What should I do first?
Contact us! :-) And the other most important things for you to do first are file for immigration clearance (form I-600-A) and schedule a home study. Check out our getting started section for more details.

What is immigration clearance?
Immigration clearance is what you need to bring your child back in to the United States. BCIS (formally INS) gives you permission to adopt a child from a foreign country. This is obtained by filing the I-600-A form for pre-approval.

How long does INS clearance take?
Depending on your state office, INS clearance takes 6 weeks to 3 months to complete.

What is a home study?
A home study is a report written about your family, finances, motivation to adopt, and background history of you. It will be conducted over several interviews depending on the guidelines issued by your state.

How long does a home study take?
The amount of time a homestudy will take from start to finish varies but on average it should take 8 to 10 weeks to complete. It will depend on the home study agency you use, and how much time your state takes to give background clearances. We can recommend a home study agency to you that we have worked with in the past.

What is a Dossier?
A dossier is the set of documents that you compile that will represent you before the foreign government. We will provide you with the specific guidelines for the country you are adopting from. The requirements vary from country to country.

What is the difference between a passport and a visa?
A passport allows citizens to travel outside of their country and return again. A visa allows you to enter a foreign country.

Do we have to travel to adopt our child?
Yes, most countries require both parents to be in the court proceedings. The travel length is set by the laws of the foreign country regarding international adoption. Time in country for each parent is different depending on the different countries, meaning one parent could come home early if you needed to.

Can we specify about the age, health and sex of the child we hope to adopt?
Yes! We try to match the children based on the criteria the family has given us. So be sure to tell us about the child you will consider.

Will I receive any information about the child prior to accepting a referral?
Yes! We have photographs, videos, and medical reports for you to review of our waiting children. Very little information exists about the birth parents in most instances. We also rely heavily on our overseas partners to insure we get accurate information.

What if only one parent is a US citizen?
INS regulations state that only one parent has to be a US citizen to file the INS paperwork.

Can you help us if we are US citizens but do not live in the US?
Yes! We have contacts with overseas social workers who can do your home study. Please contact us for more details.

Can we use World Partners Adoption if we are not US citizens?
One of the adoptive parents must be a US citizen to adopt through our programs. Please contact us for more specific information.

Can we adopt if we already have children?
Yes, each country has their own criteria for the number of children allowed in the family, check with our office about your family and the country requirements.

Can I adopt more than one child?
Yes! We have many children waiting for adoption. You may adopt a sibling group or unrelated children. Your home study must approve you for more than one child, and you must have INS approval to adopt more than one child.

How long does the process take?
It takes approximately 3-4 months to complete your dossier and receive your INS clearance (171H). Upon completion of your dossier you are eligible to receive a referral, the amount of time this will take varies by country as well as when it is your turn in our line of waiting parents. It could be as little as two months or up to 10+ months. For the majority of our programs you should mentally budget for the process to take about 10 to 12 months from start to finish from the time you submit your application to us.

Can I adopt if I am single?
Yes! Our programs allow adoptions by single females. However, adoption by singles is growing increasingly more difficult in many countries. Difficult but not impossible. You should be prepared for some hurdles during the process and having a homestudy that shows you are heterosexual as well.

What are the age requirements to adopt?
Parents who are between the ages of 25 and 55 years old and who are in good health can adopt from one of our programs.

Can you help us adopt if we don't live in the State of Georgia?
Yes! We can help clients from all around the world throughout the entire process of adoption. Your home study will be done by a licensed agency in your area following your state guidelines. We can help provide you with contacts for this service in your area.

What is a post placement report?
Countries require periodic reports on the children's adjustment with their family for several years after the adoption. These reports assure the country that the children are healthy, loved and well taken care of. These are sent through the agency by the parents or social worker.

Is financial assistance available?
Yes. There banks that offer loans for adoption as well as grants. There is also the The Hope for Children's Act that will allow a tax credit of $10,000 per child. Click here for complete information from the IRS.

Clarification for ADOPTION TAX CREDIT For adoptions finalized on or after Jan 1, 2002:

As adoptive parents completing their adoption in 2002, you may qualify for a Tax CREDIT of up to $10,000 per child. (A CREDIT is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your tax bill for the year) HOWEVER, this does NOT NECESSARILY mean you'll get a $20,000 tax refund if you adopt two children. Also, remember that any credit you get will be on your 2002 Tax Return… which you will file in early 2003.

First of all, there are income limitations - once your income reaches $150,000 the credit starts "phasing out", and if you are above the upper limit, it disappears entirely. Second, you should have receipts for the qualified adoption expenses. In the absence of an official receipt, credit card statement or cancelled check, you should make contemporaneous notations of the amount, date, purpose, and to whom the money was paid. Third, the credit CANNOT reduce your tax below zero. If your tax is not high enough to use the entire credit in the first year (2002 tax return, to be filed in early 2003), the balance of the credit is carried over for up to five years.

Both examples below assume income of under $150,000:

Example 1: If your federal tax for 2002 is $5,000, you paid in $3,500 in withholdings from your wages, and have $9,000 in qualified adoption expenses (for one child)... your maximum useable credit will be $5,000 for the first year. That makes your TAX for the year ZERO, and you get a refund of $3,500.00 You carry the remaining $4,000 of expenses to your 2003 tax return.

Example 2: If your federal tax for 2002 is $25,000, you paid in $23,500 in withholdings from your wages, and have $29,000 in adoption expenses (for two children)... your maximum credit will be $20,000 for the first year. That makes your TAX for the year $5,000, and you get a REFUND of $18,500.00 The remaining $9,000 of expenses are not allowable for tax credit since it exceeds the $10,000 per child amount.

A qualified tax professional can further advise you, and may be able to help you plan ahead for your 2002 tax return. You may even be able to temporarily adjust your tax withholdings so you have more cash during the year (of course your tax refund at the end of the year will be smaller if you take this approach). This should be done with extreme caution, to avoid an unpleasant surprise of actually owing the IRS come tax time.

Please contact us with all of your questions!
We will be happy to assist you!