Cameroon 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.

In addition to being found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS, prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt a child from Cameroon must meet the following requirements:

• Minimum Residency: While there is no requirement that the prospective adoptive parents reside in Cameroon before being matched with a child, the Cameroon Ministry of Social Affairs may require prospective adoptive parents to travel to Cameroon for a bonding period of at least 3 months to get acquainted with the child to be adopted.

• Age of Adopting Parents: Cameroonian law requires that a single prospective adoptive parent or one person in a married couple must be older than 40 years of age in order to adopt. If the couple has been married ten years, at least one person must be older than 35.  If neither of these requirements can be met, the couple may submit a medical certificate from a U.S. or local physician that confirms their infertility in order to have the age requirement waived.  For single-parent adoptions, the prospective adoptive parent must be at least 15 years older than the child. If the adoptee is the child of the prospective adoptive parent’s spouse, the age difference can be 10 years. This age difference requirement can be reduced by exemption from the President of the Republic.

• Marriage: Married couples and single people may adopt.
  
  
• Minimum Income: The prospective adoptive parent(s) must provide evidence of financial capacity to support the adopted child. Such evidence can include a home study from the United States with bank statements, evidence of assets, pay slips, and other financial documents.
  
  
• Other requirements: Both parties in a married couple must agree to the adoption. One spouse may not adopt without the other spouse’s consent. Prospective adoptive parents must submit a medical certificate from either a U.S. or local doctor showing that they are medically fit.

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 Cameroon:

• Eligibility for adoption
  • Relinquishment: The child’s legal parents, guardians or other entity with legal custody of the child must consent in writing to the irrevocable and unconditional release of the child for emigration and adoption, and must understand the nature and effect of the adoption. Such consent terminates all parental rights and obligations between the individual(s) or entity and the child. If the child is age 16 or above, the child must also provide written consent.
  • For a full and final adoption, a child must be considered either abandoned or rights have been relinquished by his or her parents or the parents must be unknown or deceased.

• Age of Adoptive Child: In Cameroon, there is no minimum or maximum age requirement, however as noted above, there are requirements regarding the minimum age difference between the child and adoptive parent if the adoptive parent is single. Please also note that for a child to meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law, a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, must be filed on the child’s behalf while the child is under the age of 16 (or under the age of 18 if the child is the birth sibling of another adopted child who meets the age requirements and immigrated or will immigrate as an orphan based on adoption by the same adoptive parent(s)). Please see the USCIS website for special rules on filing dates for children aged 15-16 or siblings aged 17-18.

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).

Cameroon’s Adoption Authority
Ministry of Social Affairs

The Process

The process for adopting a child from Cameroon 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 Cameroon’s Authorities to Adopt, and to be Matched with a Child
4.  Adopt the Child in Cameroon
5. Apply for Your Child to be Found Eligible to Immigrate to the United States as an Orphan(Form I-600)
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 Cameroon, 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:

• Ensuring that all six adoption services defined at 22 CFR 96.2 are provided consistent with applicable laws and regulations;
• Supervising and being responsible for any supervised providers, and otherwise complying with the requirements regarding the provision of adoption services using other providers.  (see 22 CFR 96.14); and
• Developing and implementing a service plan in accordance with 22 CFR 96.44.

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.

2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt

In order to adopt a child from Cameroon, you will need to meet the requirements of the Government of Cameroon 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 Cameroon’s Authorities to Adopt, and be Matched with a Child

If you are found suitable and eligible to adopt under U.S. immigration law, Cameroon requires you to submit an adoption application to the Ministry of Social Affairs (MSA) of Cameroon to be found eligible to adopt in Cameroon.

The MSA only handles the pre-adoption process for eligible adoptable children from accredited children’s welfare organizations such as orphanages, associations, private community services, and non-governmental organizations. To protect themselves and children from the possibility of fraud or other serious problems, prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt should only consider the list of children available for intercountry adoption from accredited organizations at the Ministry of Social Affairs

If a child is eligible for intercountry adoption, the competent adoption authority (MSA) or other authorized entity in Cameroon will review your adoption file and, if an appropriate match is found, provide you with a referral. Once a child has been identified, the Ministry of Social Affairs must grant authorization to that organization to release the child for adoption.

A social worker will be assigned to track the case and assist the prospective adoptive parents with identifying a child for adoption and monitoring the family during the foster care period The social worker's final report determines whether the prospective adoptive parents can proceed to apply for adoption approval from the High Court. The child must be eligible to be adopted according to Cameroon’s requirements, as described above.

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, sex, 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 Cameroon’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 Cameroon

The process for finalizing the adoption in Cameroon generally includes the following:

• Role of Adoption Authority: The Ministry of Social Affairs handles the pre-adoption process for eligible adoptable children from accredited children’s welfare organizations, such as orphanages, associations, private community services, and NGOs.
  
  
• Role of the Court: There are two types of adoptions in Cameroon: a full or plenary adoption and a simple adoption. Only a full or plenary adoption qualifies as a full and final adoption for U.S. immigration law purposes. Only the High Court (Tribunal de Grand Instance) of the jurisdiction where the child resides may hear and issue full adoptions. The lower courts, including customary courts, issue simple adoptions only, which do not permanently terminate all parental rights and obligations. Thus, adoptions from the lower courts do not qualify as final adoptions under U.S. immigration law.
  
  
• Under Cameroonian law, the High Court must determine that the following four criteria are met before issuing a full adoption decree:

1. All individuals or entities whose consent is required have consented to the adoption and understand that such consent is irrevocable and permanently severs all legal ties between the individual(s) or entity and the child.
2. The child's welfare will be improved by the adoption.
3. There is no credible evidence of child-buying, fraud, or misrepresentation.
4. The prospective adoptive parent(s) are healthy and financially able to support the child.

• Role of Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Providers: There must be a U.S. accredited or approved adoption service provider acting as the primary provider in every case. Also, any agency or person providing an adoption service on behalf of prospective adoptive parents in any non-Convention intercountry adoption case must be accredited or approved, or be a supervised or exempted provider. Adoption service means any one of the following six services:
  • Identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption;
  • Securing the necessary consent to termination of parental rights and to adoption;
  • Performing a background study on a child or a home study on a prospective adoptive parent(s), and reporting on such a study;
  • Making non-judicial determinations of the best interests of a child and the appropriateness of an adoptive placement for the child;
  •  Monitoring a case after a child has been placed with prospective adoptive parent(s) until final adoption; or
  • When necessary because of a disruption before final adoption, assuming custody and providing (including facilitating the provision of) child care or any other social service pending an alternative placement. 22 CFR 96.2 Definitions.

Note: See additional guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required.     

• Adoption Application: Adoption applications and required documents are submitted to the Ministry of Social Affairs.
  
  
• Time Frame: Intercountry adoptions in Cameroon may take a minimum of one year to complete from the time the file is accepted by the adoption authority to when the High Court issues the final adoption. Once all of the Cameroonian procedures have been completed and an adoption decree issued, the U.S. Embassy requires a minimum of two weeks to complete immigrant visa processing once approved petitions are received from USCIS and may take longer depending upon individual circumstances. This estimate does not include the time needed to complete the mandatory Form I-604 orphan determination.
  
  
• Adoption Fees: Adoption fees may include administrative fees associated with the pre-adoption process with the Ministry of Social Affairs, court fees associated with the judicial process with the High Court, and attorney fees if a lawyer is hired. The total fees typically may cost several thousand USD.

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 Cameroon, 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 Cameroon 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. Some of the fees specifically associated with adopting from Cameroon include: administrative fees associated with the pre-adoption process with the MSA, court fees associated with the judicial process with the High Court, and attorney fees if a lawyer is hired.

• Documents Required:
  • A stamped application addressed to the Minister of Social Affairs;
  • Copy of the marriage certificate of the applicants (if applicable);
  • Criminal record of applicants;
  • Birth certificate of the applicant(s);
  • Medical certificate stating that the child is in good health;
  • Pay stubs or proof of stable income;
  • Medical certificate indicating the person’s infertility, issued by a licensed physician (if applicable);
  • Social inquiry report of applicants found in Home study;
  • Applicant’s proof of residence;
  • Two 4x4 photographs of the applicants.

Note: Additional documents may be requested.

• Authentication of Documents: You may be asked to provide proof that a document from the United States is authentic. The U.S Department of State’s Authentications Office has information on the subject.
   

5. Apply for Your Child to be Found Eligible to Immigrate to the United States as an Orphan

After you finalize the adoption in Cameroon, 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 Yaounde, Cameroon. Please see the USCIS website for more information about filing options.

When a Form I-600 petition is adjudicated either by USCIS or the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon, the consular section in Yaounde, Cameroon 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.

Conducting the Form I-604 determination is a critical part of the non-Convention adoption process. It can take approximately six months 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 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 Cameroon, you will first need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child. Your name will be added to the new birth certificate.

You may apply for a new birth certificate for your child based on the adoption decree. Your name will be added to the new birth certificate. If you elect to maintain the original birth certificate, you need to have an endorsement added referencing the adoption.

A birth certificate (Acte de Naissance) is issued by the Mayor’s office (La Mairie), Civil Status Center (Centre d’Etat Civil) or Special Center (Centre Special) at the child’s place of birth, usually within a month of the final adoption. There may be a fee for this service. The child’s birth last name will be replaced by your last name. You may elect to change the child’s first and middle names provided the adoption order grants you permission to do so.

Cameroon Passport

Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or passport from Cameroon.

Your child will need a passport from Cameroon. Each province has an immigration office that issues passports. The requirements for passports and estimated costs are:

• Simple and certified true copy of the birth certificate
• Certified true copy of the adoption decree
• The parents' notarized statement of consent for the issuance of the passport

Passport fee (about $130.00)Certificate of nationality

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 Yaounde. 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.

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.

Upon receipt of the case at post, the Consular Section generally notifies the petitioner. Visa issuance after the final interview generally takes 48 hours. It is not 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 Yaounde before making final travel arrangements. You should not make any travel plans until you have the visa in hand as delays in processing are common. Additional information on immigrant visa processing can be found on our website.

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 Cameroon

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 Cameroon, 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 Cameroon, 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 Cameroon, 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/Post-Placement Reporting Requirements

The Cameroon Ministry of Justice requires that adoptive parents report on the welfare of the adopted children for the first three years after adoption. We urge you to comply with Cameroon’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 Cameroon’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 Yaounde, 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 Cameroon
Avenue Rosa Parks
(in the Mbankolo Quartier, adjacent to the Mount Febe Golf Club)
P.O. Box 817, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Telephone: (237) 22220-1500
Fax: (237) 22220-1572
Email: YaoundeACS@state.gov
Internet: https://cm.usembassy.gov/visas/

Cameroon’s Adoption Authority
Ministry of Social Affairs
Yaoundé, Cameroon
Tel.: (00237) 22223-0066 / 22223-6234 / 22222-2958
Fax: (00237) 22223-2037 / 22223-1121
Email: infos@minas.cm

Embassy of Cameroon
1700 Wisconsin Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 265-8790
Fax:   (202) 387-3826

Cameroon also has consulates in: Houston and San Francisco:.

Cameroonian Consulate in Houston, United States
Consulate of the Republic of Cameroon in Houston, United States
1319 Gamma
Crosby, Texas 77532 United States
Phone: (+1) (713) 499-3502

Cameroonian Consulate in San Francisco, United States

Consulate of the Republic of Cameroon in San Francisco, United States
147 Terra Vista
San Francisco, California 94115 United States
Phone: (+1) (415) 921-5372

Office of Children’s Issues
U.S. Department of State
CA/OCS/CI
SA-17, 9^th 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