Factsheet, Page 2
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ADOPTION AUTHORITY IN HAITI:
The Haitian courts issue adoption decrees and other legal documents, and the Institut du Bien Etre Social et de Research (IBESR) provides authorization to adopt. The IBESR is also responsible for accrediting adoption agents and orphanages in Haiti. Documentation from both the Haitian courts and from the IBESR is essential if you are planning to adopt a child in Haiti.
Haiti's immigration authorities require Haitian passports for all Haitian children leaving the country. The wait for a Haitian passport can be as long as two or three months, depending on Haitian bureaucratic processing. The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy cannot issue U.S. passports to Haitian children, as U.S. passports are available only to U.S. citizens.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS:
Under Haitian law, a prospective adopting parent must be older than age 35; for married couples, one prospective parent may be under age 35, provided the couple has been married for 10 years and has no children together. Pursuant to the terms of the United Nations Convention on Children, the Haitian Government may lower its age requirement. Requests to have the age requirement waived must submitted in writing to IBESR.
Haitian law permits adoptions by single parents. Adoptions by married couples require the consent of both spouses. This restriction can be waived with permission from the Haitian president.
RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:
Haitian law does not require prospective parents to reside in Haiti. Haitian courts and/or the IBESR may require American prospective adoptive parents to travel to Haiti before the adoption is finalized.
TIME FRAME:
The adoption process can require an average of two to six months time, primarily because of Haitian legal intricacies. Adoption applications can take more than one year in certain cases. Once an adoption case has cleared the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the process of obtaining an immigrant visa for the United States can take from two days to a week, depending on circumstances. Travelers are therefore encouraged to plan accordingly, and to purchase open-ended return tickets whenever possible.
TRAVELLING TO HAITI:
There are several air carriers that service Port-au-Prince from the United States. American Airlines has daily flights from both Miami International Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. Air France has a daily flight from Miami, and in partnership with Delta Airlines, offers special adoption fares with open-ended tickets. Air France's departure time out of Port-au-Prince is also later in the day, allowing adopting parents to leave on the same day the visa is issued. Visa interviews take place at 7:30am from Monday through Friday at the US Consular Annex in Port-au-Prince. If all documentation is complete, parents then return to the Consular Annex on the same day between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. to pick up the visa.
Credits: U.S. Department of State
