Adoption Process

There are four main steps to the Chinese adoption process: US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), home study, dossier preparation, and referral and in-country adoption process.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
The first step is to submit the AHH Application. After your application is approved, you will file the I-800A (application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) with the USCIS office in your state of residence. Your Family Advocate will advise you on the details of this process.

Your local USCIS office can be found under Federal Government in the blue pages of your phone book or by visiting the USCIS web site. Once you have applied with AHH, we will provide you with the necessary forms you need for your USCIS application.  We recommend waiting until you have had an orientation with your Family Advocate before beginning any adoption paperwork.

Home Study
A home study is a report required by USCIS, your state, and adoption officials in China verifying that you are suitable to be a parent(s) of an adopted child and can provide the stability and home environment that a child needs. It also is a time for you to learn about some of the special concerns that are inherent in international adoption. It consists of at least four face-to-face interviews and a home visit by an AHH Social Worker or, in the cases of families living in states other than KY, a social worker who is qualified to complete a home study in your state.  If you do not live in Kentucky, your Family Advocate will assist you in locating a reputable agency near you to do your home study. Chinese law requires that the home study is completed by a social worker affiliated with a licensed, non-profit child-placing agency.

Dossier Preparation
After talking with your Family Advocate to learn the specific parameters and requirements for each of these documents, you will complete and collect the following items. All of the documents must be originals. Please do not attempt to complete your dossier before receiving instructions from us, as each of these documents must meet specific standards, and we provide you with a great deal of guidance and documentation to assist you in the process.

Referral and In-Country Adoption Process
After your dossier is sent in, you will wait for a referral. The CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) is in control of the referral wait time, and it can fluctuate. Please check our China country sheet for the most current referral wait-time information. After you accept your referral, travel to China 6 - 8 weeks later to pick up your child and finalize the adoption. You will be in China for about two weeks and an AHH representative will be with you the entire time. They will interpret for you and make sure everything goes smoothly. Once the adoption is finalized you will come home. China requires 2 post-adoption reports which must be completed in the year after you return home. The social worker who did your home study usually completes these reports as well.

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