There Are Many Things Involved In International Adoption

If you choose to adopt, you have options, including the possibility of adopting internationally. If you decide to adopt from another country, there are all kinds of things that you have to do and people that you have to work with. 

Adoption Agency

There are adoption agencies that will work specifically with different countries and ones that will work with a number of countries. If you know what country you want to adopt from, it's best for you to go with the first option. That adoption agency will be more familiar with the rules and regulations of that particular country. That can save you a lot of time in a process that can be very lengthy. 

Lawyer

If you are going to adopt, you need to have a lawyer help you. It doesn't matter if it's a domestic adoption or an international adoption, there are legal considerations. For an international adoption, the lawyer you want is going to need to be versed in family law and immigration law. Your child will need to have visas to travel into the country, and then it will take a lot of paperwork for them to become US citizens. The lawyer will be able to tell you what you will need, and help you come up with substitutions or replacements. For example, you may not be able to come up with a birth certificate from your child's country of origin, especially if they were in an orphanage. However, the lawyer may suggest that a signed affidavit from orphanage workers may be sufficient. 

Once your child gets into the country, the lawyer can also help you in family court to make sure that the adoption is completely finalized.

Medical Clearance

Before your child comes into the country, they will have to have medical clearance. That will include doing things like making sure that they don't have certain diseases and giving any necessary treatments. Your child will also have to get caught up on any vaccinations that they may have missed. For vaccinations that are a series of shots, generally the first shot will be given in the country of origin, and the rest can be administered by your normal physician.

Choosing to adopt a child from another country can be very time-consuming and expensive. However, bringing your new child home and having your family be complete is worth all the struggle. Making sure that you are getting help from the right people can make the process easier. 

For more information on the adoption process, contact a family lawyer such as Ivy Law Group PLLC.