The Philippines 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 the Philippines.  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 the Philippines.

On February 7, 2023, the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) implemented a moratorium on accepting new applications from prospective adoptive parents (PAPs) who want to adopt children ages six and below. The moratorium does not apply to PAPs who have been pre-approved for a child on the “special home finding list” and PAPs whose dossiers were already complete at the time the moratorium was issued.

NACC implemented the moratorium to study the needs of the children who are eligible for adoption, and to match at least 15% of the PAPs already approved to eligible children before processing more applications. It is not known when it will be lifted.

NACC reported that the children available for intercountry adoption are significantly older than six years of age, belong to sibling groups, have moderate to multiple special needs, and cannot be matched/placed with PAPs currently in the roster of approved applicants.

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.  

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

Minimum Residency:

• Requirements for U.S. Citizens Residing outside of the Philippines: When U.S. citizen PAPs do not reside in the Philippines, the PAPs must pursue the Hague Adoption Convention process and gain legal custody of the child prior to the child receiving an immigrant visa. The PAPs will finalize the adoption in the United States.
• U.S. citizens interested in completing a full and final adoption of a Filipino child while living in the Philippines through the domestic adoption process must be permanent or habitual residents of the Philippines for at least five years and possess the same qualifications required for Filipinos prior to the filing of the adoption petition and maintain such residence until the adoption is finalized. U.S. citizens living in the Philippines do not need to obtain a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Adopt which is normally required by Philippine courts in domestic adoptions. The U.S. Embassy cannot issue Certificates of Legal Capacity to Adopt, nor does it notarize Affidavits of Legal Capacity for Local Adoption.  U.S. citizen PAPs should contact the NACC to satisfy its requirements for “foreign domestic adoption law” or any similar document, as the U.S. Embassy does not provide authenticated copies of U.S. law.
• PAPs who meet the residency requirements should file a petition for adoption with the NACC’s Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) where they reside to begin the adoption process. 
• The Philippine government may waive these requirements if: 
  • a) the PAP(s) are former Filipino citizens, habitually residing in the Philippines, who want to adopt a relative within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, as defined by Philippine law; 
  • b) the PAP seeks to adopt the marital child of his/her Filipino spouse, or 
  • c) the PAP is married to a Filipino citizen and seeks to jointly adopt a relative within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity of the Filipino spouse.

Age of Adopting Parents:

• Based on the Inter-Country Adoption Law of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 8043), the PAP must be at least 27 years of age and at least 16 years older than the child at the time of application, unless the adoptive parent is the biological parent of the child to be adopted or the spouse of such parent. The maximum age gap between the prospective adoptive parent and the child to be adopted must not exceed 45 years.

Marriage:

• If PAPs are married, they must have been married for at least three years. They must file jointly for adoption. However, for applicants who have lived together in a common law relationship for several years prior to marriage, NACC may consider one year of marriage sufficient. For married PAPs with a history of divorce, NACC will consider PAPs who have a history of two or fewer divorces and assess the stability of the current marriage to evaluate the suitability of a placement. Philippine law does not recognize same-sex marriage, but does not expressly forbid gay, bi-sexual, or transgendered individuals from applying to adopt individually.
• Single applicants are eligible to adopt children between six and 15 years old in the Waiting Child Program

Minimum Income:

• Prospective adoptive parents must have a minimum annual income of $40,000 USD.

Other Requirements:

• Education: PAPs should have at least a high school diploma.
• Criminal History: PAPs must not have ever been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude as defined by Philippine law. Under Republic Act No. 8043 they must be able to “provide the proper care and support and to give necessary moral values to all [their] children, including the child to be adopted.”  The Philippine government will ascertain the PAPs’ ability to do so from references from community or religious groups (priests, pastors, etc.), or from people who know the PAPs and can testify that they have the capacity to care for the child.
• Medical Requirements: Conditions which may preclude intercountry adoption in the Philippines include:
  • Complicated diabetes mellitus. PAPs must include information on medications and dosage together with laboratory tests, such as hemoglobin alpha IC, creatinine, urinalysis, etc.
  • Metabolic Syndrome. Body Mass Index must be 35 or less.
  • Cancer. PAPs with a history of cancer must specify the type of cancer. The cancer must be in remission for five years or more.
  • Transplant. For PAPs with a history of kidney or other major organ transplant, the transplant must have occurred more than five years in the past and current health status must be documented by laboratory examinations.
  • Heart condition. For PAPs with a pacemaker or history of stroke or myocardial infarction, the last incidence must have been at least five years in the past, and the current status must be indicated in the medical report.
  • PAPs with autoimmune disorders and hepatitis C are considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Risk factors that could complicate care for the child (e.g. blind, deaf, wheelchair-bound).
• Psychological Evaluation, including:
  • An MMPI-2-RF evaluation report to measure individual functioning; an NEO-PI-R or 16 PF Questionnaire for personality tests; and tests to measure couple functioning, parenting awareness and capability, and cultural sensitivity and competence,
  • Clinical interviews of the spouses separately and together,
  • Behavioral observation,
  • Collateral information, when available.
  • However, PAPs who previously adopted from the Philippines are not required to submit a psychological evaluation.     Instead, they must submit a report from a licensed psychologist.

Because the Philippines is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, children from the Philippines 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 Philippines have determined that placement of the child within the Philippines 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 Philippines:

• Eligibility for Adoption: In order for a child to be eligible for adoption, the child’s birth parents must first relinquish the child through a Deed of Voluntary Commitment. This document allows the birth parents to release the child to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for subsequent adoption.

In the event that the child has been abandoned and no parent is available to sign a Deed of Voluntary Commitment, a licensed and accredited child-placing agency or other acceptable entity can petition the Department of Social Welfare and Development to issue a certificate stating that the child is legally eligible for adoption. Other acceptable entities that can initiate this petition include: a licensed and accredited institution managed by the national government or local government unit; a non-governmental organization; or a provincial, city, or municipal Social Welfare Development Officer who has actual custody of the child

• Age of Adoptive Child: A child must be under 15 years of age under Philippine law. Please note that for a child to meet the definition of a 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 and Form I-800 instructions for special rules on filing dates for children aged 15-16 or siblings under 18.
• Sibling Adoptions: The Philippines strongly encourages that siblings be adopted together. In some cases, teenage siblings may be adopted separately through the Waiting Child Program, which encourages the adoption of children with special circumstances or needs. See below for more information on the Waiting Child Program. 
  
• Special Needs or Medical Conditions: Children in the Waiting Child Program are older than 73 months (6 years and 1 month) or meet one of the following criteria:
  • Need a major surgery or have a major illness;
  • Have a major or multiple conditions, developmental delays, or psychological condition;
  • Have a physical disability;
  • Are part of a sibling group of older children; or
  • Have been sexually or physically abused
• Bonding Period:  Prior to departing Philippines with the child, PAPs must complete a five-day bonding period in the country

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).

Warning:  Do not adopt or obtain legal custody of a child in the Philippines 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 the Philippines 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 Philippines Central Adoption Authority
National Authority for Child Care (NACC)

The Process

Because the Philippines is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, adoptions from the Philippines 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 cause significant delays or 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 the Philippines's Central Authority to Opertate in the Phillipines
2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt (Form I-800A)
3. Apply to the Philippines’ 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) 
5. Apply for U.S. Visa and Receive U.S. Agreement to Proceed with the Adoption (Article 5/17 letter)
6. Adopt the Child in the Philippines or Obtain Legal Custody of the Child for Purposes of Emigration and Adoption
7. Secure a U.S. Immigrant Visa if You Intend to Reside with Your Child in the United States
8. 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 the Philippines’s Central Authority to Operate in the Philippines

The accredited agency or approved person you identify as the 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

Only accredited agencies, approved persons, supervised providers, exempted providers, public domestic authorities, and public foreign authorities may provide adoption services in intercountry adoption cases.

Learn more about Agency Accreditation.

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

In order to adopt a child from the Philippines, you will need to meet the requirements of the Government of the Philippines 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 the Philippines’ 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 Philippines as part of your adoption application. The Philippines’s adoption authority will review your application to determine whether you are also suitable and eligible to adopt under Philippine law.

Receive a Referral for a Child from the Central Authority

If both the United States and the Philippines determine that you are suitable and eligible to adopt, and the Philippines’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 Philippines 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 Philippines 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 the Philippines.     Learn more about this critical decision.

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

After you accept a match 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.

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 Manila responsible for issuing immigrant visas to children from the Philippines. 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 NVCAdoptions@state.gov 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 the Philippine Central Authority in any intercountry adoption involving U.S. citizen parents and a child from the Philippines if all Convention requirements are met and the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States. mThis letter will inform the Philippine 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 the Philippines 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 the Philippines or Obtain Legal Custody of the Child for Purposes of Emigration and Adoption

Remember: Before you adopt or obtain legal custody of a child in the Philippines, you must have completed the above five steps. Only after completing these steps can you proceed to a grant of legal custody by the Philippines for the purposes of emigration and adoption.

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

• Role of Adoption Authority or Competent Authority: NACC receives dossiers from adoption service providers, reviews and processes applications, and matches children with prospective adoptive parents. As a final step, it issues placement authority. The Intercountry Adoption Placement Committee, part of NACC, reviews the matching proposals during the matching conference. NACC maintains two placement committees. 

• Each team is composed of the following: a child psychiatrist or psychologist, medical doctor, lawyer, registered social worker, and a representative of a non-governmental organization engaged in child welfare.

• Role of the Court: Philippine courts no longer have a role in intercountry adoption cases and will no longer accept new cases but will complete cases already in process.

• Role of Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Providers: The adoption service provider, facilitates the pre-adoption counseling, home study, submission of application for adoption, child assignment, application for the child's intercountry adoption through NACC, and post-adoption/placement reporting.

• 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: 
  • Identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption;
  • Securing the necessary consent to termination of parental rights and to adoption; 
  • Performing a background study on a child or a home study on a prospective adoptive parent(s), and reporting on such a study; 
  • Making non-judicial determinations of the best interests of a child and the appropriateness of an adoptive placement for the child; 
  • Monitoring a case after a child has been placed with prospective adoptive parent(s) until final adoption; or 
  • When necessary because of a disruption before final adoption, assuming custody and providing (including facilitating the provision of) child care or any other social service pending an alternative placement. 

• Adoption Application: To start the Philippine intercountry adoption process, PAPs or their authorized adoption service provider must file an application with NACC.

• Time Frame: Adoption processing depends upon many variables, including the availability of children to be matched with PAPs, the number of PAPs on the waiting list, and the caseloads of Philippine social service agencies and courts.

• 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 the Philippines, 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 the Philippines 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.   

  Fees, charges, and assessments specifically associated with adopting from the Philippines are listed on the NACC website. These fees are in accordance with the Republic Act of Inter-Country Adoption and its Amended Implementing Rules and Regulations.

• Documents Required: The following documents must be submitted and, if necessary, officially translated into English. They are required as part of the application for adoption submitted to NACC:
  • Home study;
  • Birth Certificate(s) of PAP(s);
  • Marriage Certificate or Decree of Absolute Divorce, if applicable;
  • Written consent of the PAPs' biological or already adopted children who are ten years of age or over, witnessed by the Philippine social worker after proper counseling;
  • Physical and medical evaluation by a duly licensed physician;
  • Psychological evaluation by a psychologist;
  • Most recent income tax return or any other documents showing financial capability;
  • Clearance issued by the police or other proper government agency of the place of residence;
  • Character reference from the local church minister/priest, employer, or a non-relative member of the immediate community, who has known the PAPs for at least five years;
  • Form I-800A Approval (proof that the PAP(s) are suitable and eligible to adopt under U.S. law);
  • Article 5/17 Letter, provided by U.S. Embassy Manila, which shows that the child to be adopted is allowed to enter the United States and reside permanently, once adopted; and
  • Recent postcard-sized pictures of the PAPs and all immediate family.

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 or you have obtained legal custody of the child for the purposes of emigration and adoption of the child in the United States, 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 or Hague Custody 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 the Philippines, you will need to obtain a new birth certificate for your child with your name on it. NACC will help PAPs acquire the birth certificate.

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.

Philippine Passport

Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or passport from the Philippines. NACC will help PAPs acquire a Philippine passport for the child.    

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 Manila if you intend to bring your child to reside in the United States with you. After the adoption or custody for purposes of emigration and adoption is granted, visit the U.S. Embassy 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 Manila by email at [support-philippines@ustraveldocs.com ] 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 NVCAdoptions@state.gov if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.

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.

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 Philippines

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 Philippines, 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 the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the Phillipines, 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 Philippines, 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

Under Philippine law, after the PAP(s) assume custody of the child and escort him/her to the United States, they enter a six-month post-placement period where the adoption service provider in the United States conducts bi-monthly reviews of the child’s welfare and reports the information to NACC. After the PAP(s) complete the post-placement period, the PAP(s) should file a petition for adoption before a U.S. court. The adoption service provider should submit the final U.S. adoption decree to NACC within one month of its issuance.

We urge you to comply with Philippine 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 the Philippines’ 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 Manila, 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 the Philippines
1201 Roxas Boulevard
Ermita, Metro Manila - 1000
Tel: (632) 5301-2000 
Fax: (632) 5301-2591
Inquire: ph.usembassy.gov/contact-us-visas
Internet: ph.usembassy.gov

The Philippine Adoption Authority
National Authority for Child Care (NACC)
2 Chicago cor Ermin Garcia St.,
Brgy. Pinagkaisahan, Cubao
Quezon City, Philippines 1103
Tel: (632) 87219711; 87264568
Mobile: 63917 830 3516; 639173226222
Email: adoption@nacc.gov.ph 
Internet: nacc.gov.ph

Embassy of The Philippines
1600 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 467-9300
Fax: (202) 467-9417
Email: washington@phembassy-us.org; consular@phembassy-us.org
Internet: https://philippineembassy-dc.org/

The Philippines also has consulates in Chicago, Guam, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Northern Mariana Islands, and San Francisco.

Office of Children’s Issues
U.S. Department of State
CA/OCS/CI
SA-17A, 9th Floor
Washington, D.C.  20522-1709
Tel: 1-888-407-4747
Email: AdoptionUSCA@state.gov
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: NBC.Adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov

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