Adopting my wife's niece... (From another country)?

Question

My wife and i want to adopt her 8 year old niece that currently lives in Ecuador and bring her to live with us in USA. My wife is originally from Ecuador and is now here with a perminant residents card from getting married with me a natural US citizen. Her niece is currently living with my wife's mother because her actual parents dont take care of her and financially wouldnt be able to. My wife and I both have good careers, we own property in California and have a stable lifestyle. How could we do this????

Answer 1

i wish you all the best with this. we've just completed the adoption of my husband's cousins's son who currently lives in Africa with my parents in law. He's coming to live with us in2 weeks time. It wasn't an easy process but you can do it. First of all find out if californian law recognises Ecuadorian adoptions. You might find it easier and quicker to get the adoption done in Ecuador and then apply for a visa for your niece who would legally (under Ecuadorian law - and under US law, your dependant) be your daughter. This might be able to be done since the girl is living under the guardianship of your mother in law and she can effectively transfer the guardianship to you. Of course you will have to have the permission of the child's parents since they are still alive. You may find that it is easier to do this in Ecuador than in the USA first. But you may also find you can do this from the USA. Get a lawyer who specialises in international adoption and one who knows about immigration. if you can find one who does both, even better. It may cost you money and quite a bit too but in the long run this will so be worth it. I wish you all the best here. Good luck

Answer 2

you should consult with an adoption lawyer or family law attorney. There shouldn't be a problem since she's kin but you might need her parents to sign over custody papers. Good luck I'm sure she'de love to be here with you guys