How do the amendments to the Child Citizenship Act, included in this legislation, benefit the adopted child and the adoptive parents?
If enacted, this bill would eliminate the need for an immigrant visa for a child adopted internationally by an American citizen. Under current law, an internationally adopted child must apply for and receive an immigrant visa to enter the United States and for most of these children (with some exceptions) once their plane sets down on American soil, citizenship attaches. Under the language in this bill, the child would become an American citizen upon completion of the adoption and upon a determination by the U.S. government that the child meets the eligibility criteria for adoption. For the majority of international adoptions, these criteria are met in the adopted child’s country of origin. Therefore, citizenship would attach earlier than under current law and the adoptive parents can apply for a U.S. passport and a Consular Report of Birth and the child would enter the U.S. as an American citizen instead of as an immigrant. Applying for and receiving a U.S. passport and Consular Repor
