This brief synopsis serves as a general outline; this guide does not include every situation and every detail. Agencies that specialize in foreign adoptions can often answer case-specific questions. The Vietnamese government requires parents residing in the United States to employ an adoption agency to assist them throughout the entire process. The selection of an adoption agency is one of the most important decisions that you will make; therefore prospective adoptive parents are advised to fully research any adoption agency or facilitator they plan to use for adoption services.
Adopting a child from Vietnam is a complex process, with five major stages. Different government entities administer four of these phases. The Department of Homeland Security, Citizen and Immigration Services in the US reviews and approves first required U.S. petition (form I-600A). The Department of International Adoptions (DIA), a branch of the Vietnamese Government, oversees the review of applications to adopt in Vietnam and the matching of Prospective Adoptive Parents with children for adoption. Once the DIA and the Prospective Adoptive Parents have agreed to a match, the Department of Homeland Security, Citizen and Immigration Services office in the Ho Chi Minh City reviews and pre-approves the second required U.S. petition (form I-600). Finally, the Department of State (U.S. Embassy Hanoi's Adopted Children Immigrant Visa Unit) adjudicates the child's immigrant visa petition permitting him or her to travel to the United States.
Please click on the links below for more information on each step of this process.
