Many American parents assume that once the child has been adopted from his or her country and brought back to the U.S., the child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen. There are a lot more paperwork involved. The adoption of a foreign-born child does not automatically guarantee the child’s eligibility to immigrate to the United States. It is imperative that all adoptive parents are aware of U.S. immigration law and legal regulatory procedures. For more information about immigration to the U.S., please visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website for more information.
International adoption is becoming more and more regulated and prospective parents need to learn as much as possible before beginning the adoption process. You don’t want to be hit with big surprises when you’re falling love with the child in a foreign country.
The Hague Adoption Convention generally forbids prospective adoptive parents from having any contact with the child’s birth parents, and/or the child’s legal guardians before the country of birth determines the child is adoptable according to Convention principles and refers the child for adoption to a family.
Source: the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. State Department