Adoption
International Adoption Process
International adoption (also called intercountry adoption) is a process that recognizes an individual or couple as the legal and permanent parent(s) of a child from another country. An international adoption complies with the laws of both the sending and receiving countries.
For all international adoptions, you must complete two separate processes:
1. The adoption process, and
2. The immigration or citizenship process.
1. Adoption process
* In order to adopt internationally you must work with your provincial or territorial adoption Central Authority. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/adoption/authorities.asp)
* The provincial or territorial adoption Central Authority will:
** Tell you if you need to contact a licensed adoption agency
** Advise on the adoptions laws of the country from where you want to adopt
** Explain the requirement of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions
(http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1183&top=2)
* To be eligible to adopt a child, you must meet the adoption requirements of the
** Canadian province/territory where you live, or the country where you live if you are living abroad, and
** Adoption Authority of the country where the child lives
2. The Immigration or Citizenship process
In order to bring your adopted child into Canada, it is necessary to apply for Citizenship or Immigration (Permanent Residency) for the child.
To determine which is more appropriate for your family (Immigration or Citizenship), click here to learn about the differences between the two (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/adoption/differences.asp) .
Note: Some countries require that the adoption be completed in Canada. In these cases the Immigration (Permanent Resident) process should be used.
On arrival in Canada as a permanent resident, your adopted child will be entitled to:
* Work, study and live in Canada
* Apply for Canadian citizenship
* Apply for a Canadian passport, once he/she becomes a Canadian citizen
* Government-subsidized education programs
* Attend language programs
* Health benefits
* All government-subsidized benefits
Q – What is the cost to adopt? A – The cost of adoption depends on a number of variables: the type of adoption you undertake, whether you work with an agency, the province you reside in and any associated travel costs. It costs very little to adopt through the public child welfare system in Canada.
Range of Adoption Costs Public (foster care): $0 - $3,000
Licensed Private Agency: $10,000 - $20,000
International: $20,000 - $30,000
– What are the different types of adoption? A – There are five main categories of adoption.
1. Adopting an infant, child, or youth from the Canadian child welfare system (Public)
2. Adopting an infant or child (Private)
3. Adopting a child from another country (International)
4. Adopting a stepchild/children
5. Adopting a birth relative (Kinship adoption)
International adoption (also called intercountry adoption) is a process that recognizes an individual or couple as the legal and permanent parent(s) of a child from another country. An international adoption complies with the laws of both the sending and receiving countries.
For all international adoptions, you must complete two separate processes:
1. The adoption process, and
2. The immigration or citizenship process.
1. Adoption process
* In order to adopt internationally you must work with your provincial or territorial adoption Central Authority. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/adoption/authorities.asp)
* The provincial or territorial adoption Central Authority will:
** Tell you if you need to contact a licensed adoption agency
** Advise on the adoptions laws of the country from where you want to adopt
** Explain the requirement of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions
(http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1183&top=2)
* To be eligible to adopt a child, you must meet the adoption requirements of the
** Canadian province/territory where you live, or the country where you live if you are living abroad, and
** Adoption Authority of the country where the child lives
2. The Immigration or Citizenship process
In order to bring your adopted child into Canada, it is necessary to apply for Citizenship or Immigration (Permanent Residency) for the child.
To determine which is more appropriate for your family (Immigration or Citizenship), click here to learn about the differences between the two (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/adoption/differences.asp) .
Note: Some countries require that the adoption be completed in Canada. In these cases the Immigration (Permanent Resident) process should be used.
On arrival in Canada as a permanent resident, your adopted child will be entitled to:
* Work, study and live in Canada
* Apply for Canadian citizenship
* Apply for a Canadian passport, once he/she becomes a Canadian citizen
* Government-subsidized education programs
* Attend language programs
* Health benefits
* All government-subsidized benefits
Q – What is the cost to adopt? A – The cost of adoption depends on a number of variables: the type of adoption you undertake, whether you work with an agency, the province you reside in and any associated travel costs. It costs very little to adopt through the public child welfare system in Canada.
Range of Adoption Costs Public (foster care): $0 - $3,000
Licensed Private Agency: $10,000 - $20,000
International: $20,000 - $30,000
– What are the different types of adoption? A – There are five main categories of adoption.
1. Adopting an infant, child, or youth from the Canadian child welfare system (Public)
2. Adopting an infant or child (Private)
3. Adopting a child from another country (International)
4. Adopting a stepchild/children
5. Adopting a birth relative (Kinship adoption)
