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The adoption process can bring you great joy. It can also be stressful.
Not sure where to begin? This page provides an overview of the immigrant
visa side of adopting abroad.
Actually looking for an adopted child's birth
parents?
ELIGIBILITY FOR ORPHAN VISAS
Eligible orphans must be under sixteen years of age at the time the petition
is filed with the Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration
Services(CIS).
A child who has become an orphan in any of the following circumstances
may be eligible:
- A child who has lost both parents through death, disappearance,
abandonment, desertion, or separation.
- A child who has one parent because of the death or disappearance
of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from the other
parent, and in which case the remaining parent is incapable of providing
care for such orphan and has in writing irrevocably released the child
for emigration and adoption.
The petition must be filed by an American citizen and spouse, who have
been married more than three years and should be older than 25 and less
than 45 years of age, the age difference between husband and wife should
be less than 15 years, the couple should have no more than five children
including adopted children, and the following provisions must be met:
- If the adoption is completed in Korea, both adopting parents must
have seen and lived with the child for more than three months either
prior to or during the processing of the adoption papers.
- If the adoption is to be completed in the United States the adopting
parents must complete pre-adoption proceedings through the Surrogate
Court of the State of the child's proposed residence.
- A separate petition (Form
I-600) must be filed on behalf of each orphan being adopted. When
both adopting parents are residing in Korea, the petition and supporting
documents must be filed with the:
Officer-in-Charge
Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS)
U.S. Embassy Seoul
32 Sejongro, Jongro-Ku,
Seoul 110-710
Korea or
Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550 USA
One parent will sign the petition under oath, and the other parent will
certify agreement in the space provided on the petition. U.S. military
personnel may, if they prefer, have their signatures notarized by a commissioned
officer of the Armed Forces.
When both adopting parents are in the United States, one spouse will take
the oath, the other will certify accord, and the petition will be filed
with the District Office of CIS having jurisdiction over the place in
which they reside.
No natural parent of any eligible orphan admitted into the United States
under these provisions may, by virtue of such parentage, be given any
right, privilege or status under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Processing of petition Form I-600 by CIS normally takes from 4 to 6 months
to complete. When approved, notification is sent by CIS to the adopting
parents, and the petition is sent to this office. The Embassy then informs
the adopting parents or their agent of the procedures to follow in order
to obtain an immigrant visa for the child.
The period of validity of a visa issued under the above provisions will
be six months from the date of issuance. However, it can be extended within
a period not exceeding three years from the date of issuance in the case
of United States citizens who are serving abroad in the United States
Armed Forces, or are employed abroad by the United States Government,
or are temporarily abroad on business. The extension must occur during
the visa's initial six months of validity.
Eligible orphans must meet medical requirements
as prescribed by the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Follow
this link for information on U.S. citizenship for adopted
children.
 Follow this link to see the instructions given
in adoption cases in Seoul, SEO-7 (15k).
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How to Learn More about Adopting from Korea
Please also take a look at some tips on international adoption from the
Department of State's Office
of Children's Issues
You can also contact the Office of Children's Issues, Department of State,
Washington, D.C. 20520 at 202-736-9130; for
a recorded message 888-407-4747; fax 202-736-9080.
Need more information? Follow this link for a detailed guide to Korean
adoptions
from the Department of State.
Two non-government web sites may also be of help to you in learning more
about adopting.
-
Adoption
laws for all fifty states are available on-line.
-
You may also wish to take a look at the National Adoption Information
Clearing House (NAIC).
Korean Adoption Agencies
American citizens wishing to adopt children in Korea may find it to their
advantage to enlist the services of an adoption agency. While the below
listed agencies are officially authorized by the Korean government, the
American Embassy does not assume responsibility for the professional ability
or integrity of the persons associated with these agencies. The list is
arranged alphabetically, and the order in which they appear has no other
significance.
EASTERN SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY, INC.
493, Changchun-Dong, Sudaemun-Ku, Seoul
Tel: 82-2-332-3941/5
Fax: 82-2-333-1588
HOLT CHILDREN SERVICES
382-14, Hapjong-Dong, Mapo-Ku, Seoul
Tel: 82-2-332-7501~4, 322-8102~3
Fax: 82-2-335-6319 or 334-5440
KOREA SOCIAL SERVICE
533-3, Ssangmun-Dong, Dobong-Ku, Seoul
Tel: 82-2-908-9191~3
Fax: 82-2-908-3344
SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY, INC.
718-35, Yuksam-Dong, Kangnam-Ku, Seoul
Central Post Office Box 24, Seoul, Korea
Tel: 82-2-552-1015~8, 552-6227
Fax: 82-2-552-1019
Follow this link for contact information for U.S. state
adoption services
How to Find Birth Parents
Global Overseas Adoptee's Link(GOAL) www.goal.or.kr
NGO established in 1998 to assist overseas adopted Koreans returning to
Korea in search of finding their biological parents. GOAL serves as an
information source that offers practical assistance and also serves as
a forum reflecting views of all parties involved in adoption. For adoptees
returning to Korea to visit or stay, GOAL has compiled a lost of resources
such as home stays, guides, birth search departments, and other volunteer
networks available specifically for Korean adoptees.
Updated September 13, 2004
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