IAN can offer adoptions from different countries and locations. Different laws and regulations apply to each. Please select the country you are interested in from the right for additional information.
IAN will help guide you through the adoption process from beginning to end. With each step, we will direct you in completing a successful adoption to ultimately unite you and your child as a family!
IAN is here to help families with their adoption process from beginning to end. Here you will find information you may find useful in helping you with your adoption process, as well as tools to communicate with other IAN Families.
Ethiopia: Adoption Process
What does the process of adopting from Ethiopia look like? See the step-by-step process below.
1. Sign up with an Agency:
Online Application or Print/Mail Application - IAN will review your application and get back to you within 24 hours.
2. Begin Homestudy and Dossier.
These can be completed concurrently and your Adoption Coordinator will help you through the process.
3. Complete Homestudy.
You will be working with a Social Worker who will help you through this process.
Once the Homestudy and Dossier are complete, you will be added to the waiting list(s).
4. File I-600A with USCIS:
You will receive instructions from IAN/Home Study agency about how to apply after your homestudy is completed.
5. Send final Dossier to Ethiopia.
Once home study and I-600 are complete and approved, they are compiled to create your final dossier.
This final Dossier is then sent for authentication and to Ethiopia.
6. Parents may accept referral!
Your Adoption Coordinator will call you with information on your referral.
7. IAN (in Ethiopia) submits the parents' dossier to the Adoption Committee in Ethiopia for review and approval to adopt.
8. Parents' and child's dossiers are submitted to the ministry and court for a court date.
9. Contract of Adoption is signed.
10. Court
Adoptive Parents travel to Ethiopia for the first trip to attend court (3-7 days).
When parents pass court, adoption is approved and adoption decree is issued.
11. Child's new passport, birth certificate are created and all final adoption paperwork is prepared.
These documents will be submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa for review.
12. U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa schedules a final interview for Adoptive Parents.
Adoptive Parents travel to Addis Ababa for their Embassy interivew (5-7 days).
The U.S Embassy provides immigrant visa for child to come to US.
13. Family Travels Home
The family returns to the U.S with their adopted child.
Post Adoption reports and finalization are completed.