Kiribati is not a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention or Convention).  However, under the Intercountry Adoption Universal Accreditation Act of 2012 (UAA), which became effective on July 14, 2014, the requirement that adoption service providers be accredited or approved, and therefore meet the accreditation standards, which previously only applied in Convention cases, also applies in non-Convention (“orphan”) cases under section 101(b)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  The UAA requires that an accredited or approved adoption service provider act as the primary provider in every non-Convention intercountry adoption case, and that adoption service providers providing any adoption services, as defined at 22 CFR Part 96.2, on behalf of prospective adoptive parents be accredited or approved, or be a supervised or exempted provider.  See additional Department of State guidance and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required.  Intercountry adoptions of children from non-Convention countries continue to be processed under the Orphan Process with the filing of the Forms I-600A and I-600.  However, adoption service providers should be aware of the information on the USCIS website on the impact of the UAA on Form I-600A and Form I-600 adjudications, including the requirement that all home studies, including home study updates and amendments, comply with the home study requirements listed at 8 CFR 204.311, which differ from the orphan home study requirements that were in effect before July 14, 2014.  Please see the USCIS adoption webpages for more information about the orphan adoption process.

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

General Adoption Steps 
If you receive permission from the adoption authority of Kiribati to pursue an intercountry adoption, below is the limited adoption information the Department has obtained from the adoption authority of Kiribati.

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

The PAPs must adopt or obtain legal custody of the child in the child’s country of residence in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations before filing the immigrant visa petition (Form I-600) with USCIS. 

Only persons domiciled in Kiribati may adopt Kiribati orphans. Kiribati has no indigenous legislation on adoption. The U.K. Adoption Act of 1958, as modified and applied to meet Kiribati circumstances, governs adoptions in the country. U.S. citizens interested in adopting children from Kiribati should contact the Kiribati High Court to inquire about applicable laws and procedures.

U.S. citizen prospective adoptive parents living in Kiribati who would like to adopt a child from the United States or from a third country should also contact the Kiribati High Court.
 
There are no adoption agencies or non-government lawyers in Kiribati. Attorneys resident in Fiji occasionally handle cases in Kiribati. 
 
There are two government lawyers in Kiribati, known as "People's Lawyers," who are on volunteer contracts with the Kiribati government. The People's Lawyer may be contacted at: 
 
Office of the People's Lawyer 
Post Office Box 501 
Betio, Tarawa 
Republic of Kiribati, Central Pacific 
Tel: (+686) 26312 
Peopleslawyerkiribati@gmail.com

Prospective adoptive parents may seek the assistance of the People's Lawyer. Alternatively, prospective adoptive parents may seek assistance from the Attorney General's office. 
 
The Attorney General's contact information is: 
 
Office of the Attorney General  
Post Office Box 62 
Bairiki, Tarawa 
Republic of Kiribati, Central Pacific 
Tel: (+686) 21242
Attorney.general@kiribati.gov.ki

Note: Seek legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General and/or the People's Lawyer well in advance. 
 
Note: U.S. Embassy in Suva cannot issue visas on the same day of the visa interview. Prospective adoptive parents should expect a minimum of two days for the visa to be issued, general wait time may take five to ten working days. Many additional factors, such as the need for additional administrative processing and/or incomplete applications, may influence the processing of individual visa cases. U.S. families should make their travel plans accordingly, including allowing for the possibility of computer difficulties or other problems that could potentially further delay visa issuance.

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

Caution: Prospective adoptive parents should be aware not all children in orphanages or children’s homes are eligible for adoption. In many countries, birth parents place their child(ren) temporarily in an orphanage or children’s home due to financial or other hardship, intending the child return home when possible. In such cases, the birth parent(s) have rarely relinquished their parental rights or consented to the adoption of their child(ren).

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

Kiribati’s Adoption Authority:
Kiribati High Court
Address: Kiribati Judiciary Headquarters
Betio, Tarawa
P.O BOX 501
Republic of Kiribati
Tel: +686 63030010
Email:  high_court@kiribatijudiciary.gov.ki
Internet: kiribatijudiciary.gov.ki

U.S. Embassy Suva 
158 Princes Road, Tamavua 
Suva, Fiji 
Tel: (679) 331-4466 
Fax: (679) 330-2267  
Recorded Information: (679) 330-3888 
Email: suvaiv@state.gov 
Internet: https://fj.usembassy.gov/

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

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
For questions about a pending Form I-600A application, Form I-600 petition or related supplement:
USCIS
Tel: 1-877-424-8374 (toll free); 1-913-275-5480 (local); Fax:1-913-214-5808
Email: NBC.Adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov

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