How do immigration requirements affect international adoptions?
US citizens seeking to adopt children from other countries must meet many requirements before the children will be able to enter the US. Whether the parents complete the adoption in the child’s home country or bring the child to the US to complete the adoption, the child will have to have a visa in order to travel to the US. Children adopted abroad will need an approved IR-3 visa while children seeking entry into the US to complete an adoption will need an approved IR-4 visa. Either the adoptive parents or their legal representatives will need to apply for the visa with the US embassy or consulate in the child’s home country. They will need to meet in-person with an officer, who will determine if the child meets the requirements to receive a visa. The child will have to undergo a medical exam to check for communicable and other diseases, illnesses and disabilities. The child also will have to have proof of certain vaccinations (in some instances, the parents will be able to get the vac
