INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION

RWANDA

May 2004

PLEASE NOTE: Immigrant visas for Rwandan citizens including adopted orphans are issued at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Please visit the Web site for the Immigrant Visa Section at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi for information on immigrant visa services. http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/wwwhins1.html

PATTERNS OF IMMIGRATION OF ADOPTED ORPHANS TO THE U.S.: Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics indicate that only two immigrant visas were issued to Rwandan orphans in the last five years.

ADOPTION AUTHORITY IN RWANDA:
Ministry of Local Administration and Social Affairs
Address: B.P. 3445 Kigali, Rwanda
Phone: 011-250-87741/011-250-83595
Fax: (011) (250) 82228

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS: Adoptive parents must be under the age of fifty years old. However, a judge can waive the age requirement.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: There are no residency requirements for foreign adoptive parents.

TIME FRAME: Allow 1-2 months to complete the Rwandan adoption and subsequent immigration procedures. Allow two weeks in Africa: 4 working days in Rwanda and 10 days in Kenya.

ADOPTION AGENCIES AND ATTORNEYS: There are no known adoption agencies that provide adoption services in Rwanda. Upon request, the U.S. Embassy can provide a list of attorneys. Neither the Department of State nor the U.S. Embassy can vouch for the efficacy or professionalism of any attorneys on this list.

Prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services. For U.S.-based agencies, it is suggested that prospective adoptive parents contact the Better Business Bureau and licensing office of the Department of Health and Family Services in the state where the agency is located. The Department of State does not assume any responsibility for the quality of services provided by these private adoption agencies or their employees.

Please see Important Notice Regarding Adoption Agents and Facilitators at the Web site for the Bureau of Consular Affairs at http://travek.state,gov/travel/adoption_facilitators.html

ADOPTION FEES IN RWANDA: There are no Rwandan government fees associated with international adoptions. However, adoptive parents can expect to pay for any attorney’s fees for services rendered.

ADOPTION PROCEDURES IN RWANDA: Prospective adoptive parents must petition the local court having jurisdiction over the prospective adoptive child’s residence. Once the adoption is approved, the adoption decree is filed at the local vital records registry for the child’s place of residence.

Papers are filed with the Ministry of Local Administration and Social Affairs. A travel letter from the Ministry of Family and Gender is required for the child to exit Rwanda. Documents from the Government of Rwanda are in French - U.S. Embassy Kigali will provide English translations of these documents for use in Nairobi. Prospective adoptive parents will need English translations of the birth certificates and death certificates (if applicable) of the adopted child’s birth parents to complete immigrant visa processing in Nairobi. The U.S. Embassy in Rwanda can assist in locating translation services, but no U.S. Government resources are available for translating birth or death certificates.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION IN RWANDA:

1. Birth certificate(s) of the adoptive parent(s). If a birth certificate is unavailable, a legal or administrative certificate that proves date of birth and identity may be submitted;
2. Original birth certificate of the child to be adopted;
3. Waiver of age limit certificate, if applicable (for adoptive parents over the age of 50);
4. The “Act of Adoption”, which is prepared by the local Bureau de l'Etat Civil (Vital Statistics Office);
5. Declaration the adoptive parent’s spouse consenting to the adoption;
6. The Adoption Act. The act must reference the information on the birth and death certificates, whichever are applicable, as well as the identities/documents of the adopting persons (passports and International Adoptive Home Study);
7. Authorization letter for departing Rwanda (Prepared by the Ministry of Local Administration and Social Affairs);
8. Legal Judgment Document (a court order approving the adoption), which is prepared by the local court having jurisdiction where the child is located.

AUTHENTICATING DOCUMENTS TO BE USED ABROAD: All U.S. documents submitted to the Rwandan government, such as birth, death, and marriage certificates, must be authenticated. The authentication process begins by obtaining the seal of a U.S. notary public or the appropriate document issuing office. The seal is authenticated by the clerk of court in the county where the notary is licensed or by a similar authority. The document must then be authenticated by your state's Secretary of State, and then by the U.S. Department of State Authentication Office (518 23rd Street, NW, State Annex 1, Washington, D.C., tel. (202) 647-5002, or 1-800-688-9889, choose item 6. Walk-in service is available from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. any weekday except holidays and is limited to 15 documents per person per day (documents can be multiple pages). The fee is $6.00 per document. Processing time for authentication requests sent by mail is 5 working days or less.

After the Department of State has authenticated the U.S. documents, the Rwandan Embassy must authenticate the Rwandan documents. Contact the Rwandan Embassy for specific information about Rwandan authentication of U.S. documents.

Please visit our Web site at travel.state.gov for additional information about authentication procedures.

Rwandan Embassy in the United States:
1714 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
Phone: 202-232-2882/3/4
Fax: 202-232-4544
e-mail: rwandemb@rwandemb.org
http://www.rwandemb.org/

U.S. IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS

Prospective adopting parents are strongly encouraged to consult U.S. Consular Information Sheet (CIS) publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adopting Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. The U.S. CIS publication is available at the U.S. CIS Web site. The Department of State publication International Adoptions can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Web site, http://travel.state.gov, under “International Adoptions.”

A child adopted by a U.S. citizen must obtain an immigrant visa before he or she can enter the U.S. The child must be an orphan, as defined by U.S. immigration regulations. There are two distinct categories of immigrant visas available to orphans adopted by U.S. citizens. The two categories are Immediate Relative-3 (IR-3) and IR-4. An IR-3 is issued when a child is adopted under the laws of a foreign country. An IR-4 is issued when a child will be adopted in the United States (American parents have custody of a child to take him or her to the United States to be adopted in the United States). An IR-4 is also issued when state pre-adoption requirements require that a child be adopted in that state or if both parents have not seen the child. The Department of State strongly advises U.S. citizens to verify that a particular child is an orphan according to U.S. immigration law and regulations before proceeding with an adoption. A consular officer cannot issue a visa to an adopted child if he or she does not meet the definition of legal orphan.

An Orphan: If an adopted child has not resided with and been in the legal custody of the adopting parent for at least two years (or if the child has not yet even been adopted) the child must qualify under section 101(b)(1)(F) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act in order to apply for an immigrant visa. The main requirements of this section are as follows:

1. The child must be under the age of 16 at the time an I-600 Petition is filed with the DHS on his or her behalf
2. The child meets the U.S. immigration law definition of “orphan” either because:
   1. The child has no parents because of the death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation from or loss of both parents**; or
   2. The sole or surviving parent is incapable of providing proper care and has, in writing, irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption
3. The adopting parents must have completed a full and final adoption of the child (for IR-3) or must have legal custody of the child to take the child to the United States for immigration and adoption (for IR-4).

**Prospective adopting parents should note that the terms “disappearance of both parents,” “abandonment by both parents,” “desertion by both parents,” “separation from both parents,” “loss from both parents,” “sole” and “surviving” parent all have specific legal meanings defined in section 204.3(b) of Title 8 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. Whether a child qualifies as an orphan under any of these categories is determined by reference to the U.S. regulatory definitions and not by any local (foreign) law designations that may be used to identify a child as orphaned. As a result, it is possible to adopt a child who is not a “legal orphan” as defined by U.S. immigration law and not be able to bring that child home.

Who is eligible: The adopting parent(s) must meet the following DHS requirements in order to file the I-600 petition for the immigrant visa for an adopted child:

1. If the adopting or prospective adopting parent is married, his or her spouse must also be a party to the adoption;
2. If the adopting or prospective adopting parent is single, he or she must be at least 25 years of age;
3. The adopting or prospective adopting parent must be a U.S. citizen.

U.S. IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES FOR ORPHANS

The I-600A and I-600 Petitions

Adopting and prospective adopting parents must obtain approval of a Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative (Form I-600) from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) before they can apply for an immigrant visa on behalf of an orphan. The adjudication of such petitions can be very time-consuming and parents are encouraged to begin well in advance.

A prospective adopting parent may file Form I-600A Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) office having jurisdiction over their place of residence. This form allows the most time-consuming part of the immigration process to be completed in advance, even before the parent has located a child to adopt. In addition, a parent who obtains an approved I-600A may file an I-600 in person at the U.S. Embassy abroad.

Required Documents for the I-600A

1. Completed Form I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition);
2. Fingerprints of each prospective adopting parent, taken at a local U.S. CIS office;
3. Proof of the prospective petitioner’s United States citizenship;
4. Proof of the marriage of the prospective petitioner and spouse, if applicable;
5. Proof of termination of any prior marriages of the prospective petitioner and spouse or unmarried prospective petitioner, if applicable;
6. A “home study” completed by the appropriate State organization with a favorable recommendation;
7. Proof that the pre-adoption requirements, if any, of the state of the orphan’s proposed residence have been met, if the orphan is to be adopted in the United States; and
8. Filing fee of U.S. $525.00.

The I-600 is filed at the U.S. Embassy abroad after an adopting parent has legal custody of a child. Adopting parents may choose to file the I-600 at the U.S. CIS office where they filed their I-600A. However, doing so may delay the immigration of a child to the United States because the family must wait for the I-600 to be approved. The child must wait in his or her country of origin until the I-600 is approved.

If an I-600A has already been approved, there is no additional fee to file the I-600. However, if parents are adopting two or more biologically unrelated children, there will be a $525.00 fee for the second child.

Required Documents for the I-600

1. Completed Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative;
2. Proof of the orphan’s age;
3. Death certificate(s) of the orphan’s parent(s), if applicable;
4. Proof of orphan status (for example, evidence of abandonment, or proof that the orphan’s sole or surviving parent cannot give the orphan proper care and has, in writing, forever or irrevocably released the orphan for emigration and adoption);
5. A final decree of adoption; and
6. If not submitted previously in an I-600A, the documents listed above in the I-600A section must also be provided with the I-600 (in this case, the I-600 must be filed with the CIS office with jurisdiction over the prospective parent’s residence, rather than a U.S. Embassy abroad).

Detailed information about filing these forms can be found on the U.S. CIS web site at http://uscis.gov.

U.S. citizens who have adopted or hope to adopt a child from a specific country should request, at the time they file these forms, that U.S. CIS notify the U.S. Embassy in the country as soon as I-600A is approved. Upon receipt of such notification, the Embassy in that country contacts the adopting parent(s) and provides additional instructions on immigration procedures. U.S. consular officers may not review an orphan adoption case until they have received formal notification of approval from a U.S. CIS office in the U.S.

Fingerprints

An I-600 petition can be approved only if the petitioners (and all adult members of their household) have unexpired FBI fingerprint clearances. Though fingerprint are taken and checked by the FBI at the time prospective adopting parents file an I-600A, they are valid only for 15 months and must be re-done if the 15 months have expired. The validity period for the I-600A is 18 months and is not tied to the fingerprint checks. Thus, it is possible for adopting parents to have a valid I-600A and expired fingerprint checks at the same time. Prospective adopting parents should verify that their fingerprint check are current and will not expire before traveling to adopt (notices of approved I-600As should state when the fingerprints will expire.) If the fingerprints are about to expire soon, prospective adopting parents should contact their USCIS office and have their fingerprints retaken. If fingerprints are not valid when adoptive parents file the I-600 petition abroad, the U.S. Embassy staff will have to take the fingerprints of the adoptive parents and send them to the FBI for the background check, which will delay a family’s return to the United States by several days.

The Orphan Investigation

One part of the petition process which CIS cannot complete in advance is the "orphan investigation." An orphan investigation Form I-604 Report on Overseas Orphan Investigation is required in all orphan adoption cases - even if an I-600 has already been approved - and serves to verify that the child is an orphan as defined by U.S. immigration law. The investigation is conducted in one of three ways: 1) by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer if one is assigned at the U.S. Embassy from where the child is being adopted; 2) during the immigrant visa interview with a consular officer at a U.S. Embassy in the country from where the child is being adopted; 3) a separate orphan investigation interview with a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy from where a child is being adopted, but the immigrant visa is issued at another U.S. Embassy.
A consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda will conduct this investigation.

Please call the Embassy to schedule an appointment for your I-604 interview.

Embassy of the United States of America
Boulevard de la Revolution
B.P. 28
Kigali, Rwanda
E-mail: KigaliEmbassy@state.gov
Tel: (250) 505601, 505602, 505603 Extension: 3241
Fax: (250) 572128

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE IMMIGRANT VISA

U.S. immigrant visas for Rwandan citizens are issued at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Please visit the Web site for the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi for more information on immigrant visa application procedures at http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/wwwhins1.html.

U.S. law requires that the adopted child, regardless of age, be brought to a U.S. Embassy for a personal appearance before the consular officer at the time of the interview for the immigrant visa.

Required Documents for IR-3 and IR-4 Visas:

1. Confirmation from the USCIS of an approved and valid I-600A petition;
2. Completed I-600 petition, with original signatures by both adopting parents. The I-600 forms can be downloaded from the USCIS website at: uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/index.htm
3. Completed Immigrant Visa application, form DS-230, Parts I and II, signed by one parent on behalf of the child, in the presence of a consular officer. Information on the form should pertain to the child, not the adopting parents. These forms can be downloaded from our web site at http://www.travel.state.gov.
4. Documents to show the consular officer that the child will not be a public charge in the U.S., for example, a job letter, tax returns, bank statement or other proof of the adoptive parent’s or parents’ assets in the U.S.
5. Results of the child's immigrant visa physical examination, including a vaccination report.
6. An Affidavit of Acknowledgement of Health Problems of Adopted Child. Both parents' signatures should be notarized. Please do not sign this document before you come to the Embassy - it must be signed under oath in the presence of a U.S. Consular Officer. Alternatively, it can be notarized in the U.S. Please make sure to include all health problems that are listed in the adoption court decree and medical history of the child(ren) (if available).
7. Affidavit of Vaccinations Requirement Waiver. Please do not sign this document before you come to the Embassy - it must be signed under oath in the presence of a U.S. Consular Officer. The form may be signed by either of the adopting parents and notarized by a U.S. Consular Officer or U.S. notary public. This form is required only for children 10 years of age and younger. You can download this form here.
8. Immigrant visa fee of U.S. $335 cash, payable at the time of the interview.
9. An original and copies of the foreign adoption decree.
10. An original and two copies of a birth certificate issued in the child's new (adopted) name.
11. Two copies of the court decree declaring that the child is an orphan and/or unambiguously declaring that any surviving parents have no legal parental rights. If applicable, adopting parents may present two copies of a certificate of abandonment produced by the biological parents, the police, or the hospital.
12. Two notarized copies of the child's pre-adoption birth certificate.
13. The original and a copy of the orphanage's medical report/medical history for the child.
14. The original and a copy of the passport for the country of origin, issued in the child's new adopted name.
15. The original and a copy of each of the adopting parents’ passports.
16. Two passport-size photographs of the child with a three-quarter profile, showing the right ear. U.S. Embassies that issue the new Machine-readable immigrant visa (MRIV) require one photo in three-quarter profile showing the right ear and a second one showing the frontal facial photo.

Additional possible requirements for an IR-4 visa:

17. Certified copy of the approved home study.
18. Evidence that the pre-adoption requirements of the adopting parents' state of residence have been met.
19. Evidence that re-adoption is legally possible in the parents' state of residence, if applicable.
20. A notarized statement from the parent who has not met the child that he or she intends to adopt in the United States.
21. Form I-864 Affidavit of Support and supporting documentation. For instructions, please see travel.state.gov/immigrantvisas.html#aos

The immigrant visa is valid for 180 days from date of issuance (i.e., adopted children have 180 days to use the immigrant visa to travel to the United States. Do NOT open the sealed envelope marked for the USCIS. Documents submitted to the Embassy are in this packet and will not be returned. Therefore, adopting parents should obtain extra originals or certified copies of the adoption decree and the child's new birth certificate for their personal use in the future, including for application for a U.S. passport and Social Security number. The packet should be in carry-on luggage and must be presented intact to the USCIS officer at the port of entry.

U.S. EMBASSIES IN RWANDA AND KENYA:

As soon as prospective adoptive parents arrive in Rwanda, they should contact the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in order to register their presence in Rwanda. The Consular Section is located at:

For Rwanda :
337 Boulevard de la Revolution
B.P. 28
Kigali, Rwanda
E-mail: KigaliEmbassy@state.gov
Tel: (250) 505601, 505602, 505603 Extension: 3241
Fax: (250) 572128

For Kenya:
Embassy of the United States of America
United Nations Avenue, Gigiri
P.O. Box 606
00621 Nairobi, Kenya
Phone 254-20-363-6000
fax:254-20-363-6410

NATURALIZATION: Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, which became effective on February 27, 2001, orphans adopted by U.S. citizens automatically become U.S. citizens themselves 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 orphan who enters the United States on an Immediate Relative (IR) –3 visa automatically becomes a U.S. citizen upon admission. A foreign-born child who enters the United States on an IR-4 visa and is later 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). For further information, please consult with the consular section at the U.S. Embassy or the nearest office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Additional information is available at http://www.travel.state.gov/childcitfaq.html

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Specific questions about adoption in a particular country may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in that country. General questions regarding international adoption may be addressed to the Office of Children’s Issues, U.S. Department of State, CA/OCS/CI, SA-29, 4th Floor, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20520-4818, toll-free Tel: 1-888-404-4747.

Useful information is also available from several other sources:

• Telephone:
  • Call Center -Toll Free Hotline: Overseas Citizens Services toll-free hotline in the Bureau of Consular Affairs is 1-888-407-4747. The OCS hotline can answer general inquiries regarding international adoption and forwards 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.
  • U.S. Department of State Visa Office - recorded information concerning immigrant visas for adopting children, (202) 663-1225.
  • DHS Citizenship and Immigration Services - recorded information for requesting immigrant visa application forms, 1-800-870-FORM (3676).
• Internet:
  • Adoption Information Flyers: the Consular Affairs web site, at: http://travel.state.gov/ contains international country adoption information flyers like this one and the International Adoptions brochure.
  • Consular Information Sheets: The State Department has general information about hiring a foreign attorney and authenticating documents that may supplement the country-specific information provided in this flier. In addition, the State Department publishes Consular Information Sheets (CISes) 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 or by calling the State Department'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 and the Internet web site, as above.
• CIS web site - http://uscis.gov/