Foreign Adoption Category
International adoption (also called intercountry adoption) is a process that recognizes an individual or couple as the legal and permanent parent(s) of a child from another country. An international adoption complies with the laws of both the sending and receiving countries.
For all international adoptions, you must complete two separate processes:
- Adoption process
In order to adopt internationally you must work with your provincial or territorial adoption Central Authority.
The provincial or territorial adoption Central Authority will:
- Tell you if you need to contact a licensed adoption agency
- Advise on the adoptions laws of the country from where you want to adopt
- Explain the requirement of the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions
- To be eligible to adopt a child, you must meet the adoption requirements of the
- Canadian province/territory where you live, or the country where you live if you are living abroad, and
- Adoption Authority of the country where the child lives
- The immigration or citizenship process
In order to bring your adopted child into Canada, it is necessary to apply for Citizenship or Immigration (Permanent Residency) for the child.
To determine which is more appropriate for your family (Immigration or Citizenship), click here to learn about the differences between the two.
Note: Some countries require that the adoption be completed in Canada. In these cases the Immigration (Permanent Resident) process should be used.