Factsheet
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- Overview
- Background
- Factsheet
Disclaimer: The following is intended as a very general guide to assist U.S. citizens who plan to adopt a child in Belarus and apply for an immigrant visa for the child to come to the United States. Two sets of laws are particularly relevant: 1) the laws of Belarus govern all activity in Belarus including the adoptability of individual children as well as the adoption of children in country. 2) U.S. Federal immigration law governs the immigration of the child to the United States. The information in this flier relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is based on public sources and our current understanding. It does not necessarily reflect the actual state of the laws of Belarus and is provided for general information only. Moreover, U.S. immigration law, including regulations and interpretation, changes from time to time. This flyer reflects our current understanding of the law as of this date and is not legally authoritative. Questions involving foreign and U.S. immigration laws and legal interpretation should be addressed respectively to qualified foreign or U.S. legal counsel.
PLEASE NOTE: Because of recent changes in Government of Belarus policies and procedures on adoption, the Department encourages readers of this flyer to consult our Important Notices page for recent developments in Belarusian adoptions.
The government of Belarus stresses that American citizens interested in adopting a child in Belarus should not travel to that country until the stipulated adoption procedures have been completed.
The U.S. Embassy in Minsk conducts the I-604 orphan investigation. The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland adjudicates the immigrant visa petitions for Belarusian citizens, including adopted orphans. Adopted children from Belarus require visas to enter Poland, in order to go to the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw for the immigrant visa interview. Please see the Web site for the U.S. Embassy in Poland at http://www.usinfo.pl/consular/iv/adoptions.htm Third-country Visas for additional information.
PATTERNS OF IMMIGRATION OF ADOPTED ORPHANS TO THE U.S.: Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to orphans
| Fiscal Year | Number of Immigrant Visas Issued |
FY 2004 | 202 |
FY 2003 | 191 |
FY 2002 | 169 |
FY 2001 | 129 |
FY 2000 | 46 |
Credits: U.S. Department of State
