Adoption Pros is a Michigan licensed agency and the majority of our clients are United States citizens. However, we are also equipped with knowledge and experience necessary to assist families from other countries, who choose private adoption in a non-Hague country. We successfully placed many children from Eastern Europe with families from Germany, Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Netherlands, South Africa, Guam, Mexico and Canada. International process for non-citizens is a four-step process, similar to what all US families follow.

These four steps are as follows:

(1) Get approved for international adoption.  If you made a decision to adopt, you and your family have to be ?approved? to do so through a home study. Find out what agency, social services department, or institution in your country is responsible for completing home studies for families who wish to adopt internationally.   It can be done by a private or government agency. If your home study is done by a private agency licensed to do home studies, the license of the agency needs to be provided for your international dossier. If the home study is done by the government agency, the license is not required.

(2) Immigration application.  You have to obtain your country's immigration approval for you to be able to bring your newly adopted child home.  Immigration approval can be issued by a court, or your country's embassy (if you are abroad), or by the immigration authorities in your country.  Immigration approval is part of any international dossier. Apply for an immigration approval in your country according to your country’s requirements.  The information can be also obtained from your home study agency.

(3) Choose international agency.  Once your domestic adoption process in the country of your residence is completed (home study is finalized and immigration approval is obtained), connect with an international agency to guide you through the international part of your adoption. Adoption Pros assists non-US citizens who want to adopt in a non-Hague country. Such adoption is considered private adoption by your country authorities.  Keep in mind that “guiding” you through the process is not the same as “processing” or “finalizing” your adoption.  In most countries, only government officials, such as departments of social services, may “process” adoptions.  You international agency will direct you in the labyrinth of paperwork and red tape, assisting you with the dossier instructions, translation, shipment,  connecting you with foreign attorneys, coordinators, translators, etc. , while the foreign government representatives will work on the legalities of your adoption.  Your international agency will stand with you as a partner in your adoption to make sure everything is done correctly and with minimal delay or difficulty.

(4) Adoption Completion. Finalize your adoption abroad in the country of your choice. In most cases this requires your personal appearance in a court of law.  If you choose to work with Adoption Pros, we will make sure that your adoption goes smoothly and without delays.

We advocate that steps 1, 2, and 3 be initiated concurrently as it will save time in the process. Please email Adoption Pros if you have any questions about the process.

Requirements for British families:  http://www.dfes.gov.uk/intercountryadoption/countries.shtml

Requirements for Canadian families:  http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/sponsor/adopt-1.html

Requirements for Italian families:   http://www.commissioneadozioni.it/?guid=65ae0ddd-5fd5-406d-8564-5bd8196fe6f0

Requirements for Malta families: Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity. E-mail:  welfare.standards@gov.mt