Kazakhstan Adoption
Kazakhstan is a country rich in customs, traditions, and festivals that can be traced back for generations. Even today, many of its people are still driven by the same ancient nomadic spirit of their ancestors. Kazakhstan obtained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and exhibits a deep pride in its long-standing history. Its current economy is strong when compared to other states within Central Asia due to its political stability and bountiful natural resources.
Approximately four times the state of Texas in size, Kazakhstan is nestled between the larger countries of Russia and China, and its positioning contributes to the country’s ethnic and cultural diversity. Kazakhstan is not only diverse in its people, but also in its beauty, from its awe-inspiring mountains to its majestic lakes and vast steppes.
Why Choose Kazakhstan?
- Male and female children are available
- Potential children can be as young as seven months, although older children are also available for adoption
- Children are primarily healthy, although children with special needs may also be adopted
- Children reside in loving, well-run orphanages
- Program facilitators have a wealth of experience and have cultivated excellent professional relationships with officials in Kazakhstan
- The ethnic diversity in Kazakhstan is evident in the children’s Asian, Eurasian, and Caucasian appearance
Location
- Potential children reside in orphanages in seven to eight regions primarily in north and central Kazakhstan
Reasons for Availability
- Voluntary relinquishment of parental rights due to poverty or unemployment
- Parental rights are relinquished by the court due to abuse or neglect
- Parental abandonment
Children’s Situation
- Children reside in organized, well-run orphanages and are cared for by loving caregivers
Eligibility for Families
- Only heterosexual applicants are eligible
- Married couples or single female applicants are accepted
- Parents looking to adopt children under the age of twelve months should not be older than fifty
- Parents between fifty and fifty-three are typically allowed to adopt children between the ages of twelve and twenty-four months, while parents between fifty-four and fifty-five are able to adopt children over the age of two
- Parents between fifty-six and sixty are typically able to adopt children over the age of four
- Previous divorce is acceptable
- Both parents should be U.S. citizens
- Families may have other children in the home
- Families with no prior arrest records are preferred
Average Processing Time
- The time from submitting your dossier to Kazakhstan to traveling to see a potential child is a minimum of four to six months
Procedure
You must first submit a preliminary application to AAI, meet with a consultant for an International Adoption Awareness Meeting, and then complete your formal application. Next, you will complete your home study, your USCIS paperwork, and prepare your dossier. Your dossier will be sent to Kazakhstan for translation prior to being registered and legalized at the Kazakh Embassy in Washington, D.C. The final product then travels through the Kazakhstan government.
After the approval process in Kazakhstan, the dossier will be registered in a region, and you are invited to travel to see potential children. You will visit your child in the orphanage for 14 days, according to what the orphanage schedule will allow. After completion of this required visitation period, your case will be presented to the court, and a judge will assign a court date. Both parents are required to attend this court hearing. The judge will make a final decision about the adoption, and the family will travel home to wait for the adoption to be finalized.
After a two week appeal period, the judge will issue the final adoption documents. At this point, you will be able to return to Kazakhstan. After finalizing the child’s visa at the Embassy in Almaty, Kazakhstan, you may travel home with your child. An AAI escort may possibly be used in extenuating circumstances, depending on the particular regional requirements and agency approval. (Additional fees for this service will apply.)
Travel
Both parents must travel on the first trip to accept the child and be present at the court hearing in the region. This process typically ranges from three to four weeks in length. Parents can choose to remain in Kazakhstan for the duration of the two-week waiting period, or they may come home and then return approximately two weeks later to complete the case. It is possible for only one parent to travel back on the second trip. After traveling to the region to finalize paperwork, the family proceeds to the U.S. Embassy in Almaty to obtain the child’s visa. The second trip often spans five to ten days.
Due to the nature of international adoption, the information on this page is subject to change without notice.
