may have children available for adoption.


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

Fiscal Year       Number of Immigrant Visas Issued
FY 2006                                     4
FY 2005                                     2
FY 2004                                     14
FY 2003                                     7
FY 2002                                     16



ADOPTION AUTHORITY IN LEBANON: Because adoption is overseen by religious institutions in Lebanon, the adoptions must be supervised by authorized church authorities and must be approved by these authorities and relevant religious courts.  Lebanese government agencies do get involved in registering the adoption, changing the child’s name and issuing a Lebanese passport, but only after the appropriate religious body has approved the adoption itself.  (See the “Adoption Procedures” section below for further details.)


ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS:  Both single individuals and married couples may adopt.  In the case of a married couple, both spouses must adopt the child jointly.  The prospective adoptive parent(s) must be at least 40 years old and the age difference between the prospective adoptive parent(s) and the child must be at least 18 years.  In Armenian Orthodox adoptions, the minimum age difference is 15 years.  In the case of a Catholic child, at least one of the prospective adoptive parents must be Catholic.


RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: There are no residency requirements for prospective parents in Lebanon.


TIME FRAME:  Ranges from four months to one year.


ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS: There are no adoption agencies in Lebanon.  Churches and church officials care for abandoned children but may not always have the legal expertise to process an adoption. Attorneys who specialize in family law usually handle adoption cases. 

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut maintains a list of lawyers.  This list is accessible via the Embassy’s web site at:  http://lebanon.usembassy.gov/lebanon/lawyers_list.html.  Please see Important Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators at our Web site travel.state.gov.


ADOPTION FEES IN LEBANON:  

Maronite Church - $300
Greek Orthodox - $200
Armenian Orthodox and Armenian Catholics - Fee not specified
Greek Catholic (The Greek Catholic Community belong to the Eastern rite of the Catholic Church and are affiliated with the Vatican) - $700 for Lebanese citizens, and $2000 for foreigners. 

These fees are not definitive and are subject to change.


ADOPTION PROCEDURES:   Because adoption is a religious procedure in Lebanon, it must be supervised by authorized church authorities and must be approved by the relevant authorities.  For the Catholic religious community the relevant authorities are the ones of the rite of the minor child, while for the Orthodox religious communities, the forum is the court of the church of the prospective adoptive parent(s).

If a child is a foundling, it takes the religious affiliation of the orphanage that takes the baby in.  An adoption request must be submitted to the presiding judge of the religious court of the community to which the child belongs.  The religious court will investigate the case, which entails proof of the good moral reputation of the prospective adoptive parent(s) and financial support for the child.  If the court does not find any grounds for objection to adoption, the court will issue a decree confirming the adoption.  The court’s final decision on the adoption must be affirmed by the bishop of the same relevant jurisdiction.  To be valid, the adoption decree must be granted exequatur, or endorsed, by the Civil Courts Enforcement Bureau.  The adoption decree must then be submitted to the Lebanese Bureau of Vital Statistics so that the civil status of the adopted child can be amended in the registry book.  The child will take the family name of the adoptive parents.  Note: the modification of the surname is subject to the civil court’s jurisdiction.  If the child is less than five years old, the change of the surname is easily awarded.  Approval of the institution or organization where the child was found may be sometimes required.  If the child is more than six years old, reference to the former surname will always appear on official documents along with the new surname of the child.

The adoption decree must accompany the application for a Lebanese identity card and the birth certificate.  After the identity card is issued, an application for a Lebanese passport must be submitted at the Lebanese Passport Office in Beirut.

Prospective adoptive parents should be aware the following:

Consent:   The consent of both prospective adoptive parent(s) is required.  In all cases, if the child is old enough to consent, his/her consent is also required.  There is no specific age of consent but practice indicates that age 10-12 or older is customary.  If the child is too young to give consent, then the minor’s guardian, also known as the walee, must consent.  Moreover, the religious authority must consent to the adoption.  Consent cannot be obtained by coercion or fraud.

Infertility:   Married prospective adoptive parent(s) might be asked to produce a medical certificate or similar proof that both of them are infertile. This is only mandatory for the Orthodox rite, and is based on the idea that the prospective adoptive parents should not be able to have their own biological children.

Note:  The Lebanese Sûreté Général requires that both U.S. adoptive parents travel to Lebanon to complete the adoption procedures and accompany the child out of Lebanon. The U.S. Embassy in Beirut will be unable to obtain exceptions to this legal requirement.  Parents adopting a child from Lebanon must apply for the child’s U.S. immigrant visa from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.


REQUIRED CONDITIONS FOR ADOPTION:

  1. The adoption shall be for valid reasons and in the interest of the children.
  2. Good behavior of prospective adoptive parents.
  3. The adoptive parents must be at least 18 years older than the child, or 15 years older in the case of Armenian Orthodox.
  4. The adoptive parent(s) must not have any legal child and could not hope to have children of their own based on medical reports issued by specialists.
  5. The adoptive parents and the child must belong to the same religious community, but not necessarily the same rite for the Catholic Church in general.
  6. Approval of the adoption by the two adoptive parents.
  7. The adoptive parents must be 40 years old at a minimum.
  8. Consent of the adoptive child, if the child is of an age capable of taking a decision (usually from 10-12 years old and up).



DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION IN LEBANON:  The following documents must be attached to the request for adoption filed before the religious court:

  • Photocopy of the ID of the prospective parents(s) and the adopted child.
  • Certificate of good behavior. This certificate must be issued by the priest (or bishop) of the church where prospective adoptive parents belong.
  • A medical report stating the reasons of not having children.  This is mandatory for the Orthodox Church.
  • A home study report done by the reliable authority or agency (depending on the nationality of the parents) about the prospective parent(s)’ social situation and financial status.  The same study submitted with the I-600A may be used. 



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.state.gov/m/a/auth/.


LEBANESE EMBASSY IN THE UNITED STATES:

Embassy of Lebanon, Washington, D.C.
2560 28th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: (202) 939-6300
Fax: (202) 939-6324
Email: info@lebanonembassyus.org
Website: http://www.lebanonembassyus.org

Lebanon also has consulates in Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and New York City.


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 sitetravel.state.gov.


U.S. EMBASSY IN COUNTRY: 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:

Embassy of the United States, Beirut
Antelias, P.O.Box 70-840
Beirut, Lebanon
Tel: [961](4) 542600, 543600, 544310, 544130, and 544140
Fax (Consular Section): [961] (4) 543498


APPLYING FOR A VISA AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN LEBANON:   To begin the U.S. immigration process for the child, the adoptive parents must first file Form I-600A with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security.  If that application is approved, it serves as the basis for the immigrant visa application to be made at the Embassy.

  • The petitioner must file the I-600A with USCIS.  USCIS, in turn, will send the approved petition to the National Visa Center (NVC) for forwarding to the Embassy.  All processing at USCIS and at NVC must be completed before the petition can be forwarded to the Embassy.
  • On receipt of the I-600A petition and supporting documentation from NVC, the Consular Section’s Immigrant Visa Unit will contact the petitioner to pick up an appointment packet.  The petitioner must complete and return for review the packet before an appointment can be scheduled.  Once the appointment packet has been reviewed for completeness, the Immigrant Visa Unit will contact the petitioner and schedule an appointment.
    To apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, the adoptive parents must complete the adoption through the legal process in Lebanon, and obtain a travel document for the child from the Lebanese government.  A medical examination of the child by an Embassy panel physician is also required.  A visa cannot be issued until these actions have been completed.  The adoptive parents may then apply to the Embassy for an immigrant visa in order to enter the U.S. with their adopted child.

The adoptive parents (also referred to as “petitioners”) must present: proof of U.S. citizenship (passport valid for at least five years at time of issuance, or naturalization certificate, or birth certificate, if born in the U.S.); the petitioner’s and the child’s passports; 380 U.S. dollars (cash) or the equivalent in Lebanese pounds (cash).

The petitioners and the child must be present at the interview.  If everything is in order, the visa will be issued the next working day.

For further information, petitioners may send a fax to (04-543498), or send an e-mail to: BeirutIV@state.gov. Replies will be sent within three working days.


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 Lebanon may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. 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