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

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

• Minimum Residency: Under the 1989 Adoption Act and 2007 Child Rights Act, prospective adoptive parents are required to be resident in Sierra Leone for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the granting of the adoption order.
  
  
• Age of Adopting Parents: Unless related to the child, one of the prospective adoptive parents must  be at least twenty-five years old and twenty-one years older than the child. A relative of the child need only be twenty-one years old.

• Marriage: Married couples may only adopt jointly. A single male may not adopt a child unless there are exceptional circumstances.
  
  
• Minimum Income: None

Under the INA 101(b)(1)(F), a child can be considered an orphan because of the death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from both parents, or in the case where there is a sole or surviving parent who is incapable of providing the proper care and has in writing irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption.

In addition to qualifying as an orphan under U.S. immigration law, the child must also meet the following requirements of Sierra Leone:

• Eligibility for adoption: All adoptions must be completed in Sierra Leone.
  
  
• Age of Adoptive Child: The child must be over 6 months old and under 17 years old. If the child is 16 years or older, the child must consent to the adoption.
  
  
• Fostering: An adoption order will not be granted unless the child (residing in Sierra Leone) has been continuously in the care and possession of the prospective adoptive parent(s) for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the granting of the adoption. In order to adopt a child from Sierra Leone, prospective adoptive parents are required to reside in and foster the child in Sierra Leone. Proxy fostering is not permitted.
  
  
• Relinquishment Requirements: A sole or surviving parent can irrevocably relinquish his or her parental rights to his or her child by doing so in writing at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender, and Children’s Affairs in the presence of either the Minister and/or Chief Social Development Officer who will then provide documentation confirming the relinquishment. Birth parents who have granted consent to the adoption may withdraw their consent, with the High Court’s permission, during the adoption proceedings. No adoption agency or orphanage in Sierra Leone is authorized to accept the relinquishment or release of a child who has been abandoned by his or her birth parents.

• Abandonment Requirements: The High Court may dispense with the consent of any parent of the juvenile if the Court is satisfied that the parent has abandoned, neglected, or persistently ill-treated the child or cannot be found or is incapable of given their consent or consent is unreasonably withheld.

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

Sierra Leone’s Adoption Authority

Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender & Children's Affairs

The Process

The process for adopting a child from Sierra Leone generally includes the following steps:

1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider

2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt (Form I-600A)

3. Apply to Sierra Leone’s Authorities to Adopt, and to be Matched with a Child

4. Adopt the Child in Sierra Leone

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

   (Form I-600)

6. Apply for a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child and Bring Your Child Home

 

1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider

Before taking steps to adopt a child from Sierra Leone, you should select a U.S. accredited or approved adoption service provider to be the primary provider in your case. Your primary provider is responsible for:

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

For more information on primary providers and the UAA, please see Universal Accreditation Act of 2012. See additional guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required. Learn more about Agency Accreditation.
 

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

In order to adopt a child from Sierra Leone, you will need to meet the requirements of the Government of Sierra Leone and U.S. immigration law.

To meet U.S. immigration requirements, you may choose to file a Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, with USCIS, to be found suitable and eligible to adopt. If you have already identified the child you wish to adopt, you may also choose to file concurrently the Form I-600 petition for the child and include all the required supporting documentation for the Form I-600A application (i.e. an approved home study) so USCIS can make a determination on your suitability and eligibility to adopt before reviewing the child’s eligibility as an orphan. Please see the USCIS website for more information about filing options. Unless an exception applies, the home study must be prepared by a person who is authorized under 22 CFR 96 to prepare home studies and must comply with the requirements in 8 CFR 204.311.
 

3. Apply to Sierra Leone’s Authorities to Adopt, and be Matched with a Child

If you are found suitable and eligible to adopt under U.S. immigration law, and you wish to adopt a child from Sierra Leone, you must submit an adoption application to the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender & Children's Affairs of Sierra Leone to be found eligible to adopt by Sierra Leone.

Prior to completing an adoption in Sierra Leone, prospective adoptive parents should request that the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs or the Sierra Leonean orphanage that has identified the child as potentially adoptable provide clear evidence that the child is likely to meet the INA definition of "orphan." The Ministry or orphanages should be able to provide the following items for a child that has been identified as eligible for adoption:

• A copy of the child's official intake form completed at the time the child was brought to the orphanage. The intake form should indicate the circumstances under which the child was brought to the orphanage and any actions taken to confirm the facts.
  
  
• A copy of the child's birth certificate with the child’s legal surname. Unlawfully changing the child’s last name on birth certificate or passport prior to immigration to the U.S. can cause delays in adoption process
  
  
• A copy of a death certificate for any parent who has died. If available, a copy of the medical certificate outlining the cause of death.
  
  
• If the child has a sole or surviving parent, a copy of the statement that the biological parent made at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs to irrevocably relinquish their parental rights.
  
  
• If a parent has abandoned a child or disappeared, copies of a police report, a report by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs that detail efforts to locate the parent and sever parental ties to the missing parent; and/or a court order making the child a ward of the state.
  
  
• In Sierra Leone, the only way a sole or surviving parent can irrevocably relinquish his or her parental rights to his or her child is at the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs in the presence of either the Minister and/or the Chief Social Development Officer. No adoption agency or orphanage in Sierra Leone is authorized to accept the relinquishment or release of a child who has been abandoned by his or her birth parents.

The competent adoption authority or other authorized entity in Sierra Leone will review your adoption dossier and, if an appropriate match is found, may provide you with a 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 ultimately adhere to the USCIS’ suitability determination (i.e. typically the Form I-600A approval notice) with respect to the number of children you are approved to adopt and the characteristics of the child(ren) ( such as age, gender, nationality, and/or special need, disability, and/or impairment) that you are approved to adopt. Learn more about Health Considerations

The child must be eligible to be adopted according to Sierra Leone’s requirements, as described in the Who Can Be Adopted section. The child must also meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law.
 

4. Adopt the Child in Sierra Leone

The process for finalizing the adoption in Sierra Leone generally includes the following:

• Role of The Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs: The Ministry is the office responsible for overseeing adoptions and child welfare issues in Sierra Leone. To initiate an adoption, prospective adoptive parents need to submit a letter with relevant documents to the Social Development Officer in the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children's Affairs in Freetown. The Ministry will obtain the birth parents’ consent to the adoption, if necessary, and provide fostering approval. Upon completion of the minimum six month fostering period, the Ministry will issue an Approval to Adopt and a Child Status Report, which will need to be filed with the High Court.
  
  
• Role of the Court: Upon receipt of the Ministry’s fostering approval, the family court will issue a supervision order for prospective adoptive parents to foster the child for the minimum six month period. The High Court of Justice is the only authority in Sierra Leone that can issue an order granting an adoption or legal custody of minor children. After the Social Development Officer in the Ministry approves the prospective adoption and the six month supervised fostering period begins the prospective adoptive parent(s) files a petition for adoption with the High Court. The High Court may order an investigation by an investigator appointed by the Court. If so, the investigator should file a written report with the High Court within 30 days of issuance of the investigation order. The High Court will schedule a hearing after these steps are completed to the court's satisfaction. The High Court currently requires both prospective adopting parents and the adoptive child to attend the hearing. The High Court may waive the appearance of the child for good cause and will usually state this waiver in the order of adoption. If relevant, the High Court may require the birth parents or relinquishing relatives to appear in court to confirm their sworn statements or affidavits. All hearings are confidential and held in closed session. The High Court must be satisfied that the "moral and temporal interests" of the child will be served by the adoption. While the High Court usually makes a ruling after one hearing, in some cases it will request additional documentation and/or investigation and schedule another hearing. If the High Court is satisfied that all requirements of the 1989 Adoption Act are met, it will issue a court order that grants a final adoption and permission to take the child outside the jurisdiction of Sierra Leone. If the High Court denies the adoption, there is an appeals process available to prospective adoptive parents.
  
  
• Role of Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Providers: Before taking steps to adopt a child from Sierra Leone, you should select a U.S. accredited or approved adoption service provider to be the primary provider in your case. Also, any agency or person providing an adoption service on behalf of prospective adoptive parents in any non-Convention intercountry adoption case must be accredited or approved, or be a supervised or exempted provider. Sierra Leone law does not have additional requirements for authorization of adoption service providers.
  
  
• Adoption Application: Prospective adoptive parents work through their adoption service provider in the U.S. U.S. or their representatives to file the adoption application.
  
  
• Time Frame: Intercountry adoptions in Sierra Leone may take as long as two years to complete. There are no time requirements for when the High Court must process adoptions.
  
  
• Adoption Fees: We encourage prospective adoptive parents to obtain detailed receipts for all fees and donations paid, either by them directly or through their U.S. adoption service provider, and to raise any concerns regarding any payment that you believe may be contrary to U.S. law, or the law of Sierra Leone, with your adoption service provider, and, when appropriate, through the Complaint Registry. Improper payments that violate applicable law, are used to bribe local officials, or create the appearance of buying a child, and could put all future adoptions in Sierra Leone at risk. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, for instance, makes it unlawful to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business. Further, the UAA and IAA make certain actions relating to intercountry adoptions unlawful, and subject to civil and criminal penalties. These include offering, giving, soliciting, or accepting inducement by way of compensation intended to influence or affect the relinquishment of parental rights, parental consent relating to adoption of a child, or a decision by an entity performing functions as a competent authority, or to engage another person as an agent to take any such action. Prospective adoptive parents should be cautious of any request to pay excessive local fees.

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 Sierra Leone include:

 A Sierra Leone birth certificate costs 1,500 Leones (approximately 15 cents)

The Sierra Leone High Court charges 12,500 Leones (approximately $1.50) to file a writ of adoption

 A Sierra Leone passport costs 750,000 Leones (approximately $86)

Some local agencies charge prospective adoptive parents monthly maintenance fees for the care of the child that can be several hundred dollars per month.

• Documents Required:
  
  
  • Petition for Adoption
    
    
  • Written consent of living biological parents
    
    
  • Affidavits concerning the prospective adoptive parents
    
    
  • Marriage certificate if appropriate
    
    
  • Evidence of finances such as bank statements and job letters

Note: Additional documents may be requested.

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

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

After you finalize the adoption in Sierra Leone, USCIS must determine if the child meets the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law in order for the child to immigrate to the United States. You will need to file a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, on behalf of the child and unless an exception applies, you must identify a primary provider.

If you have a valid Form I-600A approval, you may file your Form I-600 petition in the United States with the USCIS National Benefits Center, or at the U.S. Embassy in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Please see the USCIS website for more information about filing options.

When a Form I-600 petition is adjudicated by USCIS in the United States, the consular section in Freetown, Sierra Leone, must complete a Form I-604, Determination on Child for Adoption (sometimes informally referred to as an orphan determination), to verify the child’s orphan status. When a Form I-600 petition is adjudicated by an international USCIS office, USCIS generally completes the Form I-604 determination.

Conducting the Form I-604 determination is a critical part of the non-Convention adoption process. Due to the high incidence of fraud in Sierra Leone adoption cases, Embassy Freetown conducts an I-604 field investigation to confirm a child’s status as an orphan under U.S. law following the interview. Upon receipt of the final results of the field investigation, we will notify the prospective adoption parents and provide instructions on how to proceed. It can take approximately two to four months to complete, depending upon the circumstances of your case. Consular officers appreciate that families are eager to bring their adopted child home as quickly as possible. Some of the factors that may contribute to the length of the process include prevailing fraud patterns in the country of origin, civil unrest or security concerns that restrict travel to certain areas of the country, and the number of determinations performed by available staff. Consular officers make every effort to conduct them as quickly and thoroughly as possible. You are advised to keep your travel plans flexible while awaiting the results.
 

6. Apply for a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child and Bring Your Child Home

Once your adoption is complete and the Form I-604 determination has been completed, finding that your child meets the legal definition of an orphan for immigration purposes, you need to apply for three documents before your child can travel to the United States:

Birth Certificate

You will need to obtain a birth certificate for your child.

After you have finalized the adoption in Sierra Leone, you will first need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child. Your name will be added to the new birth certificate.

To obtain a new birth certificate for the child in Sierra Leone, you (or someone you have given power of attorney) must go to the Office of Birth Records. Then an affidavit must be filed with the Justice of the Peace to reflect the updated information filed at the Office of Birth Records. The affidavit is returned to the Office of Birth Records, which will then provide a birth certificate in the child’s new name within a couple of days. The cost is 1,500 Leones (approximately 15 cents).

Sierra Leone Passport

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

To obtain a passport for the child in Sierra Leone, you (or someone you have given power of attorney) must fill out the application at the Passport Office in Freetown and provide copies of the child’s new birth certificate, the prospective adoptive parents’ IDs, and the adoption decree. The cost is 750,000 Leones (approximately $86). The new passport is usually available within two weeks, but may be available within one to two days if it is expedited for an additional fee.

U.S. Immigrant Visa

After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child and you have filed Form I-600, you then need to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa for your child from the U.S. Embassy in Freetown. This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you. As part of this process, you must provide the consular officer with the Panel Physician’s medical report on the child.

Before coming for your child’s immigrant visa interview, please complete an Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) online at the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC). If you filed a Form I-600 petition in the United States, you should receive a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the petition and assignment of a case number and an invoice ID number. You will need this information to log into CEAC to file the DS-260 for your child. You should fill out these forms in your child's name. Answer every item on the form. If information is not applicable, please write “N/A” in the block. Print and bring the DS-260 confirmation page to the visa interview. Review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov or +1-603-334-0700 if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.

Child Citizenship Act

For adoptions finalized abroad prior to the child’s admission into the United States: An adopted child 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 automatically if the child otherwise meets the requirements of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, including that the child is under the age of eighteen.

Read more about the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.

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 Sierra Leone

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 Sierra Leone, see the Department of State’s Country Specific Information.

Staying Safe on Your Trip

Before you travel, it is always a good practice to investigate the local conditions, laws, political landscape, and culture of the country. The Department of State provides Country-Specific Information for every country in the world about various issues, including health conditions, crime, currency or entry requirements, and any areas of instability.

Staying in Touch on Your Trip

When traveling abroad during the adoption process, we encourage you to enroll with the Department of State through our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country. Enrollment makes it possible for the U.S. Embassy in Sierra Leone, 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 Sierra Leone, enrollment assists the U.S. Embassy in reaching you.

Enrollment is free and can be done online via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

Post-Adoption/Post-Placement Reporting Requirements

We urge you to comply with Sierra Leone’s post-adoption/post-placement requirements in a timely manner, which requires filing child status reports until the child reaches 21 years of age. Your adoption service provider may be able to help you with this process. Your cooperation will contribute to Sierra Leone’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 the Embassy in Freetown, particularly if it involves possible fraud or misconduct specific to your child’s case. The Department of State takes all allegations of fraud or misconduct seriously. Our Adoption Comment Page provides several points of contact for adoptive families to comment on their adoption service provider, their experience applying for their child’s visa, or about the Form I-600/A process.

The Complaint Registry is an internet based registry for filing complaints about U.S. accredited or approved adoption service providers. If you think your provider's conduct may not have been in compliance with accreditation standards, first submit your complaint in writing directly to your provider. If the complaint is not resolved through the provider's complaint process, you may file the complaint through the Complaint Registry.

U.S. Embassy in Sierra Leone
Southridge - Hill Station
Freetown, Sierra Leone
Tel: +232 99 105 000
Email: AdoptionsFreetown@state.gov
Internet:  sl.usembassy.gov

Sierra Leone’s Adoption Authority
Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender & Children's Affairs
New England Ville, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Tel: +23276268318, +23276757296
Email: info@mswgca.gov.sl
Internet: mswgca.gov.sl

Embassy of Sierra Leone
1701 19th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Tel: (202)939 9261
Email: Info@embassyofsierraleone.net
Internet: embassyofsierraleone.net

Office of Children’s Issues
U.S. Department of State
CA/OCS/CI
SA-17, 9^th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20522-1709
Tel: 1-888-407-4747
Email: Adoption@state.gov
Internet: adoption.state.gov

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

For questions about filing a Form I-600A application or a Form I-600 petition with the

USCIS National Benefits Center (NBC):

Tel: 1-877-424-8374 (toll free); 1-913-275-5480 (local); Fax:1- 913-214-5808

Email: NBC.Adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov

For questions about filing a Form I-600A application or a Form I-600 petition with a USCIS international field office:

Please visit http://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-immigration-offices and select the appropriate office.

For general questions about immigration procedures:

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