US adoption law in Texas?

Question

Hi everyone! Guys I have a question about adoption in Us. I'm originaly from Europe, Moldova Republic of, last summer I was in Us with Work and Travel Programm and I have meet a Us family, we become a good friends and etc. Once we where talking with my Us friends about adoption, and this woman (my US-mammy ;)) said that she can adopt me cause she already has 2 adopted US boys. I wanna ask you fellows that the procedure of this adoption?How it proceed?That should I do?

P.S now I'm not in US, I'm in home country

Thanks for help!

Answer 1

fist of all, we need to know how old are you.

then we need to know where your biological parents are, or where do you live?

after knowing that you can have several choices, having your parents or guardians sign up the adoption papers, or contacting a lawyer and do it through there, you might find it easier doing it through your country..

Answer 2

She's probably talking about the fact that since she has already adopted, she has an approved home study and has done all the necessary paperwork in Texas to legally adopt her boys. To do another adoption (depending on how long it's been since the last one) she would probably just have to have some things updated - background checks, that kind of thing.

I think the only thing you can do is tell her of your desire for her to adopt you - the rest of the process has to be done by her.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Hello Victor

How old you are really makes a difference.

If you are 16 or older, your US "parents" would apply to the Moldova court to adopt you. This would require at least some sort of decree of relinquishment or abandonment by your birth parents, plus the adoption decree.

Because of your age, your US parents would apply for a visa to bring you into the USA as a "resident alien." If you want to be a citizen, you would have to apply for citizenship in the normal way, meeting residency, language, and standardized test requirements. However, you would be able to continue living here while going through the naturalization process.

If you are less than 16, the process is different except you still have to be relinquished or abandoned officially in Moldova and also adopted in Moldova. If the adoption can be completed before your 16th birthday, you can be admitted to the USA as a US citizen. The American prospective parents would start by applying to the USCIS [Citizenship and Immigration Service] for advanced approval to bring you in as a citizen. If that is approved, then you still have to go through the Moldava courts.

Answer 4

Yes, she probably means that she has an approved homestudy.  International adoption is more complicated, however.  

I've put a link below to the US government website about it.  There are a couple of things - the US must consider you eligible to be adopted, which means that you have to be the right age and  an 'orphan'.  The definition for that is on the website, it would basically mean that you have no parents caring for you in your home country.  

Then also you have to see if adoptions are even allowed from your country to ours.

Your prospective adoptive mother would have to apply with the US government for a visa to bring you to the US legally.

The US government does issue the visa, but in adoption matters they generally defer to state law.  I don't know about Texas, but in my state, that means that the homestudy and all that had to be done by an agency licensed to do foreign adoptions, so a homestudy done by a state agency wouldn't work.