INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION AFGHANISTAN July 2002 DISCLAIMER:The information in this circular relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is provided for general information only. Questions involving interpretation of specific foreign laws should be addressed to foreign legal counsel. PLEASE NOTE: The Afghan judicial system, and Afghan family law, are based on a strict interpretation of Islamic Shari'a law. Thus, there is no adoption under Afghan law, only guardianship, which the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security and the Board of Immigration Appeals have deemed insufficient for the purposes of immigration under the Immigration and Nationality Act. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult BCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adoptive Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. QUESTIONS: Specific questions regarding adoption may be addressed to the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassies or Consulates abroad. Parents may also contact the Office of Children's Issues, SA-29, 2201 C Street, NW, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC 20520-2818-2818, toll-free tel: 1-888-407-4747 with specific questions. Information is also available from several sources:
Telephone: Call Center -Toll Free Hotline: Overseas Citizens Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA/OCS) has established a toll free hotline for the general public at 1-888-407-4747. The OCS hotline can answer general inquiries regarding international adoption and will forward calls to the appropriate Country Officer. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calls from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-317-472-2328. State Department Visa Office - recorded information concerning immigrant visas for adoptive children, (202) 663-1225. Internet - the Consular Affairs web site, at: http://travel.state.gov contains international adoption information flyers and the International Adoptions brochure.
BCIS web site - http://www.uscis.gov Other information: Consular Information Sheets - The State Department has general information about hiring a foreign attorney and authenticating documents which may supplement the country-specific information provided in this flier. In addition, the State Department publishes Consular Information Sheets (CIS's) 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 American citizens that is not addressed in the CIS for that country, the State Department 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 available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov.
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