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  Updated: 03/IX/04

International Adoption - Colombia

Disclaimer

The following is intended as a very general guide to assist U.S. citizens who plan to adopt a child in Colombia and apply for an immigrant visa for the child to go to the United States.

Two sets of laws are particularly relevant. The laws of Colombia govern all activity in Colombia, including the adoptability of individual children as well as the adoption of children in country. U.S. federal immigration law governs the immigration of the child to the United States. The information below, relating to the legal requirements of Colombia is based on public sources and our current understanding. It does not necessarily reflect the actual state of the laws of Colombia and is provided for general information only. Moreover, U.S. immigration law, including regulations and interpretation, changes from time to time. This information reflects our current understanding of the law as of August, 2004 and is not legally authoritative. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.

U.S. consular officers give each petition careful consideration on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the legal requirements of both countries have been met, for the protection of the prospective adoptive parent(s), the biological parent(s) and the child. Interested U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to contact U.S. consular officials in Colombia before formalizing an adoption agreement to ensure that appropriate procedures have been followed which will make it possible for the Embassy to issue a U.S. immigrant visa for the child.

Colombian law does not allow for private adoptions. Children may be adopted only through the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF) and approved adoption agencies. Every adopted child must have a final adoption decree in order to leave Colombia. Colombian law requires that both adopting parents be physically present when the adoption is presented to a "family judge". No exceptions are made for this requirement, and the process takes two to four weeks, sometimes more. After both parents have appeared before the court, one of the parents may return to the United States, but the other parent must remain in Colombia until the adoption/immigrant visa process is completed.


Patterns of Immigration of Adopted Orphans to the U.S.

Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to orphans:

Fiscal Year Number of Immigrant Visas Issued
FY 2003 272
FY 2002 334
FY 2001 266
FY 2000 197
FY 1999 231
Adoption Authority in Colombia

The government office responsible for adoptions in Colombia is the Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF).

Bienestar Familiar (ICBF)
Grupo Nacional de Adopciones
Avenida 68 # 64-01
Bogotá, Colombia

Telephones: 011 (571) 437-7630, extensions 3157, 3158
URLs: www.icbf.gov.co (Spanish)
www.icbf.gov.co/ingles/home.asp (English)


Eligibility Requirements for Adoptive Parents

Colombian adoption laws require that at least one of the adopting parents be over 25 years of age and be physically, emotionally, and economically capable of supporting the adopted child. In practice, newborns are assigned to younger couples, and older children are assigned to older couples.


Time Frame

It is hard to predict how long an adopting family will wait for a child. There are many factors that determine how long the adoption and visa process takes, including how long it takes to have paperwork approved in the United States and in Colombia. In addition, factors including the desired sex and age of a child play a role, as well as the age of the prospective parents. Couples receiving visas for their newly adopted children typically report that the entire process took from 18 to 30 months.


Adoption Agencies and Attorneys

The Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF) licenses the following adoption agencies to process international adoptions. The U.S. Embassy assumes no responsibility for the professional competency or integrity of the agencies listed:

Ayúdame
Director: María Clemencia Márquez Gutiérrez
Apartado 102697
Calle 128 # 7-53
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 258-3390, 614-5298; Fax: 216-4406
e-mail: ayudame@colomsat.net.co

Casa de la Madre y el Niño
Director: Barbara Escobar de Vargas
Calle 48 # 28-30
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 268-7400

Casa de María y el Niño
Director: Fanny Vargas
Apartado Aereo 062298
Calle 9 A Sur # 25-422
Loma de los Balsos, El Poblado
Medellín, Antioquia
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (574) 268-6112; Fax: 266-6771
e-mail: casademaria@epm.net.co

Chiquitines
Director: Agatha León G.
Apartado Aéreo 034516
Calle 22 # 126-54
Avenida El Banco, Pance
Cali, Valle
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (572) 880-1040/7496, 555-1485; Fax: 555-2400
Toll free: 01-800-222020 e-mail: chiquitines@telesat.com.co

CRAN
Director: Ximena Lleras Puga
Transversal 66 # 164-30
Casablanca Norte, Suba
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 681-3599/4940, 692-5275
e-mail: adopcion@cran.org.co

FANA
Director: Flor Angela Rojas
Carrera 96 # 156B-10
Suba, Salitre
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 680-5611/6000, 681-5037 FAX: 011 (571) 536-0602
e-mail: fanadop@hotmail.com

La Casita de Nicolás
Director: Pilar Gómez de Tamayo
Carrera 50 # 65-23
Medellín, Antioquia

Telephone: 011 (574) 263-8086; Fax: 211-4242
e-mail: lacasitanicolas@epm.net.co

Los Pisingos
Director: Rosa de Escobar
Avenida 7 # 157-91
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 670 8686, 671-8591; Fax: 672-9793
e-mail: Pisingos@col1.telecom.com.co


Colombian Attorneys

Please contact ICBF and licensed adoption agencies for their list of recommended attorneys who work with international adoptions.

Prospective adopting parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services and ensure that it is an agency accredited by Bienestar Familiar (ICBF). For U.S. based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adopting parents contact the Better Business Bureau and the licensing office of the Department of Health and Family Services in the state where the agency is located.

Please see Important Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators.


Adoption Fees in Colombia

It is difficult to predict how much the entire adoption process will cost as each case has its own unique circumstances. Parents receiving visas for their adopted children have reported spending between $12,000 and $20,000 from start to finish.


Adoption Procedures

  1. Once an adoptive couple has decided that Colombia is the country from which they wish to adopt, they must first contact the ICBF or an accredited adoption agency in Colombia in order to obtain a list of adoption agencies in the United States, nearest to the couple's place of residence, which are accredited by the Colombian Government. One of these adoption agencies in the United States will perform the Home Study and will assist prospective parents in preparing the Form I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) and its supporting documents for approval by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

  2. Once the I-600A has been approved by DHS, the ICBF will be in a position to inform adoptive parents (through the adoption agency) about the availability of children and the amount of time it is likely to take to complete the adoption. This timeline will depend on several factors, including the parents' age, the desired sex of the child, age of the desired child, and how many children are available at the time. The ICBF will inform the parents (through the adoption agency) once a child has officially been assigned.

  3. After the parents are informed that they have been assigned a child, they then travel to Colombia to begin the legal process with Colombian authorities. The ICBF or the Colombian adoption agency will assist the family with obtaining the documents needed to complete the Colombian legal procedures, including (but not limited to) the adoption decree, a new Colombian birth certificate, and a new Colombian passport.

  4. Once all the Colombian legal proceedings are complete, the family is ready to visit the U.S. Embassy with the specific documents required for the interview, in order to obtain the immigrant visa which allows entry to the United States. The Embassy processes visas for adopted children Monday through Thursday, except on Colombian or U.S. holidays, from 8:30AM to 11:00AM.


Letter Required by Colombian Judges

In order for the Embassy to issue the letter required by the Colombian family judges, which commits the Embassy to issuing an immigrant visa if all adoption and U.S. immigration requirements are met, we need to have received a visa petition (Form I-600A) approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. The adopting parents file this petition at the nearest servicing office in the United States. Please note that if the adopting parents reside in Colombia, they should contact the Embassy in Bogotá for information. Anyone with questions may contact the Embassy at (571) 383-2795 any working day between 2:00PM and 3:30PM and ask for the person responsible for processing visas for adopted children.


Documents Required for Adoption in Colombia

The following is a list of the documents required by the Embassy in order to process immigrant visas for Colombian children who have been adopted by U.S. citizens.:

  1. Form I-600: "Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative". This form has to be filled out completely, signed by both adoptive parents and filed with the U.S. Embassy before the child reaches his/her sixteenth birthday.

  2. Form DS-230: "Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration", Parts I and II. These forms should be filled out by one of the adoptive parents in the child's name before coming for the formal visa interview. Every item should be answered. If information is not applicable, please write N/A in the block.

  3. Child's passport

  4. Two color photographs with white background on glossy paper: Frontal portrait, 5cm by 5cm total frame; head size 3cm.

  5. Child's birth certificates (originals or authenticated copies): Both birth certificates, the one before the adoption and the other after the adoption.

  6. Abandonment decree or mother's release (original or authenticated copy): This document should have the Colombian Family Welfare Institute's (ICBF) approval.

  7. Final adoption decree (original or authenticated copy)

  8. Fee: The fee for an immigrant visa processed by the Embassy is $335.

  9. Medical Exam: Before an immigrant visa can be issued, all adopted children must have a medical examination performed by the Embassy's U.S. Department of Health approved panel physician:

    Dr. Juan Ignacio Fajardo
    Carrera 16 # 82-74 Apt. 318
    Bogotá, D.C.

    Telephone: (571) 691-9272/3

    The cost of this medical examination is approximately $50 and must be paid by the parents directly to the physician, not to the Embassy. The child's passport will be required for the appointment.


Authenticating U.S. Documents to be Used Abroad

All U.S. documents submitted to the Colombian government/court must be authenticated. Colombia is a party to the Hague Legalization Convention. Generally, U.S. civil records, such as birth, death, and marriage certificates, must bear the seal of the issuing office and an apostille affixed by the state's Secretary of State (an apostille is a special seal applied to a document to certify that a document is a true copy of an original). Documents must be apostilled in the state where they are issued. Tax returns, medical reports and police clearances should likewise be authenticated. Prospective adopting parents should contact the Secretary of State of the state where the documents originated for instructions and fees for authenticating documents.

Documents issued by a federal agency must be authenticated by Department of State Authentications Office:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
AUTHENTICATIONS OFFICE
518 23RD ST NW
WASHINGTON DC     20520

Telephone: (202) 647-5002

The authentication fee is $6.00 per document (documents can be multiple pages). For additional information, call the Federal Information Center: 1 (800) 688-9889, and choose option "6" after pressing "1" for touch-tone phones. Walk-in service is available from 7:30AM to 11:30AM, Monday through Friday, except holidays, and is limited to 15 documents per person per day. Processing time for authentication requests sent by mail is five working days or less.


Colombian Embassy and Consulates in the U.S.

Embassy in Washington, DC
Consulates


U.S. Immigration Requirements

Prospective adopting parents are strongly encouraged to consult U.S. CIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adoptive Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoption.

Adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to read the flyer and the requirements for filing I-600 petitions for orphans adopted by U.S. citizens before completing an adoption abroad. Please see our flyer "How Can Adopted Children Come to the United States".

In order to meet the requirements for a U.S. immigrant visa, children adopted through the inter-country adoption process must meet the definition of orphan under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as amended. The child must either have no parents because of death or disappearance or desertion by, or separation from or loss of both parents; or the child's sole surviving parent must be incapable of providing proper care and have irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption. Adopted Colombian children who will be residing permanently in the United States require immigrant visas to accompany their parents to the U.S. Adoptive parents must file:

  • Form I-600A, "Application for Advanced Processing of Orphan Petition," with an office of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the United States in order to initiate the adoption process, but before a particular child has been identified. A home study must be completed by an agency in the state where the parents reside, or by an agency licensed by that state to conduct such home studies, before DHS can approve the Orphan Petition. In addition, the agency conducting the home study must be accredited by Bienestar Familiar. The home study should be completed before traveling to Colombia.

  • Form I-600, "Petition to Classify an Orphan as an Immediate Relative," should be filed when an individual child has been assigned. The I-600 petition must be filed before the child's sixteenth birthday.

  • In all cases in which the I-600A has been approved by DHS, an I-600 Petition (blue form) must also be filed and signed by both parents. This petition can be filed at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá the day of the formal immigrant visa interview. If the parents are currently living in Colombia, they may find the stateside home study and the alternate approval process more difficult than if they were residing in the United States. We suggest, therefore, that parents residing in Colombia contact the Adoptions Branch of the Visa Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá at 315-1566, ext. 2795.


Applying for a Visa for your Child at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia

Once you have all the required documents, one of the adoptive parents must come to the Embassy with the child between 8:30AM and 11:00AM, Monday through Thursday. Please note there is a fee of $335.00 or the equivalent in Colombian pesos.


Specific Information on Colombia

Baby Supplies

New parents can rest assured that Colombia's cities have a complete line of baby products. The following can be found easily on the local economy:

  • Formula bottles and all accessories
  • Baby carriers
  • Formula
  • Disposable diapers
  • Baby blankets
  • Infant wear and childrens clothing


Stores

Grocery chains in the main cities that offer a full line of baby products are:

CAFAM, Carrefour, Carulla, Éxito, Olímpica, Ley.

Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín also have shopping malls where many baby and children's items may be readily found at good prices. Clothes are original in design and are often woven in nice quality wool. Shops specializing in baby clothes are listed in the yellow pages under "Ropa para niños."


Hotels

Adopting parents are often in Colombia for several weeks. Obviously, the cost of lodging will vary depending on which hotel you choose.

Lodging commonly used by other adoptive parents is listed below. The U.S. Embassy assumes no responsibility for the professional competency or integrity of these hotels and this listing in no way constitutes an endorsement, real or implied.

Hotel Capital (close to the Embassy and the airport)
Forte Travelodge
Avenida Eldorado # 69A-51
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 412-4961
Toll free: 9-800-11199

Hotel La Fontana
Avenida 127 # 21-10
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 615-4400

Pensión Halifax (in the Chicó area) Calle 93 # 15-93
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 218-3916, 616-3098

Betty's Place
Calle 114 # 16-47
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 215-9274 Hotel Residencias Paris
Transversal 18 #114-22
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 612-4445/6310

Hotel Embassy Suites Rosales
Calle 70 # 6-22
Bogotá, D.C.
Colombia

Telephone: 011 (571) 317-1368


Taxis

Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive in Colombia. However, for your security you should call ahead for a cab from one of the many recognized cab companies, rather than hail a taxi on the street. The numbers for these companies may be found in the yellow pages under "Taxis."


Electricity

Colombian cities have 110-watt, 60-cycle electrical current systems. Any standard U.S. electrical appliance you choose to bring will run well.

Additional information about Colombia.


U.S. Embassy in Colombia

As soon as prospective adopting parents have made travel plans for Colombia, they should register themselves at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ If, for some reason, during the trip prospective parents need the services on the American Citizen Services Unit, the Embassy is located at: Calle 22D Bis # 47-51 in Bogotá.

Mailing address for the Adoptions Office:

IMMIGRANT VISA UNIT - ADOPTIONS
UNIT 5108
APO AA     34038

Telephone calls are received from 2:00PM to 3:30PM EST at: 011 (571) 315-1566, extension 2795.


U.S. Citizenship

Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, which became effective on February 27, 2001, adopted orphans acquire U.S. citizenship automatically when all of the following requirements have been met:

  • at least one parent is a U.S. citizen;

  • the child is under 18 years of age;

  • there is a full and final adoption of the child; and, the child is admitted to the United States as an immigrant.

A foreign-born adopted orphan who enters the United States on an Immediate Relative (IR3) visa becomes a U.S. citizen upon admission. A foreign-born orphan, who enters the United States on an Immediate Relative (IR4) visa and is adopted in a U.S. court, will become a U.S. citizen when the adoption is finalized in the United States (the child will be a legal permanent resident until then). When adoptive parents receive the visa for their child, they will also receive a letter explaining the details of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. More information may be found on the Department of State web site.


Additional Information

Specific questions about adoption in Colombia may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Colombia. General questions regarding international adoption may be addressed to:

OFFICE OF CHILDREN'S ISSUES
DEPT OF STATE
CA/OCS/CI, SA-29, 4TH FL

or:

2201 C ST NW
WASHINGTON DC     20520-4818

Toll-free telephone: 1(888) 404-4747

Useful information is also available from several other sources:

  • Telephone

    • Call Center - Toll Free Hotline - For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, call Overseas Citizens Services at 1(888) 407-4747. This number is available from 8:00AM to 8:00PM EST, Monday through Friday (except on U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1(317) 472-2328.

    • U.S. Department of State Visa Office - Recorded information concerning immigrant visas for adopting children, (202) 663-1225.

    • DHS Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) - Recorded information for requesting immigrant visa application forms, 1-800-870-FORM (3676).

  • Internet:

    • Adoption Information Flyers: the Consular Affairs web site contains international country adoption information flyers similar to this and the International Adoption Booklet.

    • Consular Information Sheets: The Department of State has general information about hiring a foreign attorney and authenticating documents that may supplement the country-specific information provided here. In addition, the Department of State publishes Consular Information Sheets (CIS) for every country in the world, providing information such as location of the U.S. Embassy, health conditions, political situations, and crime reports. If the situation in a country poses a specific threat to the safety and security of U.S. citizens that is not addressed in the CIS for that country, the Department of State may issue a Public Announcement alerting U.S. citizens to local security situations. If conditions in a country are sufficiently serious, the State Department may issue a Travel Warning recommending that U.S. citizens avoid traveling to that country. These documents are also available by calling the Department of State 's Office of Overseas Citizen Services at (202) 647-5225. The recordings are updated as new information becomes available, and are also accessible through the automated fax machine.

    • The USCIS web site



Bogota, D.C.
August, 2004