New intercountry adoptions are not currently possible between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the United States.   In March 2020, the Ministry of Civil Affairs suspended intercountry adoption processing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   With the exception of a few cases in the last stage of adoption, this decision applies to all pending and future cases.   The Department of State remains actively engaged with the PRC government on this issue. 

The People’s Republic of China is a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention or Convention).   Intercountry adoption processing in Convention countries must be done in accordance with the requirements of the Hague Adoption Convention; the U.S. implementing legislation, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA); and the IAA’s implementing regulations; as well as the implementing legislation and regulations of the People’s Republic of China. 

In addition to being found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS, prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt a child from the People’s Republic of China must meet the following requirements imposed by the People’s Republic of China: 

• Residency: The People’s Republic of China does not require PAPs to reside in China for a specified period prior to completing an adoption. However, in order to finalize an adoption, at least one adopting parent must travel to China to execute the required documents in person before the appropriate Chinese authorities. If only one member of an adopting married couple travels to the People’s Republic of China, that person must have in his/her possession a power of attorney from the other spouse, notarized and apostilled by the PAPs home state. 
• Age of Adopting Parents: The minimum age for PAPs to adopt from the People’s Republic of China is 30. The People’s Republic of China will allow married PAPs over 50 years of age to adopt a child. The age difference between the child and the younger spouse should, however, be no more than 50 years. Single female PAPs who intend to adopt a child of the opposite sex may be no more than 40 years older than the child they wish to adopt.  
• Marriage: Chinese law permits intercountry adoption by married heterosexual couples and single women. At this time, the People’s Republic of China does not permit lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgendered, or intersex (LGBTI) individuals or same-sex couples to adopt. Married couples must adopt jointly. In addition, they must have been married at least two years; if either spouse has previously divorced, the couple must have been married at least five years. The People’s Republic of China does not consider individuals who have been divorced two or more times to be eligible to adopt. Specific age, income, and family environment requirements apply to single women (see relevant categories in the “who can adopt” and “who can be adopted” sections). 
• Income: The People’s Republic of China requires an adopting family's annual income equal at least $10,000 for each family member in the household (including the child to be adopted). The People’s Republic of China requires married PAPs to have a net worth of at least $80,000. The net worth of a single prospective adoptive parent must be $100,000. The calculation of annual income should exclude sources such as a relief fund, pension, disability benefits, or foster care subsidy. China’s central authority may waive China’s annual income and net worth requirements in cases where the family’s income and net worth are above the average local living standard of the jurisdiction of residence, and the PAPs can provide valid certification to that effect. PAPs must be high school graduates or have vocational training equivalent to a high school education. 
• Physical/Mental Health: The People’s Republic of China requires PAPS to be physically and mentally fit, with none of the following conditions: 
  • HIV, AIDS, or an infectious disease that is actively contagious; 
  • Mental disability; 
  • Blind in both eyes, or blind in either eye or having impaired vision that is uncorrected by a corrective device. 
  • Hearing loss in both ears or loss of language function (those adopting children with hearing or language function loss are exempted from this requirement); 
  • Non-function or dysfunction of limbs or trunk caused by impairment, incomplete limbs, paralysis or deformation; 
  • Severe facial deformation; 
  • Severe diseases that require long-term treatment and that may affect life expectancy, including malignant tumors, lupus, nephrosis, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis; 
  • Major organ transplant within ten years, the People’s Republic of China may consider an exemption to this restriction for couples in which one spouse had a transplant within 10 years but has recovered to a normal daily life; 
  • Schizophrenia; 
  • Severe mental disorders, including depression, mania, or anxiety neurosis (The People’s Republic of China may exempt this restriction for couples with proof of effective treatment); and 
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more. 
• Other: A single prospective adoptive parent must not have more than two children in her household under the age of 18 and the youngest child must be at least six years old. The Chinese Central Authority will consider the occupation and lifestyle of prospective adoptive parents to determine whether the PAPs will be available and able to take care of the child that they seek to refer. PAPs must have a history of honorable behavior and good moral character, and must not have a criminal record, including without evidence of: 
  • Domestic violence, sexual abuse, abandonment, or abuse of children; even if not arrested or convicted; 
  • Recreational drug use and those with substance abuse histories; including opium, morphine (unless medically administered), marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, etc. Note that PAPs will be required to provide information regarding prescription medications to the Chinese central authority so that it may evaluate eligibility of the PAPs on a case-by-case basis. 
  • Alcohol abuse, unless the individual can show she/he has been sober for at least ten years. 

Note: Applications from individuals with past criminal records will be considered on a case-by-case basis if the individual has three or fewer minor criminal violations that did not result in severe outcomes (none in the last ten years) and five or fewer traffic violations with no severe outcomes. 

• The prospective parents must demonstrate the ability to provide a safe family environment capable of meeting the needs of a child placed for adoption and providing for her/his development, and an understanding of the special risks (including potential diseases, developmental delays, and post-placement maladjustment) that could come with inter-country adoption.  

Because the People’s Republic of China is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, children from the People’s Republic of China must meet the requirements of the Convention in order to be eligible for intercountry adoption. For example, the adoption may take place only if the competent authorities of the People’s Republic of China have determined that placement of the child within China has been given due consideration and that an intercountry adoption is in the child’s best interests.  

In addition to qualifying as a Convention adoptee under U.S. immigration law, the child must also meet the following requirements imposed by The People’s Republic of China: 

• Eligibility for adoption: Birth parents may voluntarily relinquish their parental rights by presenting credible evidence to the provincial authorities and the Chinese Central Authority that they are unable to rear the child due to “unusual difficulties.” For example, birth parents must present credible evidence of hardship in order to the Chinese central authority or local authorities to allow voluntary relinquishment. Such credible evidence that birth parents may present includes when birth parents have physical or social incapacities which limit their ability to rear a child. 
• Children with no known birth parents must be placed from a Social Welfare Institute (SWI) licensed by China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs. The Civil Affairs Department of the province where the child was abandoned will publish a public announcement in a local provincial newspaper to locate biological parents. If the biological parents or other legal guardians do not claim the child after 60 days of the date of publication of the public notice, the child will be certified as abandoned. 
• Age of Adoptive Child: Chinese law permits the adoption of children up to and including age 17. An adoption involving the child of a blood relative of the same generation up to the third degree of kinship is exempted from the age limit. Please note that in order for a child to meet the definition of Convention adoptee under U.S. immigration law, a Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee 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 and other requirements to immigrate 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 under 18.  
• Sibling Adoptions: No specific requirements. 
• Medical Conditions Other Needs: The People’s Republic of China places children with disabilities and older children from its special focus (SF) and non-special focus (non-SF) children according to their degree of special needs and health conditions. See the “Apply to China’s Authorities to Adopt and be Matched with a Child” section for further detail on the procedures involved with adopting a child with disabilities or an older child. 
• Waiting Period or Foster Care: Recent experience indicates it can take many years for PAPs to receive a referral of a healthy small child from China’s central authority. Cases involving special needs children are generally much shorter.  

After the referral is sent and the prospective parent(s) accept the referral (see the step-by-step description of the Chinese adoption process, below), at least four to eight more weeks may elapse before the prospective adoptive parents receive the Chinese central authority’s final approval to travel to China. 

Families should allow at least three weeks in China to finalize their child's adoption and immigration procedures. The Chinese central authority has advised local officials to try to complete the process within 15 days after the prospective adoptive parents arrive in China. The child's Chinese passport, exit permits, and U.S. immigrant visa process will take another 7-10 days after the adoption is finalized. 

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 not relinquished their parental rights or consented to the adoption of their child(ren). 

Do not adopt or obtain legal custody of a child in China before:   1) USCIS has approved your Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, 2) the Central Authority of China has determined the child is eligible for intercountry adoption, 3) USCIS has provisionally approved your Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, and 4) a U.S. consular officer has issued an “Article 5/17 Letter” in the case.   Read on for more information.

The People’s Republic of China’s Central Adoption Authority
Department of Children’s Welfare, Ministry of Civil Affairs 

The Process

Because the People’s Republic of China is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, adoptions from the People’s Republic of China must follow a specific process designed to meet the Convention’s requirements. A brief summary of the Convention adoption process is provided below. You must complete these steps in the following order to meet all necessary legal requirements. Adoptions completed out of order may result in the child not being eligible for an immigrant visa to the United States. 

1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider that has been authorized by China’s Central Authority to Operate in China 
2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt (Form I-800A) 
3. Apply to China’s Authorities to Adopt and Be Matched with a Child 
4. Apply to USCIS for the Child to be Found Provisionally Eligible for Immigration to the United States as a Convention Adoptee (Form I-800) and Receive U.S. Agreement to proceed with the Adoption (Art. 5/17 letter) 
5. Adopt the Child in China 
6. Apply for a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child and Bring Your Child Home 
7. Obtain U.S. Citizenship for Your Child 

1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider that Has Been Authorized by China’s Central Authority to Operate in the People’s Republic of China 

The first step in adopting a child from the People’s Republic of China is to select an adoption service provider in the United States that has been accredited or approved to provide intercountry adoption services to U.S. citizens [and that has been authorized by the PRC Government]. A primary provider must be identified in each Convention case and only accredited or approved adoption service providers may act as the primary provider in your case. Unless a public domestic authority is providing all adoption services in your case, a primary provider is required in every intercountry adoption 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. 

Accredited ASPs generally handle intercountry adoptions from specific countries. Information about accredited ASPs and their specific country programs is available on our website.   Please note: While the agency that conducts your home study must be licensed in your state of residence, the ASP you select to be your Primary Provider (often referred to as a “placing agency”) for an intercountry adoption does not.   If you do not locate an accredited ASP with a program that meets your needs or works in the PRC, you may wish to consult one or both of the accrediting entities that have oversight of ASPS: 1) Intercountry Adoption Accreditation and Maintenance Entity (IAAME), www.iaame.net/contact, and 2) Center for Excellence in Adoption Services (CEAS), www.ceadoption.org/contact. 

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

In order to adopt a child from the People’s Republic of China, you will need to meet the requirements of the PRC Government and U.S. immigration law.

After you choose an accredited or approved adoption service provider, you must be found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS by submitting Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country. You will need to submit a home study, provide biometrics, and cooperate in a background check as part of this application. Please see USCIS webpages on suitability determinations and USCIS policy guidance on adoptive parent suitability determinations. 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 the People’s Republic of China’s Authorities to Adopt, and be Matched with a Child

Submit Your Dossier to the Central Authority

After USCIS determines that you are suitable and eligible to adopt and approves the Form I-800A application, your adoption service provider will provide your approval notice, home study, and any other required information to the adoption authority in the People’s Republic of China as part of your adoption application. China’s adoption authority will review your application to determine whether you are also suitable and eligible to adopt under PRC law. 

Receive a Referral for a Child from the Central Authority

If both the United States and the People’s Republic of China determine that you are suitable and eligible to adopt, and China’s Central Authority for Convention adoptions has determined that a child is eligible for adoption and that intercountry adoption is in that child’s best interests, the Central Authority for Convention adoptions in the People’s Republic of China may provide you with a referral. The referral is a proposed match between you and a specific child based on a review of your dossier and the needs of the child. The adoption authority in the People’s Republic of China will provide a background study and other information, if available, about the child to help you decide whether to accept the 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 adhere to the recommendations in the home study submitted to USCIS with respect to the number of children and capacity to deal with any special needs of an adoptive child. Learn more about Health Considerations. If you accept the referral, the adoption service provider communicates that to the Central Authority in the PRC. Learn more about this critical decision. 

Prospective adoptive parents either accept or refuse a referral and send the document to their agency, which forwards it to CCCWA. CCCWA requires a response on a referral within three months of sending a referral to a family. If PAPs are considering refusing a referral they should work with their ASP to approach CCCWA for second referral. CCCWA will only accept requests for a second referral is the CCCWA considers the reason for rejecting the first referral to be justified. If the reason for the rejection is considered justifiable, such as a medical need that the prospective adoptive parents feel they cannot meet, the CCCWA may refer a second child to the prospective adoptive parents within a month's time. If CCCWA regards the rejection as unreasonable, the prospective adoptive parents will have difficulty obtaining a second referral and CCCWA may suggest that the prospective adoptive parents withdraw their application for adoption in the People’s Republic of China. 

Requirements for Adopting Children with disabilities or older children: Once prospective adoptive parents decide to accept a referral of a child with disabilities or an older child, they have 72 hours to fill out the necessary forms to complete their pre-approval application. Prospective adoptive parents can review the case, including the medical and growth records and a photo of the child. The specific medical or other needs of the child is documented in the referral and the prospective adoptive parents can decide if they can meet the child's needs; for example, whether their insurance would cover the child's medical needs, and whether they themselves are able to provide any educational or rehabilitative support, etc. If the prospective adoptive parents decide they are able to meet this child's needs, they indicate such to the CCCWA and from that point onward they have 72 hours to fill out the necessary forms to complete the dossier. If the prospective adoptive parents have not completed the forms and submitted them within 72 hours, the child's name goes back on the list and other prospective adoptive parents can review that child's file. For detailed information, please consult your adoption service provider.  

4. Submit a Form I-800 Petition to Obtain Provisional Determination on the Child’s Immigration Eligibility  

Submit a Petition for a Determination on the Child’s Immigration Eligibility  
After you accept being matched with a particular child, you will apply to USCIS for provisional approval for the child to immigrate to the United States by filing the Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative. USCIS will make a provisional determination as to whether the child appears to meet the definition of a Convention adoptee and will likely be eligible to be admitted to the United States. 

Submit an Immigrant Visa Application  
After provisional approval of Form I-800 petition, if you intend to bring your child to the United States to reside with you, you or your adoption service provider will submit a visa application to the consular section of the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou responsible for issuing immigrant visas to children from the People’s Republic of China. 

You should receive a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and assigning a case number and an invoice ID number. Use this information to log into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) to file the Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) for your child. An adoptive parent 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.   Please review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact the NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov or +1-603-334-0700 if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form. A consular officer will review the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and the visa application and, if applicable, advises you of options for the waiver of any ineligibilities related to the visa application. 

The consular officer will send a letter (referred to as an “Article 5/17 Letter”) to China’s Central Authority in any intercountry adoption involving U.S. citizen parents and a child from China if all Convention requirements are met and the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States.   This letter will inform the China’s Central Authority that the parents are suitable and eligible to adopt, that the child appears eligible to enter and reside permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority agrees that the adoption may proceed. 

Warning: Do not attempt to adopt or obtain custody of a child in China before you receive provisional approval of your Form I-800 petition AND a U.S. consular officer issues the “Article 5/17 Letter” for your adoption case. 

Remember: The consular officer will make a final decision about a child’s eligibility for an immigrant visa later in the adoption process. 

5. Adopt the Child in the People’s Republic of China
Remember: Before you adopt a child in the People’s Republic of China, you must have completed the above four steps. Only after completing these steps can you proceed to finalize the adoption. 

The process for finalizing the adoption or obtaining legal custody for purposes of emigration and adoption in China generally includes the following: 

• Role of Adoption Authority:
  • The CCCWA as the Chinese Central Authority:
    • Regulates and monitors intercountry adoptions, and implements the Hague Adoption Convention in China;
    • Provides information regarding children available for intercountry adoption;
    • Authorizes Adoption Service Providers; and
    • Issues “Letters of Seeking Confirmation” and "Notices of Coming to China for Adoption"
• The Ministry of Civil Affairs as the Chinese Central Authority:

Administers the provincial Departments of Civil Affairs, which issue the final adoption certificate; and

Licenses Child Welfare Institutes (CWI) and SWIs which place children for intercountry adoption.

• Role of Adoption Agencies:  Accredited agencies and approved persons facilitate case specific communication with, and submit supporting documentation on behalf of PAPs to CCCWA.  
• Time Frame: The time between when the adoption process commences and when a match is completed may vary based on the specific circumstances of the case and availability of necessary documents. Intercountry adoptions involving a child with special needs generally may take between six months to two years. 
• Adoption Application: Adoption application letter (submitted with dossier through ASP). See full list of documents required below. 
• Adoption Fees: 
  We encourage PAPs to obtain detailed receipts for all fees and donations paid, either directly or through your U.S. adoption service provider, and to raise any concerns regarding any payment that you believe may be contrary to the Convention, U.S. law, or the law of the People’s Republic of China with your adoption service provider, or, when appropriate, through the Complaint Registry. For more information in this regard, please refer to information concerning the Complaint Registry. Improper payments may violate applicable law or create the appearance of child buying, and could put all future adoptions from China 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 IAA makes 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, a decision by an entity performing a central authority function or a decision by an accrediting entity with respect to accreditation of an agency or approval of a person. 

In the adoption services contract that you sign at the beginning of the adoption process, your agency will itemize the fees and estimated expenses related to your adoption process. 

Some of the fees specifically associated with adopting from the People’s Republic of China include: 

The authentication/legalization of documents by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in the United States costs $10 per document, whether the document is one or multiple pages. The fee is for authentication of the seal. 

The CCCWA International Adoption Service Fee is $1240 for each adopted child, and a $300 fee due with the submission of the first post-placement report. The initial CCCWA service fee is $1100, plus $350 for translation of the documents submitted in the dossier. For stepchildren who are being adopted by a stepparent, the service fee is $800, and there is no translation fee. The translations can be done in the United States or China, however, the CCCWA advises that the translations must be correct and that CCCWA will rectify, and charge for correcting any errors. 

Fees for issuance of certificates, and for notarization of those certificates, may vary based on province. 

Note: The certificate approving the adoption, birth certificate and abandonment certificate normally come together in a packet notarized by the provincial notary office. The U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou no longer requests the notarized adoption certificate but still requires the birth certificate and abandonment certificate to be notarized. Many provincial notary offices still issue these three notaries as a package. Additional documents may be required (e.g., death certificates, if applicable) but the cost of issuance and notarization of such documents is not included in this fee. 

Chinese passports cost $25 for the normal 15-working-day issuance. Charges for expedited service differ by province. 

Donation to individual Children’s Welfare Institutes is made on a voluntary basis. Donation amount, purpose and method are determined by PAPs. If PAPs decide to provide a donation, they can do so after the registration of adoption. 

U.S. adoptive parent(s) who believe that they were compelled at any point during the adoption process to pay exorbitant fees not in of keeping with the general information provided in this information sheet should notify the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou. 

Documents Required:

• Adoption application letter. 
• Birth certificate(s) of the prospective adoptive parent(s). 
• Marital status statement - Either a marriage certificate, divorce or death certificate (if applicable) or statement of single status is required. 
• Certificates of profession, income and property which may include: verification of employment and salary; bank statements; a copy of your property trust deeds, if applicable. All documents must be notarized or certified. 
• Health examination certificate(s) of the prospective adoptive parent(s). 
• Certificate(s) of criminal or no-criminal record - A certificate of good conduct for the adoptive parent(s) from a local police department notarized or bearing the police department seal and authenticated. An FBI report is acceptable in lieu of a local police record. This is separate from the FBI check conducted by USCIS as part of the petition process. You can request an FBI record check by sending two sets of fingerprints, an $18 money order, your full name, date and place of birth, social security number and letter of request explaining purpose for clearance to: FBI ID Division, Room 10104, Washington, DC 20537-9700. The FBI certificate should also be authenticated. 
• Home study report. 
• Certificate of child adoption approval by the competent department of the adopter's country of residence, also known as the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Approval Notice for Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, along with copies of the U.S. passport(s) of the PAPs. 
•  Each applicant parent should also submit two front-view photos and several other photos reflecting the family's life in the United States. 
• Power of attorney notarized and authenticated (if only one spouse will travel to China). In case of married couples, if only one adopting parent comes to China, Chinese law requires that the spouse traveling bring a power of attorney from his/her spouse, notarized and properly authenticated by Chinese Embassy or one of the Chinese consulates general in the United States. 

Note: Additional documents may be requested.

6.  Secure a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child If You Intend to Bring Your Child to Reside in the United States

Once your adoption is complete there are a few more steps to take before your child can head home. Specifically, 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 China, you will first need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child. Your name may or may not be added to the new birth certificate.

You should apply for the birth certificate from a notary office in the city where the child was adopted. The cost is approximately $150 - $200 which includes three or four copies. It takes at least 24 hours to receive the certificate. Fee for issuance of these certificates may vary based on province.  

PRC Passport

Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or passport from the People’s Republic of China. The passport can be obtained from the Entry and Exit Administration Bureau in the city where the child was adopted. It takes at least three working days to receive the passport. Fee for issuance of passport and processing time may vary based on province. 

U.S. Immigrant Visa

After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child you need to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa for your child from the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou. After the adoption is granted, visit the U.S Consulate for a final review of the case, and if applicable, the issuance of a U.S. Hague Adoption Certificate or Hague Custody Certificate, the final approval of the Form I-800 petition, and to obtain your child’s immigrant visa. This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you and be admitted to the United States as your child. Please contact the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou by email at ACIVUAppointment@state.gov to schedule your child’s immigrant visa appointment. As part of this process, you must provide the consular officer with the Panel Physician’s medical report on the child if you did not provide it during the Form I-800 provisional approval stage. Read more about the Medical Examination. 

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). You should receive a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the provisionally approved Form I-800 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. 

Please note that the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou processes immigrant visas for non-U.S. citizens located in China. Additional information concerning immigrant visa processing at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou can be found on the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou website. 

Visa issuance after the final interview generally takes two working days. 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. Consulate General in Guangzhou before making final travel arrangements. Additional information on immigrant visa processing can be found on our website. 

Obtain Citizenship for Your Child

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  INA 320) to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship. You may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met. More information is available on the USCIS Fact Sheet:  Securing U.S. Citizenship for Your Child. 

For adoptions finalized abroad prior to 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 INA 320 to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship. You may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met. More information is available on the USCIS Fact Sheet:  Securing U.S. Citizenship for Your Child. 

If you reside outside the United States with your child, you may file a Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322.  

Read more about the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 and U.S. Citizenship for an Adopted Child. 

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 the People’s Republic of China  

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 the People’s Republic of China, see the Department of State’s Country Page.

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 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 the People’s Republic of China, 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 the People’s Republic of China, 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).

We urge you to comply with the People’s Republic of China’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 China’s positive experiences with U.S. citizen adoptive parents.

CCCWA requires PAPs to submit post placement reports six months, and then annually for five years after the adoption registration. CCCWA also requires PAPs to submit the Phase II post-placement report every year until the adoptive child reaches 18 years old,

Post-Adoption Resources

Many adoptive parents find it important to find support after the adoption.  here 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 adoption.   

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. In particular you may find the pages on   Parenting After Adoption - Child Welfare Information Gateway and Post Adoption and Permanency Support Services - Child Welfare Information Gateway useful.

COMPLAINTS

If you have concerns about your intercountry adoption process, we ask that you share this information with the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou 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-800/A petition process.

The Complaint Registry is an internet-based registry for filing complaints about the compliance of U.S. accredited or approved adoption service providers with U.S. accreditation standards. 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 China
U.S. Embassy Beijing
No. 55 An Jia Lou Road
Beijing, China 100600
Tel: (86-10) 8531-4000
Fax: (86-10) 8531-3300
Email: BeijingACS@state.gov

U.S. Consulate General of the United States in Guangzhou
Mailing Address: 43 Hua Jiu Road, Zhujiang New Town
Tianhe District
Guangzhou, China. 510623
Physical Address: Huaxia Road, Zhujiang New Town, (near Exit B1 of the Zhujiang New Town subway station, Line 3 and Line 5),
Tianhe District
Guangzhou, China
Tel: 011-86-20-3814 5000
Email: GuangzhouA@state.gov
Internet: 


China’s Adoption Authority
The China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption
16 Wang Jia Yuan Lane
Dongcheng District
Beijing, China 100027
Tel: 010-655-48998
Email: cccwa@cccwa.cn
Internet: http://cccwaen.mca.gov.cn

Embassy of China
2201 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. Suite 110
Washington, D.C. 20007Tel: 202-337-1956
Fax: 202-588-9760
Email: visa_us@mfa.gov.cn
Internet: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/ywzn/lsyw/

China also has consulates in: Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Chicago, IL; and New York, NY.

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-800A application or a Form I-800 petition:
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 general questions about immigration procedures:
USCIS Contact Center
Tel: 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833)
Internet: uscis.gov