China Adoption Factsheet, Page 6
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DOCUMENTS NEEDED TO BRING WITH YOU TO THE U.S. CONSULATE: For the immigrant visa application, the child will need:
- A valid PRC passport and exit permit
- A medical examination
- Two 1 ¾ inch color visa photos
- Form I-864, affidavit of support from the prospective adoptive parent(s) and supporting documentation
- The Chinese notarized documentation
AMERICAN EMBASSY/CONSULATE GENERAL ASSISTANCE: Upon arrival in China, prospective adoptive parent(s) should register at the Consular Section, American Citizens Services Section of the American Embassy or Consulate General. The Embassy/ Consulate general will be able to provide information about any outstanding travel advisories, any recent changes in adoption procedures and to provide other information about China including lists of physicians, attorneys, interpreters and translators.
CHINESE EMBASSY (and Consulates) IN THE UNITED STATES:
Embassy of the People''s Republic of China
Consular Section
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 202-328-2500
China also has Consulates in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Chicago, IL; New York, NY, and Houston, TX.
U.S. EMBASSY (and Consulate) IN CHINA:
Street Address Mailing Address
U.S. Embassy of China U.S. Embassy Beijing
American Citizen Services American Citizen Services
2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie PSC 461, Box 50
Beijing 100600 PRC FPO AP 96521-0002
Tel: 86-10-6532-3831 ext. 229
Fax: 86-10-6532-4153
China also has Consulates in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Chengdu.
APPLYING FOR A CHINESE PASSPORT FOR THE CHILD: Welfare Institute officials apply for the child''s passport and exit permit in the provincial capital. The adopting parent(s) rarely have had to take care of the paperwork or visit the Ministry of Justice offices in this regard. The local Public Security Bureau will normally expedite Chinese passport issuance for a stated fee.
APPLYING FOR U.S. CITIZENSHIP FOR AN ADOPTED CHILD: Contact the USCIS for further proof of U.S. Citizenship and how to adjust the status of the adopted child.
TIME FRAME: It is hard to predict with certainty how much time is required to complete an adoption in China. As of the publication of this flyer, adoptions were taking approximately ten to twelve months from the time the U.S. adoption agency submitted the paperwork of the prospective adopter to CCAA to the time the initial referral was sent by CCAA to the prospective parent(s) via their adoption agency. Special needs cases were taking longer. After the referral is sent and the prospective parent(s) accept the child, a period of four to eight weeks elapses before final approval to travel to China is given by CCAA to the parent(s). With regard to time required in China, once initial approval has been granted and adoptive parent(s) travel to China to finalize an adoption, the CCAA has advised local Welfare Institutes and Civil Affairs Bureau to try to complete the process, to the extent possible, within 15 days of the adoptive parent(s) arrival in China. The Chinese passport, exit permits, and U.S. visa process can take another 7-10 days after the adoption is finalized. Recent experiences provided by families who have completed adoptions in China indicate that they have been able to complete the process, including obtaining the U.S. immigrant visa for the adoptive child, in approximately two weeks.
Credits: U.S. Department of State
