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Immigrant
Visas: ADOPTION
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PLEASE
NOTE: Until the United States ratifies the Hague Convention on
International Adoption, U.S. citizens must be legal residents
of Bolivia in order to adopt in Bolivia.
Sources for Adoption Information
Americans interested in Bolivian adoption issues are encouraged
to read the updated country-specific adoption information at State
Department - Adoption in Bolivia or to contact the Consular
Section in La Paz via e-mail at consularlapaz@state.gov.
Like
all immigrant visas, there are two government agencies involved
in immigrant visas for adopted orphans:
-
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- Inter-Country
Adoptions (USCIS), and
-
The United States Department of State - International
Adoption (in Bolivia the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy
in La Paz)
To obtain an immigrant visa for adopted orphans, prospective parents
will work with both agencies (as well as the Bolivian
courts). Please read the information on both their websites
(listed above), especially the following links:
Inter-Country
Adoptions (USCIS)
USCIS
Frequently Asked Questions - Adoption
Adoption
in Bolivia - State Department
Adopting
a Child - State Department
Adoption
in Bolivia is a lengthy and complex process (see
State Department - Adoption in Bolivia), and the Bolivian
judicial and administrative requirements are numerous. The U.S.
visa requirements are also somewhat complex.
What
should I do if I’m thinking of adopting a child from Bolivia
U.S. citizens must be legal residents
of Bolivia in order to adopt in Bolivia. U.S.
citizens wishing to adopt a Bolivian child should read the information
on this webpage and on the web pages listed in Sources
for Adoption Information. Prospective adoptive parents should
then contact the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in La Paz
(consularlapaz@state.gov,
telephone: (591) 2-216-8721, Fax: (591) 2-216-8809) to discuss
both American and Bolivian administrative and legal requirements.
If the prospective parents are in Bolivia, they may make an afternoon
appointment to meet with the Consular Section in La Paz to discuss
adoption procedures.
Upon
arrival in Bolivia to try to arrange an adoption, U.S. citizens
should register with the American Citizens Services division of
the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz or online at
http://bolivia.usembassy.gov/english/registration.html.
The American Citizens Services department will be able to provide
information about any outstanding travel advisories and to provide
other information about Bolivia including lists of physicians,
attorneys, interpreters and translators.
What
are the Bolivian entry requirements for travel to Bolivia?
A valid U.S. passport is required. U.S. citizens are not required
to have visas for tourist stays of up to 30 days, and a tourist
card will be issued upon arrival in Bolivia. To apply for a “Defined
Purpose Visa” for adoptions, business, or other travel,
the applicant must complete an application form, provide 1 photo,
pay an $85 fee and, for business travelers, provide a letter from
their company explaining the purpose of the trip. For more information,
contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of Bolivia, 3014 Massachusetts
Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008; phone: (202)483-4410, fax: (202)
328-3712; or the Consulate General of Bolivia, 1101 Brickell Ave.
Suite 1103, Miami, FL 33131, phone:(305) 358-6303, fax: (305)
358-6305.
How can the U. S. Embassy in La Paz assist
with the adoption?
Because international adoption is essentially a private legal
matter between the prospective parents and the Bolivian courts,
U.S. authorities cannot intervene on behalf of the prospective
parents with the Bolivian courts. However, we can provide information
about the process. Once the adoption is complete with the Bolivian
courts, our role is to process the application for an immigrant
visa for the adopted orphan. Adoptive parents are welcome to share
information on their adoption experiences with the U.S. Embassy
in La Paz.
What
is the process for obtaining an immigrant visa after the adoption
in Bolivia has been completed?
Only after the adoption is complete within the Bolivian courts
can the U.S. Embassy in La Paz process the adopted child's immigrant
visa. Adoptive parents should come to the U.S. Embassy in La Paz
to file the Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
Form
I-600 only once the adoption procedures are complete with
the Bolivian government. The fee to file Form I-600 is US
$545.00. The instructions and required documentation
for filing the Petition are listed the Form, which you can download
by clicking on Form
I-600.
Once
the Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative Form
I-600 has been filed at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz Bolivia,
the petition will be sent to the USCIS office in Lima, Peru for
approval. Once approved it will be returned to the U.S. Embassy
in La Paz, at which time an appointment for a visa interview will
be made. Adoptive parents may receive Packet 3 and 4 from the
U.S. Embassy in La Paz (to begin gathering the necessary documents
for a visa interview) either when they file the Petition to Classify
Orphan as an Immediate Relative Form
I-600 at the Embassy or when it is approved and returned to
the Embassy. Adoptive parents should follow the Instruction Sheets
in Packet 3 and 4 to gather the necessary documentation to bring
to the visa interview. The adoptive parents are the “petitioners”
and the adopted child is the “beneficiary”.
What documents are needed for the immigrant visa
interview?
The adoptive parents should come to the visa interview with the
adopted child and:
1. a complete, but not signed, Petition to Classify Orphan
as an Immediate Relative Form
I-600 (except in escort cases). The form must be signed in
the presence of the consular officer by the adopting parent(s)
during the immigrant visa interview. If only one adopting parent
travels to Bolivia for the immigrant visa interview, he/she should
have the completed Form
I-600, with the original and notarized signature of the other
spouse. The
fee to file Form I-600 is US $545.00.
In
addition, the following general documents must be presented:
2. Two forward facing photographs (color or black
and white) 5cm. x 5cm. taken within the last six months. The photograph
should be non-glossy, have a white background, and be of good
quality. Only the child’s face should be visible. For more
detailed information visit: http://travel.state.gov/passport/pptphotos/index.html
3. Medical Forms (originals). If the child has
a physical and/or mental disability, a notarized statement will
be required from the adoptive parents indicating that they are
fully aware of the physical and/or mental disability of the minor
and acknowledge that the Bolivian adoption process is complete
and the adoption has been finalized. This statement can be included
in item 19 of Form I-600, and in the home study if more convenient.
In that case, a separate notarized statement will not be required.
For information regarding medical examinations, please see When
and Where Can the Beneficiary/Aplicant get His/Her Medical Examination?
4. A valid Bolivian passport for the child (issued
with the adopting parents’ surname/s)
5. Form
DS-230 completed with information regarding the child (not
the parents). Please wait until the interview to sign the Form
DS-230.
6. US$380 total in additional fees.
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If
you have a question that is not covered in the Information on
our webpage, please contact us at consularlapaz@state.gov.
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