Glossary of Adoption-related Terms

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"A" Number: Alien registration number found in your child's passport. The A-number is written into the child's passport when you or your escort goes through immigration upon entry into the U.S.

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Abandoned: A child that has been abandoned or relinquished by the birth parent(s) to the county's social services/adoption authorities.

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Adoption Decree: The document issued by the court when an adoption is finalized. The adoption decree states that the adoptee is the legal child of the adoptive parents.

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Affidavit: A legal document in which the party who makes it swears that the information contained in the document is true and correct to the best of his or her knowledge.

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Affidavit of Support: An I-864 Form, which is basically a statement verifying that you have sufficient financial means to provide for a child.

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Apostille: An authenticating seal placed on a document by the state Secretary of State where the document was issued. Certain countries only accept this type of authentication on documents.

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Attachment & Bonding: A child's formation of stable emotional connections with primary care givers and significant people in his/her life. If a child does not establish these connections he/she may later have difficulties with social relationships.

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Authentications: A generic name for getting the proper seals and or certifications from specific authorities for international adoption purposes (dossier). This could include certifications, notaries, and/or apostilles depending on country requirements.

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Background Check: There are several kinds of background checks and clearances that may be required in the adoption process. Most states require a state criminal and child abuse clearance for people wishing to adopt. This is usually done by submitting fingerprint cards or getting electronically fingerprinted. In addition, the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) conducts its own criminal clearance checks through the FBI. In addition to any state-required fingerprinting, potential adoptive parents will be fingerprinted at the BCIS regional or sub office closest to their home.

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BCIS (Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services): On March 1, 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its functions were divided into various bureaus of that department. The people you will deal with throughout your international adoption process are in the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Because technically you will be bringing a citizen from another country into the U.S. when you adopt, that child is considered an immigrant and therefore will be subject to all immigration requirements of the BCIS. You will work through your BCIS regional office or sub office at various points in your adoption process to get initial approval to adopt a child from abroad. You will deal with U.S. State Department staff members (at the U.S. Embassy in your child’s country of origin) who act as BCIS representatives abroad and handle various requirements while you're in-country. You will deal with your regional BCIS again when you return home and if you want to obtain a certificate of citizenship for your adopted child.

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Certificate of U.S. Citizenship: In the past, adoptive parents had to apply for naturalization for their foreign-born children and children did not acquire U.S. citizenship until the Immigration and Naturalization Service (now the BCIS) approved the application. Under current laws your child's U.S. citizenship status is no longer dependent on BCIS approving a naturalization application. If you completed a full and final adoption abroad, your child is automatically a U.S. citizen on the day he or she is admitted to the U.S. as an immigrant. If you complete the adoption or re-adopt your child after he or she has been admitted to the U.S. as an immigrant (such as when an escort is used), your child automatically becomes a citizen on the day the full and final adoption is completed in the U.S. BCIS does not automatically provide adoptive parents with documentation of their child's citizenship. If you want proof of your child's U.S. citizenship, you may obtain a Certificate of Citizenship from the BCIS and/or a U.S. passport from the Department of State. (You do not need a BCIS Certificate of Citizenship to obtain a U.S. passport for your child.) If you want a Certificate of Citizenship for your child, file BCIS Form N-643 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship in Behalf of an Adopted Child), along with the required filing fee and paperwork.

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Court Hearing/Court Date: Foreign courts generally require prospective adoptive parents to submit evidence of the child's orphan status/availability for adoption or guardianship, the child's identity, the acceptability of the prospective adoptive parents, and the clearance to adopt from the government of the prospective adoptive parents. A court hearing is a hearing within your child's country in which your documents and case requesting adoption of a specific child are reviewed and approved. Countries have various requirements regarding the need for one or both parents to attend the hearing, acceptability of power of attorney representation, and waiting periods in which the outcome of the hearing may be contested or before documents will be signed.

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Dossier: A collection of documents prepared for adoption authorities abroad. This information, which may vary from country to country, describes your background and represents you to adoption authorities abroad. These documents will require some kind of authentication (e.g., apostilles or certifications/notaries depending on specific country requirements) and will be translated.

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Embassy/Consulate: The United States has an embassy or consulate in countries where it currently maintains diplomatic relations. An embassy can fulfill all exit requirements/visas for an adopted child. A consulate can handle most of the exit requirements and the adoptive family may need to travel to the country's U.S. Embassy later to complete exit requirements. See Exit Visa/Process.

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Embassy Letter: When the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services completes its investigation of you based on your I-600A application, you will receive Form I-171H stating that you are approved to adopt internationally and that they have cabled the embassy you specified on the I-600A. In response to those BCIS actions, a letter will arrive from the embassy responsible for processing your child's exit visa. This letter should arrive within two months of receiving your I-171H.

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Escort: Some countries do not require parents to travel to receive their child. These countries allow adoptive parents to exercise the option of using an escort to bring their child home. An escort is an individual who supervises the transit of children from sending to receiving countries.

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Exit Visa/Process: This is the process/paperwork required for a child who has been adopted and now needs travel and immigration documents from the source country and the U.S. Embassy before leaving the country (passport) and entering the U.S. (immigrant visa). As a part of the immigrant visa application/exit process the child will be examined by a U.S.-approved foreign physician to ensure that the child does not have a medical condition that the adoptive parents don't know about. Also see Visa, below.

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Green Card (also called Permanent Resident Card or Form I-551): Your child will enter the U.S. on one of two types of immigrant visas. An immigrant visa gives permission to enter the U.S. and apply for permanent residence. The proof of permanent residence (the right to live and work in the U.S. permanently) is called a Green Card. This should process for your child, without your intervention, upon entry into the U.S. through airport immigration. The Green Card should arrive within two months of your child's arrival in the U.S. BCIS Form G-731 may be used if you need to check the status of your child's Green Card. You may need your child's Green Card for various other legal purposes such as re-adopting, obtaining a Social Security card, or obtaining a certificate of U.S. citizenship.

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Home Study: People who want to adopt a child must first be approved by a social worker authorized to conduct adoption home studies in your state. This may or may not be the agency facilitating your international adoption (your adoption agency). The social worker will gather documents from you, interview you, come into your home once or twice, and counsel you concerning adoption. A home study verifies that you can provide the stability and home environment that a child needs. Documents you may be required to provide include information about yourself, references, health statements from your physician, criminal records clearance, and a statement of finances. The home study process may vary somewhat by state. Your social worker will assist you with the specific requirements for your state.

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I-171H Letter: A form letter from the BCIS stating that they have processed and approved your Application to Advance Process Orphan Approval (I-600A Form) and that they have cabled the U.S. Embassy abroad as indicated on your I-600A. Their decision to approve is based primarily on FBI fingerprint clearances and home studies.

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I-600A Form (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition): For most people, this is the initial BCIS application submitted to their regional office or sub-office. The I-600A can speed up the adoption process in the U.S. by allowing the BCIS to begin the part of the immigration approval related to your ability to provide a proper home environment and your suitability as a parent. You do not need to have a completed home study or have identified a child or country in order to submit the I-600A. The home study can be sent separately when completed, and so can information regarding which country's embassy to contact regarding approval once the I-600A is complete. You will be required to submit photocopies of birth, marriage (current), and divorce decrees, plus the BCIS fee. The specific requirements are outlined on the form. Note that there is an additional fee that you will need to include with your filing fee to allow BCIS to fingerprint all adults residing in the home over the age of 17. Fingerprinting starts the FBI background checks required by the BCIS for all adults in your household.

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I-600 Form (Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative): This form is required for all international adoptions. It is utilized by the U.S. Embassy and BCIS when you are in-country or going through the exit process/interview after your completed court hearing. The form is very similar to the advanced processing form (I-600A) most people initially submit, with the exception that it is blue in color and states that you have now identified your child. This form is used by the BCIS to determine whether the child the prospective parent(s) want to adopt meets the BCIS definition of an "orphan." If an I-600A was not previously filed, the prospective parent(s) will also be required to submit the documentation that would normally have been submitted with the I-600A.

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I-864 Form: See Affidavit of Support above.

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Immigration and Naturalization Service: See BCIS (Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services) above.

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Immigrant Visa: See Visa below.

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Moratorium: When a foreign country temporarily closes its international adoption program for reasons such as the process of restructuring its programs.

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N-643, Application for Certificate of Citizenship in Behalf of an Adopted Child: See Certificate of U.S. Citizenship.

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Naturalization: When a child not born in the U.S. becomes a U.S. citizen. (See also Certificate of US Citizenship, N-643.)

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Notary: Authentication of a signature on a legal document. When the signature on a document has been witnessed by a licensed notary of the state, it is said to be notarized. The notary will attach a stamped notation and seal to the document which verifies that he or she is a licensed notary and witnessed the signature. For some countries, this is just the first step in authenticating documents that will still need further authentication by county, state, U.S., and/or foreign authorities.

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Passport: Passports are the identification documents/booklets issued by the U.S. State Department which you will need to have with you in order to travel to a foreign country. Your passport must be current if you plan to travel to your child's country. Passport applications can be obtained and processed through specific post offices, federal buildings, and BCIS facilities. Your child will be issued a passport before exiting the foreign country, allowing him or her to begin the exit process at the U.S. Embassy and subsequently leave the country and enter the United States. Your child's passport will be issued later by his or her native country.

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Police Clearance: A criminal clearance issued by your local police or sheriff's department. This clearance may be required for your home study and/or included in your dossier. This check/clearance will be in addition to the state clearances/background checks and the BCIS background check through the FBI.

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Post-Placement Report: Periodic reports due to your adoption agency and perhaps to your state's home study agency (depending upon agency/state/country). These reports help monitor your child's development, health, adjustment, etc. after the completion of an international adoption to ensure that things are going well. The number of visits (if any) and length of post-placement supervision/reporting vary from state to state and country to country.

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Power of Attorney: Your written, notarized permission for someone other than yourself to represent you. A power of attorney is sometimes used to allow someone in your child's country to represent you at your child's adoption hearing/court date.

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Re-adoption: When a family re-adopts or adopts a child again once back in the U.S. Although the foreign birth certificate of your child is legal and binding within the U.S., and although it is not generally required (unless both parents did not travel to see the child or unless a full and final adoption was not completed in-country), re-adoption will result in a birth certificate (or delayed registration of birth) from the child's state of residence. Re-adoption will take place in the jurisdiction of the county court in which you live and may prevent problems getting copies of birth certificates later.

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Referral: Your adoption agency will send you information about a specific child so you can decide if the child is right for your family. This is a referral. A referral usually consists of the name and birth date of the child, a photo, and some medical information. The quantity/quality of information varies from just a few vital statistics to a full battery of laboratory test results. Sometimes a video of the child is provided in addition to the photo and medical information. The prospective parents have a specific amount of time after a referral is made to decide whether to accept or decline the referral.

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Visa: A document issued (for a fee) by the country allowing a person to enter its borders for a specific time and reason. In order to enter the U.S., your child will require an immigrant visa. This may be a piece of paper or a stamp in the child's passport. Prior to issuing an immigrant visa for your child, a Department of State consular officer must conduct an investigation, called the I-604 Orphan Investigation. The purpose is to verify the orphan status of the child and to ensure that the child does not have a medical condition that the adoptive parents don't know about. As a part of the immigrant visa application process and I-604 Orphan Investigation, your child will be examined by a U.S.-approved foreign physician. Your child will enter the U.S. on one of two kinds of IR ("Immediate Relative") immigrant visas:

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* IR-3: The child was adopted overseas and (1) the adoptive parent (if single parent) or both parents (if married couple) saw/observed the child prior to the adoption and (2) the foreign adoption grants both adoptive parents and child the same rights, responsibilities, and privileges as would an adoption in the U.S. Under federal laws, children issued IR-3 immigrant visas do not require re-adoption in the U.S.

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* IR-4: The child is coming to the United States for adoption. An IR-4 is issued to a child when (1) the foreign country's laws only permit the adoptive parents to obtain guardianship of the child rather than to fully adopt the child in that country, and/or (2) the prospective adoptive parent(s) did not see/observe the child prior to the foreign adoption. Children issued IR-4 immigrant visas must be adopted or re-adopted after they enter the U.S. (See Re-adoption above.)

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