São Tomé and Príncipe 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). However, 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, 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 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 Department of State guidance and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) 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 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.  Please see the USCIS adoption webpages for more information about the orphan adoption process.

U.S. citizens interested in adopting children from São Tomé and Príncipe should contact the adoption authority of São Tomé and Príncipe to inquire about applicable laws and procedures. U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents living in São Tomé and Príncipe who would like to adopt a child from the United States or from a third country should also contact São Tomé and Príncipe’s adoption authority. See contact information below.

There have been no recorded adoptions from São Tomé and Príncipe. Below is the limited adoption information that the Department has obtained from the adoption authority of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Please note that there is no U.S. diplomatic presence in São Tomé and Príncipe. U.S. Embassy Luanda, Angola manages all U.S. visa operations for São Tomé and Príncipe.

Sao Tome and Principe is not considered a country of origin for intercountry adoption at this time.  If prospective adoptive parents receive permission from the adoption authority of São Tomé and Príncipe to pursue an intercountry adoption, they must adopt or obtain legal custody of the child in his or her country of residence in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations before filing the immigrant visa petition (Form I-600) with USCIS.  The Department of State and USCIS do not have additional information on intercountry laws and regulations from Sao Tome and Principe.

Please see the USCIS adoption webpages for more information about the non-Convention (or orphan) adoption process.

Caution: Although U.S. citizens generally must follow the orphan adoption process to adopt a child from a non-Convention country, the Family-Based Petition Process (Form I-130) may be an option for U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to petition for their adopted child.  There are significant differences between the orphan and the Family-Based Petition Process.  For more information about specific Form I-130 requirements for adopted children, see the USCIS website and the USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 5.

Caution:  Prospective adoptive parents should be aware 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 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).

Please visit the Department of State’s country page for more information on travelling to São Tomé and Príncipe and U.S. Embassy Luanda’s website for information on consular services.

São Tomé and Príncipe’s Adoption Authority
Ministry of Justice
Avenida Marginal 12 de Julho
Caixa Postal: 901
São Tomé
Tel.: +239 222 20 55
Fax: +239 22 22 56
Email: mjustiç[email protected]

U.S. Embassy in Angola
Rua Presidente Houari Boumedienne #32
Miramar, Luanda
Angola
Tel: (244) 222-64-1000
Email: [email protected]
Internet: ao.usembassy.gov

Embassy of São Tomé and Príncipe- STP Representation in NW
866 Second Avenue, 9^th Floor, Suite A
New York, NY 10017
Tel: +1 9297335940
São Tomé and Príncipe also has consulates in: Libertyville, IL and Atlanta, GA.

Office of Children’s Issues
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
SA-17
Washington, DC 20520
Tel:  1-888-407-4747
E-mail:  [email protected]
https://adoption.state.gov

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

For questions about a pending Form I-600A application, Form I-600 petition or related supplement:

USCIS
Tel: 1-877-424-8374 (toll free); 1-913-275-5480 (local);
Fax:1-913-214-5808
Email:  [email protected]

For other USCIS-related questions:
USCIS Contact Center
1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833)
Internet: uscis.gov