There are many missteps you can make during an international adoption. By working with an immigration lawyer in Florida, you can prevent mistakes. Here at the Florida Immigration Law Counsel, you can be on your way to bringing a new family member home.
If you’re adopting from another country, U.S. adoption laws are important. In addition to complying with them, you also must comply with the laws of your potential child’s country of origin.
For instance, some countries have laws that mandate you to stay in the child’s country of origin for a few weeks. Until you meet that requirement, you cannot begin the adoption process.
Before you initiate the adoption, you should familiarize yourself with state, federal, and foreign laws. Failing to comply with one or more laws could keep your family from growing. To avoid breaking a law or ruining your chances at adoption, you should speak with someone who is an expert on adoption law.
One common method of adoption is known as a Hague adoption. This complies with the details outlined in the Hague Adoption Convention. For this type of adoption to occur, the child must meet these requirements:
The parent also needs to meet some requirements. For one, they need to be a citizen of the United States. They also must live in the U.S. If they are married, their spouse needs to agree to also adopt the child.
If the applicant is not married, the need to be a minimum of 24 years of age by the time they file their first form. They need to be 25 by the time they file the form I-800.
The process is rather detailed. First, they need to work with an adoption agency accredited by the Hague Convention. Although they don’t need to work with an attorney, it’s highly recommended. The adoption agency is not allowed to give you any legal advice.
The parents also need to do the following:
Another type of adoption is an orphan adoption, also known as a non-Hague adoption. With this process, the U.S. government requires that the child was abandoned or deserted, or both parents died or disappeared. Or, it requires that the child only has one surviving parent who cannot give them the proper care. In this situation, the parent needs to write out a statement releasing their child for adoption.
Parents who want an orphan adoption need to meet these requirements:
Much like a Hague adoption, an orphan adoption has a complex process. The USCIS or U.S. Department of State must conduct a home study. You need to file an orphan petition and need to do so before the child turns 16. If they are a sibling of a child you’ve already adopted, you need to file before they turn 18.
After you file all of the required forms, the government will either approve or deny your request. If they approve it, you can apply for a visa for your child. Then, you can bring them into the U.S.
It’s a common misconception that adopted children automatically become U.S. citizens. But this is not always the case. They only are granted automatic citizenship if they live in the legal custody of the parent, are an immigrant with lawful permanent residence, and the adoption is finalized.
Typically, whether or not the child has citizenship depends on their type of visa. They must be on IH-4 or IR-4 visas.
There may be steps you need to take to get them citizenship. However, the process is not straightforward. When you work with an immigration attorney, they can explain more about the path to citizenship.
In Florida, the average household has 2.46 people. Many families are looking to expand their households, and they turn to adoption to accomplish that goal. However, adoption can take years and cost thousands of dollars. Even more, it’s not guaranteed. Along the way, you can encounter many challenges.
There are other ways of adopting foreign-born children under U.S. Immigration law. To speak with an experienced Adoption Attorney who can navigate your family through the process, call the Florida Immigration Law Counsel at 1-800-666-4996 today.
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Caring and compassionate, Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez is a Florida immigration attorney dedicated to producing the results her clients need. She has over 17 years of experience helping both corporate and individual clients with an emphasis in employment/investment cases and family adjustment cases.
As the Managing Attorney at Florida Immigration Law Counsel, Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez and her team are capable of representing and helping individuals looking to attain a Family Visa, Work Visa, and Citizenship/Naturalization. Her experience successfully representing clients in front of the Department of Justice for cases involving Deportation/Removal Proceedings will lead to success in your case.
Her experience and expertise in immigration litigation has led to multiple Avvo awards and other accolades, including the Clients’ Choice for 2017 Immigration Attorney. Her clients also consistently post positive reviews on her Facebook page. Her experience has also allowed her to teach a new generation of lawyers as an adjunct professor of law at Nova Southeastern University, and she also regularly gives speeches on immigration matters.
Counselor Gonzalez is also experienced in helping corporate clients through the process of filing for Employment Visas, Labor Certifications, and Business and Investment Visas with the Department of Labor. She takes on the entire case from start to finish, simplifying the process for her clients and allowing them to focus on their business.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and Farsi – Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez is dedicated to making her clients feel comfortable and assured in making her their go-to immigration attorney in Florida. Her goal is to ensure that those who want to live the American dream have a professional fighting for them and making the process as painless as possible.
Saman’s passion for immigration law stems from her personal life as the daughter of immigrants. Her parents were recipients of the student F1 visa in 1971. Her father came into this country with the goal to improve his life and the life of his children. He earned a PhD in Civil Engineering and Business, instilling in his daughter a strong work ethic that she carries to this day. Saman saw firsthand what it means to be an immigrant and achieve the American Dream.
Saman Movassaghi Gonzalez can personally understand the struggle of immigrants and the children of immigrants navigating through the bureaucratic process of immigration law. Because of this, she dedicates herself fully and provides her personal attention to every case. She prides herself on developing a strong relationship with each and every client, and she is not afraid of pushing the envelope and looking for answers where other attorneys have failed.
Saman Movassaghi makes it her goal to provide you with only the best representation for immigration matters because she believes it’s time for you to live the American dream!
