Top 5 Reasons to Re-Adopt Your Internationally Ad...

Top 5 Reasons to Re-Adopt Your Internationally Adopted Child Once Back in the US

While it is true that if a child enters the country under an IR-3 visa, he/she will be a U.S. citizen thanks to the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, but there are still good reasons for re-adoption once back in the U.S.A. I constantly tell my clients that the re-adoption process though technically unnecessary will only serve to make life easier years down the line. If the re-adoption paperwork is done as soon as the family arrives back in the country most of the documents such as the homestudy can be used in the re-adoption. Here are some of the reasons I site to my clients in applauding re-adoptions:


1) A Legal & Binding U.S. Birth Certificate
Whether your child is getting a driver's license or adopting one day, your child will need a copy of her birth certificate at different points in her lifetime. It would be much easier for your child to seek a copy of her birth certificate through your state's department of vital records than try to get one (if it still exists) in her birth country.

2) A Legal Name Change Can Be Completed If you desire to have your child's name legally changed, re-adoption is the time to complete this change.

3) Not all U.S. States Will Recognize a Foreign Adoption Decree
There are eighteen states and the District of Columbia, and four U.S. Territories that have no statutory provisions regarding international adoptions. These include:
Alabama
Arizona
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Utah
Virginia
West Virginia
Wyoming
American Samoa
Guam
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands

4) So, You Live in a State that Recognizes Foreign Adoptions - What if You Move?If you happen to move into one of the above mentioned states that do not recognize a foreign adoption decree there could be trouble. For example, your child may not be seen as a legal heir.

5) Re-adoption Is Another Reason to Have a Party!
Re-adoption gives you another day to plan an event to celebrate your child's adoption.
Re-adoption may be a hassle, but the hassle may be worth it in the long run.