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Reissued after periodic review with no changes.
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Although legal changes made in 2007 led to a modest increase in the number of foreign prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt in Uzbekistan, there have been few successful intercountry adoptions. In May 2013, the Government of Uzbekistan issued a decree amending the Civil Procedural Code concerning courts appointed as adoption authorities to review domestic and intercountry adoptions. Based on the changes to the Family and Civil Procedural Codes of Uzbekistan, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan issued Resolution #21, which provides details on the procedure to review domestic and intercountry adoption cases. Under Uzbek regulation, Uzbek children are only eligible for intercountry adoption if there is no possibility for adoption by Uzbek citizens or residents of Uzbekistan. This requirement significantly limits the number of children available for intercountry adoption in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan is not a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention or Convention). Under the Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 (UAA), which became effective on July 14, 2014, the requirement that adoption service providers be accredited or approved, and therefore meet the accreditation standards, which previously only applied in Convention cases, now also applies in non-Convention (“orphan”) cases under section 101(b)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The UAA requires that an accredited or approved adoption service provider act as the primary provider in every Convention or non-Convention intercountry adoption case, and that adoption service providers providing any adoption services, as defined at 22 CFR Part 96.2, on behalf of prospective adoptive parents be accredited or approved, or be a supervised or exempted provider. See additional guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required. Intercountry adoptions of children from non-Convention countries continue to be processed under the Orphan Process with the filing of the Forms I-600A and I-600. However, adoption service providers should be aware of the information on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website on the impact of the UAA on Form I-600A and Form I-600 adjudications, including the requirement that all home studies, including home study updates and amendments, comply with the home study requirements listed at 8 CFR 204.311, which differ from the orphan home study requirements that were in effect before July 14, 2014.
To bring an adopted child to the United States from Uzbekistan, you must meet certain suitability and eligibility requirements. USCIS determines who is suitable and eligible to adopt a child from another country and bring that child to live in the United States under U.S. immigration law.
Additionally, a child must meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law in order to be eligible to immigrate to the United States with an IR-3 or IR-4 immigrant visa.
In addition to being found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS, prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt a child from Uzbekistan must meet the following requirements:
Under the INA 101(b)(1)(F), a child can be considered an orphan because of the death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from both parents, or in the case where there is a sole or surviving parent who is incapable of providing the proper care and has in writing irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption.
In addition to qualifying as an orphan under U.S. immigration law, the child must also meet the following requirements of Uzbekistan:
Caution: Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that not all children in orphanages or children’s homes are eligible for adoption. In many countries, birth parents place their child(ren) temporarily in an orphanage or children’s home due to financial or other hardship, intending that the child return home when possible. In such cases, the birth parent(s) have rarely relinquished their parental rights or consented to the adoption of their child(ren).
Uzbekistan’s Adoption Authority
Uzbek Regional and City Courts and the Department for Social Support and Rehabilitation of the Ministry of Public Education (Education Ministry)
The Process
The process for adopting a child from Uzbekistan generally includes the following steps:
1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider To Act as Your Primary Provider
2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt (Form I-600A)
3. Apply to Uzbekistan’s Authorities to Adopt, and to be Matched with a Child
4. Adopt the Child in Uzbekistan or Obtain Legal Custody of the Child for Purposes of Emigration and Adoption
5. Apply for Your Child to be Found Eligible to Immigrate to the United States as an Orphan
6. Apply for a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child and Bring Your Child Home
1. Choose a U.S.-Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider
Before taking steps to adopt a child from Uzbekistan, you should select a U.S.-accredited or approved adoption service provider to be the primary provider in your case. Your primary provider is responsible for:
For more information on primary providers and the UAA, please see Universal Accreditation Act of 2012. See additional guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required. Learn more about Agency Accreditation.
There are no U.S. adoption service providers authorized to work in Uzbekistan, so primary providers must work through foreign supervised providers.
2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt
In order to adopt a child from Uzbekistan, you will need to meet the requirements of the Government of Uzbekistan and U.S. immigration law.
To meet U.S. immigration requirements, you may choose to file a Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, with USCIS, to be found suitable and eligible to adopt. If you have already identified the child you wish to adopt, you may also choose to file the Form I-600 petition for the child and include all the required supporting documentation for the Form I-600A application (i.e. an approved home study) so USCIS can make a determination on your suitability and eligibility to adopt before revieiwing the child’s eligibility as an orphan. Please see the USCIS website for more information about filing options. Unless an exception applies, the home study must be prepared by a person who is authorized under 22 CFR 96 to prepare home studies and must comply with the requirements in 8 CFR 204.311.
3. Apply to Uzbekistan’s Authorities to Adopt, and be Matched with a Child
If you are found suitable and eligible to adopt under U.S. immigration law, Uzbekistan requires you to submit an adoption or guardianship application to the Regional or City Courts of Uzbekistan in the domicile of the adoptee to be found eligible to adopt by Uzbekistan.
The adoption application to the Court is submitted by prospective adoptive parents or their legal representatives directly to the Regional or City Courts. The information/documents required with the application may include:
The Court may also require any additional documentation that it deems necessary.
Foreign public documents, such as vital records, notarized documents, etc., must be authenticated with Apostilles. Uzbek law also requires that both prospective adoptive parents appear at court. The application for adoption must be signed by the prospective adoptive parent(s).
During preparation of the case for judicial review, a judge will issue a determination letter obliging the Education Ministry (and its regional and local branches) to issue a conclusion letter on why the adoption is justified and how it will benefit the adoptee. If you are eligible to adopt and a child is available for intercountry adoption, the Education Ministry will conduct a careful review of your family and issue a conclusion letter on adoption to the court.
The court will review your adoption dossier and conclusion letter and, if an appropriate match is found, may provide you with a referral. We encourage families to consider consulting with a medical professional and their adoption service provider to understand the needs of the specific child, but you must decide for yourself whether you will be able to meet the needs of, and provide a permanent home for a specific child. You must also ultimately adhere to the USCIS’ suitability determination (i.e. typically the Form I-600A approval notice) with respect to the number of children you are approved to adopt and the characteristics of the child(ren) ( such as age, gender, nationality, and/or special need, disability, and/or impairment) that you are approved to adopt. Learn more about Health Considerations.
The child must be eligible to be adopted according to Uzbekistan’s requirements, as described in the Who Can Be Adopted section. The child must also meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law.
4. Adopt the Child in Uzbekistan or Obtain Legal Custody of the Child for Purposes of Emigration and Adoption
The process for finalizing the adoption or obtaining legal custody for purposes of emigration and adoption] in Uzbekistan generally includes the following:
Adoption service means any one of the following six services:
Note: See additional guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required.
We encourage prospective adoptive parents to obtain detailed receipts for all fees and donations paid, either by them directly or through their U.S. adoption service provider, and to raise any concerns regarding any payment that you believe may be contrary to U.S. law, or the law of Uzbekistan, with your adoption service provider, and, when appropriate, through the Complaint Registry. Improper payments violate applicable law, or create the appearance of buying a child, and could put all future adoptions in Uzbekistan at risk. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, for instance, makes it unlawful to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business. Further, the UAA and IAA make certain actions relating to intercountry adoptions unlawful, and subject to civil and criminal penalties. These include offering, giving, soliciting, or accepting inducement by way of compensation intended to influence or affect the relinquishment of parental rights, parental consent relating to adoption of a child, or a decision by an entity performing functions as a competent authority, or to engage another person as an agent to take any such action.
In the adoption services contract that you sign at the beginning of the adoption process, your adoption service provider will itemize the fees and estimated expenses related to your adoption process.
Note: Additional documents may be requested. All U.S. public documents must be translated into Uzbek or Russian by a certified translator, and when requested, authenticated with an Apostille.
5. Apply for Your Child to be Found Eligible to Immigrate to the United States as an Orphan
After you finalize the adoption or gain legal custody for purposes of emigration and adoption in Uzbekistan, USCIS must determine if the child meets the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law in order for the child to immigrate to the United States. You will need to file a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, on behalf of the child and unless an exception applies, you must identify a primary provider.
If you have a valid Form I-600A approval, you may file your Form I-600 petition in the United States with the USCIS National Benefits Center or at the U.S.Embassy in Tashkent. Please see the USCIS website for more information about filing options.
When a Form I-600 petition is adjudicated by USCIS in the United States or the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, must complete a Form I-604, Determination on Child for Adoption (sometimes informally referred to as an orphan determination), to verify the child’s orphan status. When a Form I-600 petition is adjudicated by an international USCIS office, USCIS generally completes the Form I-604 determination.
When a Form I-600 petition is filed with the Embassy’s consular section, the consular officer must complete the Form I-604, Determination on Child for Adoption, to verify the child’s orphan status. Conducting the Form I-604 determination is a critical part of the non-Convention adoption process. It can take approximately one week to complete, depending upon the circumstances of your case. Consular officers appreciate that families are eager to bring their adopted child home as quickly as possible. Some of the factors that may contribute to the length of the process include prevailing fraud patterns in the country of origin, civil unrest or security concerns that restrict travel to certain areas of the country, and the number of determinations performed by available staff. Consular officers make every effort to conduct them as quickly and thoroughly as possible. You are advised to keep your travel plans flexible while awaiting the results.
6. Apply for a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child and Bring Your Child Home
Once your adoption is complete or you have obtained legal custody of the child for the purposes of emigration and adoption of the child in the United States and the Form I-604 determination has been completed, finding that your child meets the legal definition of an orphan for immigration purposes, you need to apply for three documents before your child can travel to the United States:
Birth Certificate
You will need to obtain a birth certificate for your child.
If you have finalized the adoption in Uzbekistan, you will first need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child. The court will send an excerpt of the adoption decree to the designated Vital Records Office with jurisdiction over the adopted child’s domicile. Your name will be added to the new birth certificate. Adoptions are considered confidential in Uzbekistan. Therefore, the child’s initial birth certificate will be withdrawn. The Uzbekistan Vital Records Office will provide you with a new birth certificate for the child upon your application, within 10 days from the date of the court decree issuance. First, last, and middle names of the child can be amended at the adoptive parents’ request, and the child’s birth date can be amended within a year of the existing date. Additional information about the procedure may be found in Article 164 of the Family Code of Uzbekistan.
If you have been granted legal custody for the purposes of emigration and adoption of the child in the United States, the birth certificate you obtain will, in most cases, not yet include your name.
Uzbekistan Passport
Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or passport from Uzbekistan.
Adoptive parents may obtain a new biometric passport and exit permit for the child from the Department of Entry, Exit, and Citizenship of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan. You will need to present the court adoption decree and the child’s new birth certificate. There is no residency requirement for prospective adoptive parents before they can apply for the child’s passport.
U.S. Immigrant Visa
After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child and you have filed Form I-600 , you then need to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa for your child from the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent. This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you. As part of this process, you must provide the consular officer with the panel physician’s medical report on the child. You are required to contact the Immigrant Visa Unit of the Consular Section and inform them that you have completed the adoption process. You will be provided an appointment date and time to drop off the required documents.
Before coming for your child’s immigrant visa interview, please complete an Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) online at the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC). If you filed a Form I-600 petition in the United States, you should receive a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the petition and assignment of a case number and an invoice ID number. You will need this information to log into CEAC to file the DS-260 for your child. You should fill out these forms in your child's name. Answer every item on the form. If information is not applicable, please write “N/A” in the block. Print and bring the DS-260 confirmation page to the visa interview. Review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov or +1-603-334-0700 if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.
Visa issuance after the final interview generally takes up to one week. It is not usually possible to provide the visa to adoptive parents on the same day as the immigrant visa interview. You should verify current processing times with the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent before making final travel arrangements. Additional information on immigrant visa processing can be found on our website or by sending an email inquiry to TashkentIV@state.gov.
Child Citizenship Act
For adoptions finalized abroad prior to the child’s entry into the United States: A child will acquire U.S. citizenship upon entry into the United States if the adoption was finalized prior to entry and the child otherwise meets the requirements of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.
For adoptions finalized after the child’s admission into the United States: You will need to complete an adoption following your child’s admission into the United States and before the child turns eighteen for the child (if he or she otherwise meets the requirements of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000) to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship.
Read more about the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.
Applying for Your U.S. Passport
U.S. citizens are required to enter and depart the United States on a valid U.S. passport. Once your child acquires U.S. citizenship, s/he will need a U.S. passport for international travel. Only the U.S. Department of State has the authority to grant, issue, or verify U.S. passports.
Getting or renewing a passport is easy. The Department of State’s Passport Application Wizard will help you determine which passport form you need, help you to complete the form online, estimate your payment, and generate the form for you to print all in one place.
Obtaining a Visa to Travel to Uzbekistan
In addition to a U.S. passport, you may also need to obtain a visa. Where required, visas are affixed to your passport and allow you to enter a foreign nation. To find information about obtaining a visa for Uzbekistan, see the Department of State’s Country Specific Information.
Staying Safe on Your Trip
Before you travel, it is always a good practice to investigate the local conditions, laws, political landscape, and culture of the country. The Department of State provides Country-Specific Information for every country in the world about various issues, including health conditions, crime, currency or entry requirements, and any areas of instability.
Staying in Touch on Your Trip
When traveling abroad during the adoption process, we encourage you to enroll with the Department of State through our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country. Enrollment makes it possible for the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Uzbekistan, to contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency. Whether there is a family emergency in the United States or a crisis in Uzbekistan, enrollment assists the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in reaching you.
Enrollment is free and can be done online via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
Post-Adoption Reporting Requirements
Uzbek law requires that adoptive parents submit annual reports to the Ministry of Public Education until the adopted child reaches age 16. Parents should contact their adoption service provider in the United States for more information on post-adoption requirements.
We urge you to comply with Uzbekistan’s post-adoption/post-placement requirements in a timely manner. Your adoption service provider may be able to help you with this process. Your cooperation will contribute to Uzbekistan’s positive experiences with U.S. citizen adoptive parents.
Post-Adoption Resources
Many adoptive parents find it important to find support after the adoption. There are many public and private nonprofit post-adoption services available for children and their families. There are also numerous adoptive family support groups and adoptee organizations active in the United States that provide a network of options for adoptees who seek out other adoptees from the same country of origin. You may wish to take advantage of all the resources available to your family, whether it is another adoptive family, a support group, an advocacy organization, or your religious or community services. Your primary provider can provide or point you to post- placement/post-adoption services to help your adopted child and your family transition smoothly and deal effectively with the many adjustments required in an intercountry adoptions.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains a website, the Child Welfare Information Gateway, which can be a useful resource to get you started on your support group search.
COMPLAINTS
If you have concerns about your intercountry adoption process, we ask that you share this information with the Embassy in Tashkent, particularly if it involves possible fraud or misconduct specific to your child’s case. The Department of State takes all allegations of fraud or misconduct seriously. Our Adoption Comment Page provides several points of contact for adoptive families to comment on their adoption service provider, their experience applying for their child’s visa, or about the Form I-600/A process.
The Complaint Registry is an internet based registry for filing complaints about U.S. accredited or approved adoption service providers. If you think your provider's conduct may not have been in compliance with accreditation standards, first submit your complaint in writing directly to your provider. If the complaint is not resolved through the provider's complaint process, you may file the complaint through the Complaint Registry.
U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan
U.S. Embassy, Tashkent
Moyqorghon Street, 5th Block,
Yunusobod District
Tashkent – 100093 Uzbekistan
Tel: +(998) (71) 120-5450
Fax: +(998) (71) 120-5448
Email: TashkentIV@state.gov
Internet: https://uz.usembassy.gov/
Ministry of Justice
5, Sayilgoh Street, Yunusabad District
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 100047
Tel: +(998) (71) 233-1305
Uzbekistan’s Guardianship and Trusteeship Body – Ministry of Public Education, Department of Social Support and Rehabilitation
243 Buyuk Ipak Yuli
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 100087
Tel: +(998) (71) 266-1378
Fax: +(998) (71) 265 9092
Embassy of Uzbekistan
Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan
1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: +(1) 202-887-5300
Fax: +(1) 202-293-6804
Email: info.washington@mfa.uz
Office of Children’s Issues
U.S. Department of State
CA/OCS/CI
SA-17, 9th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20522-1709
Tel: 1-888-407-4747
Email: Adoption@state.gov
Internet: adoption.state.gov
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
For questions about filing a Form I-600A application or a Form I-600 petition with the
USCIS National Benefits Center (NBC):
Tel: 1-877-424-8374 (toll free); 1-913-275-5480 (local); Fax:1-913-214-5808
Email: NBC.Adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov
For questions about filing a Form I-600A application or a Form I-600 petition with a USCIS international field office:
Please visit http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-immigration-offices and select the appropriate office.
For general questions about immigration procedures:
USCIS Contact Center
Tel: 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833)
Internet: uscis.gov
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