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Intercountry Adoption > Location Information > Haiti Intercountry Adoption Information
The U.S. Department of State continues to strongly advise prospective adoptive parents to reconsider intercountry adoptions from Haiti. Violence throughout the country can significantly extend already lengthy processing times for adoption cases in Haiti and cause Haitian government offices to be closed intermittently or operate with limited capacity. For more information on adoption processing challenges and child welfare concerns, please read the Department of State’s 04/14/2025 Adoption Notice.
Presidential Proclamation 10998: “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” took effect on January 1, 2026. It fully or partially suspends entry for, and visa issuance to, nationals of 39 countries, and individuals applying using travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority.
President Trump and his Administration support families and intercountry adoption.
In countries where the issuance of visas is currently limited, children being adopted by Americans can qualify for an exception under the National Interest Exception.
American families should follow the normal intercountry adoption process. They should submit visa applications and attend consular interviews. They do not need to take other additional steps to be considered for a case-by-case exception under the National Interest Exception.
Please see our section on Adoptions from the United States for more information on the process for adopting a child from the United States.
Haiti 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); the IAA’s implementing regulations and U.S. adoption-related immigration policies; as well as the implementing legislation and regulations of Haiti. Please see below in the Who Can Adopt, Who can be Adopted, and How to Adopt sections for more detail on the intercountry adoption steps involving Haiti.
Country Conditions: The Department of State continues to strongly advise prospective adoptive parents to reconsider intercountry adoptions involving Haiti – particularly those who have not yet selected a country from which to adopt or those who have not yet been matched with a child. Adoption involving Haiti is a long process in a dangerous environment that impedes processing. Conditions in Haiti include protests, demonstrations, and roadblocks, as well as criminal activity involving firearms, assault, kidnappings, and carjackings. For more detail please see our notice from April 2025 and review the Travel Advisory for Haiti.
Identifying an agency: Haiti’s 2013 adoption law prohibits independent and private adoptions. U.S. prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt from Haiti are required to contact one of the accredited or approved U.S. adoption service providers authorized to operate in Haiti. A list of these agencies is available in the Department’s July 22, 2022 Adoption Alert. Please note that each U.S. adoption service provider is allowed to present no more than one (1) dossier/application to adopt from Haiti to Haiti’s Central Authority, the Institut du Bien-Être Social et de Recherches (IBESR), each month (for a non-special needs or non-relative adoption), plus up to 10 dossiers/applications to adopt from Haiti per year for families seeking to adopt relatives or children with special needs.
In addition, prospective adoptive parents who are not adopting relatives must adopt from a crèche/orphanage that IBESR has licensed and rated a “green light” facility. Your adoption service provider should be able to confirm the status of any crèche/orphanage with which it works in Haiti.
Matching: Haiti’s adoption law prohibits birth parent(s) or other guardian(s) from identifying who will adopt a Haitian child unless the prospective adoptive parents are relatives. In addition, neither adoption service providers nor crèche/orphanage directors are allowed to match prospective adoptive parents with specific Haitian children. They are also prohibited under Haiti’s adoption procedures from disclosing information about a proposed match to prospective adoptive parents before IBESR formally makes a match. IBESR may take a proposal from a crèche director under advisement, but this does not guarantee that any such matching proposals will be approved by IBESR. Exerting pressure on IBESR to approve a proposed match may result in the proposal being denied. Under Haiti’s law, only IBESR may officially match prospective adoptive parents with Haitian children.
Prospective adoptive parents are strongly cautioned against having any contact with a child’s crèche director or employees, birth parent(s), other guardian(s), or other caregiver(s) until the prospective adoptive parents have been found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS (Form I-800A approval) and IBESR has reviewed the necessary consents to the adoption and determined the child is available for adoption. Such contact may constitute “prior contact” as defined in the Convention, U.S. law, and/or Haitian law, and may cause IBESR to delay making an official a match or to decide against allowing a case to proceed under the Convention process. Prohibited prior contact may also constitute grounds to deny a Form I-800 petition. Prospective adoptive parents should also not complete an adoption or take legal custody of a child until after USCIS provisionally approves the Form I-800 petition, and the U.S. Embassy issues the Article 5/17 letter to IBESR, and IBESR in turn issues the authorization to adopt (autorisation d’adoption).
Plenary adoptions: Under the 2013 Haitian adoption law, all intercountry adoptions of Haitian children completed on or after November 15, 2013, must be completed as full (pleniere or plenary) adoptions. Plenary adoptions cannot be nullified, revoked, or revised. Additional guidance on obtaining consents to adoption in plenary adoptions and requirements related to children’s names after adoption is available in the Department’s October 22, 2015 Adoption Alert.
Moving children before and after adoption: Adoptive parents, adoption service providers, and other individuals are prohibited from moving children from the crèches or orphanages in which they were residing before the match was made by IBESR until after the exit letter is issued by IBESR at the end of the Convention adoption process (after the U.S. Embassy issues an immigrant visa).
Domestic adoptions in Haiti: Under Haiti’s 2013 adoption law, individuals seeking to complete a domestic adoption in Haiti must have resided in Haiti for at least five (5) years prior to starting the adoption process in order to be considered habitually resident in Haiti (regardless of citizenship). In addition, under Haiti’s 2013 adoption law, prospective adoptive parents must demonstrate that they intend to continue living in Haiti and have professional and personal ties to the country. IBESR has further advised that they will not provide exit letters for children while domestic adoptions are in process. Additionally, the Department of State and USCIS caution that, under U.S. law and regulations, Haitian children adopted under the Haitian domestic process by a U.S. citizen adoptive parent will generally not be eligible to immigrate to the United States as adopted children until the adoptive parent accrues two years’ legal custody and joint residence with the child, generally outside the United States, among other requirements. Please see the USCIS website for additional information on this process. The information provided in the remainder of this webpage is intended for intercountry adoptions.
We are aware there are also prospective adoptive parents who reside abroad who wish to adopt a child from the United States. Please see our section on Adoptions from the United States for more information on the process for adopting a child from the United States.
Note: If any of the following occurred prior to April 1, 2014 (the date on which the Hague Adoption Convention entered into force for Haiti), the Hague Adoption Convention may not apply to your case: 1) you filed a Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, identifying Haiti as the country where you intended to adopt and the approval or extension is still valid; 2) you filed a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, on behalf of a child from Haiti, or 3) you completed the adoption. Under these circumstances, your adopted child’s adoption could continue to be processed as a non-Convention case, provided the child’s country of origin agrees. Additional requirements apply to Haiti transition cases that meet exception 1 or 2 listed above. IBESR has agreed to process as a transition (non-Convention) case, any case in which a Form I-600 or I-600A was filed before April 1, 2014, as long as IBESR completes the matching by April 1, 2016. For more information, read about Hague Transition Cases. There may be other circumstances when the Hague Adoption Convention may not apply. For additional information, see the USCIS website. Please contact [email protected] with the details of the case if this situation applies to you.
To bring an adopted child to the United States from Haiti, 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 a Convention adoptee under U.S. immigration law in order to be eligible to immigrate to the United States with an IH-3 or IH-4 immigrant visa.
In addition to being found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS, prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) seeking to adopt a child from Haiti must meet the following requirements imposed by Haiti:
Age of Adopting Parents: If married or a couple living together, one of the prospective adoptive parents must be at least 30 years old; if single, a prospective adoptive parent must be at least 35 years old. No prospective adoptive parents may be over age 50 when their application to adopt (dossier) is submitted to IBESR, unless the prospective adoptive parents are adopting a relative.
Any biological or adopted children age eight (8) years or older who are already in the prospective adoptive parents’ home must state their opinion regarding an adoption from Haiti.
Haitian law bars adoptions by any prospective adoptive parents who have been convicted of a felony or ever lost their parental rights over a child.
Who Can Be Adopted
Because Haiti is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, children from Haiti 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 Haiti have determined that placement of the child within Haiti has been given due consideration and that an intercountry adoption is in the child’s best interests.
Under Haiti’s 2013 adoption law, the birth parents’ economic status is not considered sufficient grounds for a child to be placed for adoption. Only IBESR has the authority to determine whether a Haitian child is adoptable under Haitian law (regardless of whether the child will be placed domestically or through an intercountry adoption).
In addition to qualifying as a Convention adoptee under U.S. immigration law, the child must also meet the following requirements imposed by Haiti:
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).
How to Adopt
Warning: Do not adopt or obtain legal custody of a child in Haiti 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 Haiti 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.
Haiti’s Central Adoption Authority
Institut du Bien-Être Social et de Recherches (IBESR)
The Process
Because Haiti is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, adoptions from Haiti 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 Haiti’s Central Authority to Operate in Haiti
The accredited agency or approved person you identify as the primary provider is responsible for:
Only accredited agencies, approved persons, supervised providers, exempted providers, public domestic authorities, and public foreign authorities that have been authorized by the Government of Haiti may provide adoption services in intercountry adoption cases.
Under Haitian laws and procedures, in order to operate in Haiti, the U.S. adoption service provider must:
2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt
In order to adopt a child from Haiti, you will need to meet the requirements of the Government of Haiti 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 who holds any license or other authorization required by the law of the jurisdiction where the home study is conducted (unless a public domestic or public foreign authority). The home study must comply with the requirements in 8 CFR 204.311 and USCIS policy.
3. Apply to Haiti’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 Haiti as part of your adoption application. Haiti’s adoption authority will review your application to determine whether you are also suitable and eligible to adopt under Haiti’s law.
Haiti’s adoption procedures require IBESR to review an application to adopt from Haiti and determine if the dossier is complete and acceptable for receipt. Prospective adoptive parents or their adoption service provider should not pay the IBESR initiation fee until the dossier is officially received and are strongly encouraged to obtain receipts for all fees associated with an adoption and paid in Haiti.
Receive a Referral for a Child from the Central Authority
If both the United States and Haiti determine that you are suitable and eligible to adopt, and Haiti’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 Haiti 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 Haiti 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 USCIS suitability determination 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 Haiti.
Haiti’s adoption law and procedures place no time limits on IBESR between its receipt of a family’s dossier and when it may make a referral for a particular child. However, prospective adoptive parents must inform IBESR in writing whether they will accept or refuse a proposed match within 15 days of the referral letter being issued. This acceptance of a match must be communicated to IBESR through the U.S. accredited or approved adoption service provider that is serving as the primary provider for the adoption and is authorized by IBESR to operate in Haiti.
4. Apply to USCIS for the Child to be Found Provisionally Eligible for Immigration to the United States as a Convention Adoptee and Receive U.S. Agreement to Proceed with the Adoption
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 enter and remain in the United States.
Submit an Immigrant Visa Application (If Applicable)
After provisional approval of Form I-800 petition, you or your adoption service provider will submit a visa application to the consular section of the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince responsible for issuing immigrant visas to children from Haiti.
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 [email protected] 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.
In order for the U.S. Embassy’s consular officer to review the petition and visa application (if you reside in the U.S.), you will need to pay the immigrant visa application fee after filing the DS-260 online immigrant visa application. The fee can be paid to the cashier at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in U.S. dollars, Haitian Gourdes, or by credit card. Prospective adoptive parents should not pay this fee or any other “visa fees” to anyone outside the U.S. Embassy. Any requests for Embassy “document” fees or processing fees should be reported to the U.S. Embassy’s consular staff.
The consular officer will send a letter (referred to as an “Article 5/17 Letter”) to Haiti’s Central Authority in any intercountry adoption involving U.S. citizen parents and a child from Haiti if all Convention requirements are met and the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States. This letter will inform Haiti’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 a child in Haiti 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. Apply for U.S. Visa and Receive U.S. Agreement to Proceed with the Adoption (Article 5/17 letter)
After provisional approval of the Form I-800 petition, you or your adoption service provider will submit a visa application to the consular section of U.S. Embassy/ Port-au-Prince responsible for issuing immigrant visas to children from Haiti. Your child will need an immigrant visa if you intend to reside in the United States with your child. If instead you intend to continue residing overseas with your child but still seek naturalization of your child by application (Form N-600K), you will not need an immigrant visa, but you may need a different type of visa to complete that process. Please discuss this with the consular officer handling your case and consult the USCIS website for more information.
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 [email protected] 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, advise 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 Haiti’s Central Authority in any intercountry adoption involving U.S. citizen parents and a child from Haiti if all Convention requirements are met and the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States. This letter will inform Haiti’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 of a child in Haiti 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.
6. Adopt the Child in Haiti
Remember: Before you adopt a child in Haiti, you must have completed the above five steps. Only after completing these steps can you proceed to finalize the adoption.
The process for finalizing the adoption in Haiti generally includes the following:
IBESR is also responsible for:
Note: Only the IBESR office in Port-au-Prince can authorize an adoption. IBESR regional offices do not have this authority. Each case is unique, and some are more complicated than others. The Immigrant Visa/Adoptions Unit of the U.S. Embassy has no authority over, or ability to influence, how quickly or in what order IBESR processes its caseload.
Role of the Court: Several Haitian courts have a role in the intercountry adoption process:
The Justice of the Peace (Tribunal de Paix) has jurisdiction over the place where an abandoned child was found and issues the declaration of abandonment.
The Judge of the Children’s Court (Tribunal pour Enfants) is responsible for receiving birth parents’ or legal guardians’ consents to plenary adoptions and issuing a record of the consent. Children’s Court judges also oversee cases where a child’s birth parents are stripped of their parental rights and the child is made a ward of the State. They also issue temporary placement orders confirming temporary placements authorized by IBESR.
The Tribunal of First Instance (Tribunal de Premier Instance) deliberates and issues a decision granting or denying an adoption following a review by the court’s Chief Prosecutor (Commissaire du Gouvernement); if approved, the court will issue an adoption judgment (homologue). If approval is denied due to a procedural error, the file is sent back to IBESR for correction. If the adoption is denied on its merits, the prospective adoptive parents have 30 days from the date of the judgment to file an appeal. Birth family members and other parties have 30 days after an adoption is approved to file an appeal.
If there is no appeal and the judgment was stamped by the Director General of Taxation, the Tribunal of First Instance will enforce (exequatur) the judgment and issue the adoption order (acte d’adoption). Then, the Dean (Doyen) of the Tribunal serves notice on the Civil Registrar’s Office / Vital Statistics Office (Officier d’Etat Civil) of the adoption approval. After the Civil Registrar’s Office issues and signs the adoption decree, the Tribunal of First Instance will legalize the decree.
In situations where U.S. adoptive parents previously completed a simple adoption, did not add their surname to the child’s name, or did not remove a child’s original surname, the Tribunal of First Instance will need to take additional steps. Please see our past Adoption Alert for guidance on how to correct or convert the case.
The National Archives (Les Archives Nationales d'Haiti) maintains records of all birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates previously issued by the Civil Registrar. It also attests the adoption decree after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs legalizes the document.
The Director General of Taxation (Direction Générale des Impôts) must stamp the adoption judgement (homologue) before it can be enforced by the Tribunal of First Instance.
The Ministry of Justice (Ministère de la Justice et de la Sécurité Publique) must legalize the adoption order (acte d’adoption) after the Tribunal of First Instance legalizes the document.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministère des Affaires Etrangères) must legalize the adoption order (acte d’adoption) after the Ministry of Justice legalizes the document.
The Ministry of Interior (Ministère de l’Intérieur et des Collectivites Territoriales) issues an adopted child’s Haitian passport, after the adoption decree is legalized by the Tribunal of First Instance, and the adoption order (acte d’adoption) is legalized by the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs.
As noted above, any agency or person providing an adoption service on behalf of prospective adoptive parents in any 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, under 22 CFR 96.2 Definitions:
Adoption Application: Prospective adoptive parents must submit the documents noted below in the “Documents Required” bullet to IBESR via their adoption service provider. IBESR will review each application before deciding if it can be officially received.
Time Frame: Intercountry adoptions in Haiti may take approximately four years to complete.
Adoption Fees:
We encourage prospective adoptive parents to obtain detailed receipts for all fees and donations paid, either by them 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 Haiti, 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 Haiti 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, or a decision by an entity performing functions as a competent central 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 Haiti include:
No fees are charged for a crèche/orphanage’s application to IBESR for a child to be found eligible for adoption or for IBESR’s certificate of conformity (certificat de conformité). There should also be no fees charged in abandonment cases to get the commune mayor to appear in court to provide consents to adoption.
Adoptive parents or adoption service providers seeking to obtain the certificate of conformity (certificat de conformité) from IBESR must submit:
IBESR must also receive the following documents from the crèche/orphanage on the child to make a determination of eligibility for adoption:
In the case of abandoned children:
In the case of children placed by IBESR in temporary living situations, a placement order issued by the judge (original + 1 copy);
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.
7. Secure a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child If You Intend to Reside with Your Child in the United States
Once your adoption is complete, there are a few more steps to take before your child can enter the United States. Specifically, the consular officer will need to issue a Hague Adoption Certificate and grant final approval of the Form I-800 petition. Then you will need to obtain three documents before you secure a visa so your child can travel to the United States:
Birth Certificate
You will need to obtain a new or updated birth certificate for your child.
If you have finalized the adoption in Haiti, you will need to obtain a new birth certificate for your child with your name on it.
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.
Haiti Passport
Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or passport from Haiti.
Haitian passports are issued by the Ministry of Interior, Bureau of Immigration (Bureau d’Immigration et d’Emigration). Adoptive parents’ adoption service provider or legal representatives should apply to the Ministry of Interior for the child’s passport. In general, passports should cost 4,000-8,000 Gourdes ($29-$57). You will likely need the following documents:
U.S. Immigrant Visa
After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child, you will then need to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa for your child from U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince if you intend to bring your child to reside in the United States with you. After the is granted, visit U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince for a final review of the case the issuance of a U.S. Hague Adoption Certificate or Hague Custody Certificate, the final approval of the Form I-800 petition, and, if applicable, 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 U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince by email at [email protected] 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.
You will have already completed an Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) online at the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) after receiving 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. 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 [email protected] if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.
Upon receipt of the case, the U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince generally notifies the petitioner. 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 U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince before making final travel arrangements. Additional information on immigrant visa processing can be found on our website.
If you will reside outside the United States with your child, you should contact the Central or competent authority where you reside for additional information about how to bring your child to that country.
Haitian Travel Authorization Letter
You will also need to obtain a travel authorization, called an exit letter, from IBESR in order to depart Haiti with a minor child. To obtain this, you will need to bring the following documents to IBESR:
You may also need to provide any or all of the following:
Normal processing time for this letter is three (3) business days, although it is possible to request an expedited letter. Adoptive parents can begin this process after they receive their adopted child’s U.S. immigrant visa. The cost is 2,000 Gourdes (~ $14). For questions on this, please contact your adoption service provider or IBESR.
8. Obtain U.S. Citizenship for Your Child
If you obtain an immigrant visa for your child, USCIS will mail your child either a permanent resident card (green card), or a Certificate of Citizenship, after your child enters the United States. If you plan to reside outside the United States with your child (and, therefore, may not benefit from an immigrant visa for your child), please see the relevant section below.
For adoptions finalized abroad before the child’s admission into the United States: A child who was adopted abroad and has satisfied Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 101(b)(1)(E), INA 101(b)(1)(F), or INA 101(b)(1)(G) requirements, who is residing in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent residence generally will acquire U.S. citizenship after admission if the child is under the age of 18 when these conditions are met.
Depending on the visa your child receives, their age, and the other INA 320 requirements, you may not need to take any additional action for your child to acquire U.S. citizenship. However, if your child does not meet the requirements of INA 320 at the time of admission into the United States, you may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met. More information is available on the USCIS website.
For adoptions not finalized until after the child’s admission to the United States:
If the adoption is not finalized before the child is admitted to the United States, the child’s adoptive parent(s) must complete the adoption (or re-adoption or obtain judicial recognition of the foreign adoption) in the United States before the child turns 18 for the child to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship (if the child otherwise meets the requirements of INA 320). 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 with USCIS to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for your child if your child satisfies the requirements of INA 322.
Note: If you are a military service member or U.S. government employee who chooses to seek an immigrant visa for your child versus completing the Form N-600K process, you may need to use Form N-600 to apply for a Certificate of Citizenship. Please note, however, that USCIS cannot mail Certificates of Citizenship abroad for children who acquire citizenship under INA 320.
Read more about INA 320 and 322 in the USCIS Policy Manual and USCIS website U.S. Citizenship for an Adopted Child.
Traveling Abroad
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 in one place.
Obtaining a Visa to Travel to Haiti
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 Haiti, 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 U.S. Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country. Enrollment makes it possible for U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince, 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 Haiti, 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
Haiti requires that adoptive parents provide post-adoption reports on the status of children adopted from Haiti for a period of eight years. This series of up to nine (9) reports is designed to show the evolution and integration of the child within his/her adoptive family and environment. They are due at the following time intervals: six (6) months after the child’s arrival with his/her adoptive family, then following at the 12 month/1 year mark, then once a year for 7 consecutive years. The reporting requirements end when the child turns 18.
Your authorized adoption service provider is responsible for transmitting the reports to IBESR. Electronic submissions are not/not permitted. The reports must be transmitted via DHL or any shipping company working in Haiti at the moment. If not, They can then have their FSP bring a physical copy at IBESR. The post-adoption report must include a cover letter, a psychological report on the child, a medical evaluation of the child, school results, and a social evaluation. All documents must be in French or include certified translations into French.:
We urge you to comply with Haiti’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 Haiti’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 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.
COMPLAINTS
If you have concerns about your intercountry adoption process, we ask that you share this information with U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince, 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/Consulate General/Consulate in Haiti
Boulevard du 15 October,
Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tel: +509-2229-8000 and +509-2229-8900
Fax: +509-2229-8027 Email: [email protected]
Internet: https://ht.usembassy.gov/
Haiti’s Adoption Authority
Institut du Bien Etre Social et de Recherches (IBESR)
13 Rue des Marguerites
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tel: +509 2816-1559
Internet: [email protected]
Embassy of Haiti
2311 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008Tel: 202-332-4090
Email: [email protected]
Internet: https://www.haiti.org/consular-services/
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: [email protected]
Internet: adoption.state.gov
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
For questions about a pending Form I-800A application, Form I-800 petition or related supplements:
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
Tel: 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833)
Internet: uscis.gov
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