True or False - Adoption

The process for Canadian families planning to adopt a child in another country takes at least six to eight months from start to finish.

This is true: Citizenship and immigration Canada works to complete adoptions as quickly as possible. To ensure that the rights of the child are protected, international adoption is a complex process that takes some time.

The facts

Canadian families planning to adopt a child in another country should understand that, even under ideal conditions, the process will take at least six to eight months from start to finish. Depending on the child’s country of origin, it is not unusual for the process to last for two years or even longer.

Such extended periods of waiting can seem unreasonable to a family anxious to welcome a new member but, to ensure that the rights of the child are protected, international adoption is by necessity a complex process. Adoptions must be approved by the provincial or territorial government in Canada, and the government of the country where the child lives. In many cases, the adoption must also meet the requirements of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is not involved in the adoption process itself, but is responsible for the immigration or citizenship process. Children adopted abroad by Canadians may come to Canada either as permanent residents through the immigration process or as Canadian citizens through the citizenship process if they meet all the requirements as defined in the Citizenship Act.

Note: Changes to Canadian citizenship law may affect children adopted from outside Canada. Find out more about the new citizenship law and adoption.

The Department gives priority treatment to applications for these adopted children, but adoptive parents should remember that permanent resident or citizenship status is not granted automatically once the adoption is finalized. To avoid unnecessary expense and disappointment, you should not plan to return to Canada with the adopted child until you know with certainty that all immigration or citizenship requirements have been met.

Among other requirements, before the child is granted citizenship status or the visa is approved, CIC must be satisfied that the adoption is a full adoption that severs any pre-existing legal ties and creates a genuine parent-child relationship between the child and the adoptive parents. This is to guard against “adoptions of convenience,” arranged only to gain admission to Canada for the child or his or her relatives.

Sadly, in some parts of the world, child trafficking is a serious concern, and not all countries are able to provide the proper assurances that the adoption meets all the legal requirements. In these cases, CIC must do additional background checks which, depending on the situation in the country involved, can take many months to complete.

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