Adoption
Immigration Requirements
U.S. ORPHAN IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS: Prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to consult USCIS publication M-249, The Immigration of Adopted and Prospective Adopting Children, as well as the Department of State publication, International Adoptions. The USCIS publication is available at the USCIS Web site. The Department of State publication International Adoption can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs web site, travel.state.gov, under "International Adoption."
Before completing an adoption abroad, prospective adoptive parents are strongly encouraged to read the requirements for filing Form I-600 Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative. Please see the flyer "How Can Adopted Children Come to the United States" at the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs web site travel.state.gov.
After completing an adoption in Kazakhstan, parents should plan to return directly to the United States. Children adopted from Kazakhstan will have a Kazakhstani passport and U.S. immigrant visa when they leave Kazakhstan. The U.S. immigrant visa gives them permission to travel to the United States only. If you plan to stopover en route back to the United States, your child will likely need to obtain an additional visa from the country you plan to visit. The U.S. Embassy in Almaty cannot assist parents in obtaining these visas.
ADOPTIVE PARENTS WHO RESIDE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES: U.S. citizen parents who reside overseas are encouraged to travel directly to the U.S. to complete the citizenship process for their child before returning to their residence. Adopted children leave Kazakhstan with a Kazakhstani passport and U.S. immigrant visa. The U.S. visa is valid only for travel to the United States and does not provide for entry into a third country, regardless of the nationality and immigration status of the parent(s). Visa and immigration requirements vary greatly from country to country and some countries do not recognize Kazakhstani adoptions. Prospective adoptive parents residing abroad should consult an immigration attorney or professional regarding laws and regulations in their country of residence well in advance of travel. The U.S. Embassy in Almaty cannot assist parents in obtaining third country visas.
Parents assigned overseas with the United States Military or other U.S. Government agency may qualify for an extended validity immigrant visa. Parents wishing to claim this benefit must email a copy of their U.S. Government overseas assignment order to the Consular Section (adoptionsalmaty@state.gov) at least one week before they would like to apply for the immigrant visa. We cannot change the visa expiration date on the day of the visa interview.
APPLYING FOR AN IMMIGRANT VISA AT THE EMBASSY BRANCH OFFICE IN ALMATY: Coordinators or parents must bring completed visa applications to the U.S. Embassy Almaty Consular Section by 12:00 p.m. at least one business day prior to the immigrant visa interview. Only cases submitted by this time will be seen the following day at 3:00 p.m. for the immigrant visa interview. Please visit the U.S. Embassy's adoption website for complete information on the immigrant visa process and required documents.
U.S. EMBASSY IN KAZAKHSTAN: U.S. citizens living and traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration website, http://travelregistration.state.gov/ and to obtain updated information on travel and security through the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The Consular Section is located at:
Consular Section, Adoptions
Embassy of the United States of America
97 Zholdasbekov Street, Samal - 2
Almaty, Kazakhstan 050059
Tel: 7-327-250-49-00; 250-49-01
Fax: 7-327-250-48-84
Adoption E-Mail: AdoptionsAlmaty@state.gov
General Consular E-mail: usakz@state.gov
ACQUIRING U.S. CITIZENSHIP: The language describing the acquisition of U.S. citizenship for adopted children is currently under review. Until the new language is finalized, please click on the following link for further information: http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/info/info_457.html.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Specific questions about adoption in Kazakhstan may be addressed to the U.S. Embassy in Almaty. 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:
- Toll Free - For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, call Overseas Citizens Services at 1-888-407-4747. 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 calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-202-501-4444.
- U.S. Department of State Visa Office - recorded information concerning immigrant visas for adopting children, (202) 663-1225.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - recorded information for requesting immigrant visa application forms, 1-800-870-FORM (3676).
Internet:
- Adoption Information Flyers: The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of 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 (CISs) 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 Toll Free at 1-888-407-4747. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-202-501-4444.
- USCIS web site