Adoption Update

The most up-to-date adoption news

Columbia

ELIGIBILITY TO ADOPT: Colombian law allows for adoptions by a married man and woman and common law spouses of more than three years.  Single men and women are eligible to adopt children over the age of seven years only and on a case-by-case basis.   Homosexual individuals may not adopt children from Colombia . In practice, newborns are assigned to younger couples, and older children are assigned to older couples.

Both parents are required to be 25 years of age and capable physically, emotionally to adopt.  The economic requirement can be met by only one of the parents.  Both parents are required to appear before the judge in Colombia .  Only one parent is required to appear before a consular officer. 

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS:  There are no special residency requirements.

TIME FRAME:  It is hard to predict how long an adopting family should expect for the adoption to be completed.  There are many factors that determine how long the adoption and visa process takes, including how long it takes to have paperwork approved in the United States and in Colombia .  In addition, factors including the desired sex and age of a child play a role, as well as the age of the prospective parents.  Couples receiving visas for their newly adopted children typically report that the entire process took from 18 to 30 months.

Also note that on 10-28-08 Columbia re-opened their adoption program to the US. 

(All information taken from the US Department of State website)

http://www.travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_366.html

6 Comments »

  1. My petition for a Tourist VISA for my son Gabriel Alfonso Ribot Herrera of 18 months, was denied on grounds that as an adopted child I needed to prove that his stay in the US would be of a temporary nature and that I was not trying to circumvent the Legal Immigration Process by allowing
    his mother to stay in the US with the baby indefinitely.

    I am aware and understand the current INS process as explained to me by the Regional Service Center Office in Panama and as outlined in A3-Customer Guide M-556 (January 2009) N that explains the only 3 methods to get an Immigrant VISA for an adopted child. Since Gabriel’s adoption was a domestic abroad process finalized in Ecuador, in March 20, 2008, under current INS laws he does not qualify for any of the immigrant options
    except to wait for a period of 2 years after custody was granted, and at that time petition him using I-131 as an adopted orphan.

    Due to my US government contract work in Ecuador, and now in Colombia, it has been necessary for my wife(a US legal resident)and my son to live with me at my overseas duty assignment location.

    I am now forced to work/live overseas for another year before I can bring my baby to the US and complete the US Citizenship for him.

    Have you any solution that would allow my son to travel with us to the US at least as a tourist until we can process his Immigrant Status paperwork?

    Or better yet, is there a safe heaven or waiver since he is an adopted infant and it would be in the childs’s best interest to be with the parents as part of the socialization process?

    Please advise.

    Sincerely,

    Alfonso & Susana Ribot
    773 360-3447

    Comment by Alfonso Ribot | July 31, 2009 | Reply

    • Alfonso,

      Wow! What a story. It sounds to me that you need a legal expert to help you sort through all of this. Hopefully you have been able to contact am adoption lawyer. I wish I knew the answer to your questions, but I do not. I am not a legal person or even an adoption professional. I am simply a fellow adoptive parent who aches for your situation. Thank you for asking for my assistance, I only wish I could offer you some advice. But, I cannot. I am sorry. God bless you and your family as you endure this adoption journey.

      Comment by adoptionupdate | August 2, 2009 | Reply

      • Just to give you an update. My son was able to enter the US with a B2 Visa in Nov2009. I applied for the VISA at the Embassy in Ecuador. Later submitted an extension and when the 2 year custody period was achieved (Mar2011), I submitted the Change of Status (to immigrant) paperwork 130/485 + plus other forms. He now has the combo card, social, and is waiting for the green card and subsequently get his citizenship immediately after that. We did the entire process ourselves using the guidance of information posted in the internet, calling the INS periodically to get clarifications, and of course the help of our Saviour The Lord. It has been a challenge but the process provided a lot of info and know-how. Oh yes and NO I did not use ANY LAWYER to do this! HOW ABOUT THAT!

        Alfonso

        Comment by Alfons Ribot | January 12, 2012

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