So many of you have been asking...
Why does it take so long??
What are all the steps??
My hope is this page will serve as an explanation of what all it takes to adopt from Haiti!
Getting your Dossier Ready to go to Haiti
Adoptive Parent’s Dossier Requirements
The following documents are required for an adoption:
1. 4 ID pictures (4 for each of you)
2. Birth Certificate
3. Marriage License
4. Work Certificate with Actual Salary
5. Copy of House Deed (if any)
6. Bank Reference
7. Home Study
8. Good Conduct Certificate (Police Report)
9. Detailed Medical Certificate (Lab sheet attached) (HIV & Sickling)
10. Psychological Evaluation (for the couple)
11. 2 Letters from third party references
12. Letter of motivation to IBESR (Why you want to adopt?)
13. Power of attorney (Proxy)
Every single document has to be legalized by your state department and authenticated by the Haitian consulate near your state. All documents also have to be translated into French.
Dossier is ready and now it goes to Haiti and starts the LONG process there!
The Hatian Adoption Process
Haitian adoptions are highly complex and challenging to complete. Under Haitian law, they can be completed by an attorney or a director of one of the 67 creches licensed by IBESR - the equivalent of Haitian social services. Most Haitian adoptions are accomplished by creche directors acting as facilitators. Very few attorneys have the extensive amount of time and dedication required to process an adoption case.
The many steps listed below must be followed for each and every adoption. Add to their number the extreme difficulty of accomplishing each one: every step must be accomplished in person and by hand. Most of the offices listed do not have computers. There will be no communications by fax or email or even by official phone calls. Facilitators must visit each office personally to check on the status of each case, and carry it by hand through the traffic of Port-au-Prince to the next stage of the process.
Pre-IBESR
Before an adoption case can be presented to IBESR the adoption facilitator must gather all of the following documents:
Your dossier can now be submitted to IBESR. If your family does not meet the criteria of the law of 1974, your dossier can be pre-approved for Presidential Dispensation and delivered to the Presidential Palace by IBESR. Dispensations are published in the Haitian legal journal Le Moniteur. Following Dispensation, IBESR will sign off on your dossier and grant an Authorization of Adoption.
Parquet Court
The 'step' we refer to as Parquet court is actually a very complex series of steps and processes involving multiple offices and repeated trips between them.
All international adoption cases are reviewed by the Ministry of Interior. In order to obtain authorization to request a passport, the following documents must be submitted for each child:
The Ministry of Interior will grant authorization to submit the dossier to Haitian Immigrations for a passport.
Haitian Immigrations
The facilitator will submit authorization to apply for a passport to Haitian Immigrations. This is generally a quick process - one to two weeks, if all equipment is working properly.
US Immigrations
Note to international readers - US Immigrations performs the most rigorous investigation of international adoptions. Other nations' Immigrations process are different. Please check with your agency to learn about the process for your home country.)
Parts of the US Immigrations process can occur concurrently with the Haitian process, however USCIS cannot sign off on the case until they have verified the final Adoption Decree and the child's passport. DNA may be requested at any time.
American families are advised to work closely with their agencies to ensure a smooth and efficient US Immigrations process for their child.
Approximately three to four weeks following completion of all USCIS investigations and adjudication of the I600 for the child, the case will be forwarded to the Department of State for issuance of a Visa. The Department of State also has the right to request DNA testing for birth parent and child. Adoptive parents need not be present for the Visa appointment.
Parents who can prove that they visited their child prior to the issuance of the Adoption Decree by Parquet Court will be issued an IR-3 Visa. Their children will be automatically granted full US Citizenship upon arrival in the US.
Families who did not visit their children prior to the date of the Adoption Decree must file for citizenship for their children. Failure to file for citizenship will leave the child as a legal immigrant and unprotected by the rights of full citizenship. Please refer to the USCIS website for form N-600 and instructions on how to file.
The many steps listed below must be followed for each and every adoption. Add to their number the extreme difficulty of accomplishing each one: every step must be accomplished in person and by hand. Most of the offices listed do not have computers. There will be no communications by fax or email or even by official phone calls. Facilitators must visit each office personally to check on the status of each case, and carry it by hand through the traffic of Port-au-Prince to the next stage of the process.
Pre-IBESR
Before an adoption case can be presented to IBESR the adoption facilitator must gather all of the following documents:
- Passport pictures of the child
- Birth Certificate
- Attestation of signature on Birth Certificate or extract from the National Archives
- Legal relinquishment of custody from the biological family to the orphanage from the local judge
- Psychological evaluation
- Medical evaluation
- Laboratory tests
- Social history
- Proces Verbal (A court process in which the biological family grants the creche the right to place their child with your family specifically for international adoption. Can only be completed after your dossier is in Haiti.)
Your dossier can now be submitted to IBESR. If your family does not meet the criteria of the law of 1974, your dossier can be pre-approved for Presidential Dispensation and delivered to the Presidential Palace by IBESR. Dispensations are published in the Haitian legal journal Le Moniteur. Following Dispensation, IBESR will sign off on your dossier and grant an Authorization of Adoption.
Parquet Court
The 'step' we refer to as Parquet court is actually a very complex series of steps and processes involving multiple offices and repeated trips between them.
- Attorney addresses a Request for Judgment to the Chief Justice of Parquet Court
- Birth parents are interviewed in Parquet Court
- Parquet Court signs off on "approval judgement for adoption
- Facilitator takes approval to DGI for stamp of authorization
- Back to Parquet for enforcement of the approval judgement
- Authorization and redaction from the Civil Registrar Officer for legal Adoption Decree
- Verification in Parquet of the adoption documents by the Civil Registrar before signing the adoption decree
- First Legalization of the Adoption Decree, in Parquet Court
- Second Legalization of the Adoption Decree, at the Ministry of Justice
- Third Legalization of the Adoption Decree, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Obtain attestation of Adoption Decree from the National Archives
All international adoption cases are reviewed by the Ministry of Interior. In order to obtain authorization to request a passport, the following documents must be submitted for each child:
- Four passport sized pictures
- Birth Certificate
- Attestation for the Birth Certificate
- Extract from the National Archives for the Birth Certificate
- Relinquishment
- Proces Verbal of adoption
- Adoption approval judgement
- Adoption Decree
- Attestation of the Adoption Decree
- Power of Attorney for creche director and/or attorney
- Stamp from DGI
- Notary letter for the passport
- Identification card of facilitator and/or attorney on the case
- Biological parents' identification cards
- Adoptive parents' MOI form, identification, and passport photos
The Ministry of Interior will grant authorization to submit the dossier to Haitian Immigrations for a passport.
Haitian Immigrations
The facilitator will submit authorization to apply for a passport to Haitian Immigrations. This is generally a quick process - one to two weeks, if all equipment is working properly.
US Immigrations
Note to international readers - US Immigrations performs the most rigorous investigation of international adoptions. Other nations' Immigrations process are different. Please check with your agency to learn about the process for your home country.)
Parts of the US Immigrations process can occur concurrently with the Haitian process, however USCIS cannot sign off on the case until they have verified the final Adoption Decree and the child's passport. DNA may be requested at any time.
American families are advised to work closely with their agencies to ensure a smooth and efficient US Immigrations process for their child.
Approximately three to four weeks following completion of all USCIS investigations and adjudication of the I600 for the child, the case will be forwarded to the Department of State for issuance of a Visa. The Department of State also has the right to request DNA testing for birth parent and child. Adoptive parents need not be present for the Visa appointment.
Parents who can prove that they visited their child prior to the issuance of the Adoption Decree by Parquet Court will be issued an IR-3 Visa. Their children will be automatically granted full US Citizenship upon arrival in the US.
Families who did not visit their children prior to the date of the Adoption Decree must file for citizenship for their children. Failure to file for citizenship will leave the child as a legal immigrant and unprotected by the rights of full citizenship. Please refer to the USCIS website for form N-600 and instructions on how to file.
