It’s no secret the international adoption process can be long and complicated. When parents arrive back in the U.S. with their adopted child, they’re often exhausted and ready to settle into life with their new child.
However, there is one more step in your international adoption process: international readoption. Although it may or may not be necessary depending on the type of foreign adoption you complete, it’s something that we at Parker Herring Law Group, PLLC highly encourage all adoptive parents do when they return to the U.S.
You’re likely to be worn out from the extensive international adoption process, but it’s imperative you do not delay the readoption of your child to ensure his or her legal status as a U.S. citizen. You can begin the international re-adoption process with us anytime by calling 919-821-1860 or contacting us online.
For more information on what a readoption in North Carolina entails, read on.
Why Complete a Re-Adoption?
An international re-adoption finalizes your child’s adoption in the United States, securing their legal status as a U.S. citizen and protecting them from future deportation. Re-adoption also gives a child a U.S. adoption decree that’s written in English and easy to replace. Foreign adoption decrees, on the other hand, can be very difficult, expensive or impossible to replace.
Therefore, by completing an international readoption, you are taking steps to make sure that your child’s foreign adoption will not be contested in the future. Your domestic adoption decree protects your parental rights throughout the entire United States (as not all states may recognize the adoption decree issued by your child’s country of birth).
When you complete a re-adoption in North Carolina, you will also receive these benefits:
- A legal name change
- Protections from changes in foreign laws
- Ease of daily tasks, like enrolling the child in school, claiming them as dependent on your taxes, etc.
The Legal Process of Readoption in N.C.
When you readopt a child in the U.S., you should work closely with an experienced law firm like Parker Herring Law Group, PLLC to make sure you complete all the necessary legalities of the adoption process. It can be complicated, and the steps you’ll need to take will depend on what kind of visa your child has entered the country with:
- IR-3 Visa: This visa automatically makes your child a U.S. citizen. You may need to request a certificate of citizenship if you don’t automatically receive one. You will not be required to complete an international readoption with this kind of visa, but, as mentioned before, it’s still something that we highly recommend.
- IR-4 Visa: This visa does not guarantee your child’s U.S. citizenship. You will need to complete a readoption in North Carolina to make your child eligible for citizenship.
We can guide you through every step of your international readoption process in North Carolina, including helping you gather all the necessary documentation you’ll need to guarantee your child’s citizenship. It’s important to know that if you jointly adopted a child internationally with your spouse, you will need to readopt your child together, even if you have since divorced.
After the readoption is complete, you can apply for a U.S. birth certificate for your child — with your names and his or her full adoptive name listed. To do this, you will need to have your child’s original foreign birth certificate and a copy of the final adoption order. We can determine the best course of action if you don’t have these documents.
Remember, an international readoption in North Carolina is extremely important to guarantee your parental rights and your child’s right to be in the United States. It can be a rather simple process, so we encourage you to not delay with readopting your child in the U.S. once you return from your international adoption. We can help you get started anytime if you give us a call at 919-821-1860 or contact us online here.