India

India Adoption Overview  

The Open Door Adoption Agency is pleased to have been recently approved by the central authority in India to complete inter country adoptions! We are honored to be authorized to work with the Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) to complete adoptions from India and look forward to a long-standing relationship. The Indian program is well managed by CARA in accordance with the Hague Convention and it has a long history of placing children with forever families! We at Open Door are honored to help children from India find their forever families and helping families fulfill the beautiful dream of welcoming a child into their hearts and homes.

India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area and the most populous country as of June 2023. From the time of its independence from Great Britain in 1947, India is the world’s most populous democracy. 

Waiting children

Families adopting from India should be open to children (boys and girls) with special needs. Children largely reside in state-run institutions while awaiting adoption. Typically, the children are 10 months – 14 years old at the time they are matched with a family.

Common special needs are developmental delays, malnutrition, minor/correctable issues, heart conditions, medical conditions, impacts of institutional care, potential abuse and neglect history, HIV+, developmental delays, developmental disabilities, orthopedic needs, hearing/vision issues and cerebral palsy.  Sibling groups are almost never to rarely available for adoption.

Eligibility 

• Parents must be 25 years old and not older than 55 years old. Single mothers are eligible.
• CARA requires at least 25 years between the age of adoptive parent and child. Applicants are approved to adopt specific ages of children based on the age of the parents. Due to how India calculates age of applicants, the combined age for a married couple is easy to underestimate. CARA factors in both months and days in addition to years. For example, two spouses who are both 44 years old appear to have a combined age of 88; however, once months and days are factored in, they may actually be close to a combined age of 90, which would require them being open to an older child. 
• PAPs with combined age of less than 85 years, or under age 40 for singles, can request a child ages 0 to 2 years.  
• PAPs with combined age of less than 90 years, or under age 45 for singles, can request a child ages 2 to 4 years.  
• PAPs with combined age of less than 100 years, or under age 50 for singles, can request a child ages 4 to 8 years.  
• PAPs with combined age of less than 110 years, or under age 55 for singles, can request a child ages 8 to 18 years.   
• There must be a minimum age gap of 25 years between the PAPs and the child.  
• You may select the age and gender of the child. 
• Couples must be married 2 1/2 years  
• Preference given to smaller families. Couples with two or more children shall be considered for children with special needs. India requires families to maintain birth order.
• Previous divorce is acceptable. 
• Please speak with our staff if you have any history of mental illness or criminal history, so that we can determine if the authorities in India will accept your application. Prospective adoptive parents should be physically, mentally, and emotionally, they shall not have any life-threatening medical condition.  An adoptive parent with a significant criminal history is unlikely to be approved in India.  
• Psychological evaluation must be competed during the Home Study process.
• The Agency seeks Christian adoptive parents. 

Process & Timeline

Timeframes will vary per adoption. The average can be from 18-24 months from starting your adoption journey to when you complete your adoption and bring your child home.

• You will need to meet both U.S. and India requirements. Once eligibility is confirmed, you can move forward and complete our application. Submitting this application marks the first official step in the India adoption process. After your application is approved, you will proceed with your home study.

• Each family will need a completed home study, which includes background checks, medical and financial records, reference letters, and psychological evaluations. Pre-adoptive education training is also required to prepare families for the adoption journey. You will have to hire an agency in your state of residency if you do not reside in Georgia. TOD will be happy to provide recommendations. If you reside in State of Georgia, we will be your home study agency as well.

• When your HS is completed and approved, you can apply for U.S. Immigration approval. It will take 3-4 months to receive the I800A approval. This approval allows your family to bring an adopted child to the United States through International adoption.  All families must receive the I-800A approval in order to be considered eligible to be matched with a child’s referral.

• Each family’s documentation required to be uploaded on the Central Adoption Resource Authority’s website (CARINGS). This is the way India’s Adoption Authority (CARA) reviews and approves each case. This method works well with the India’s regulations and proper tracking of each adoption case. 

• Once CARA reviews all of the family’s documents, they will issue an approval and at that time your family is qualified to be matched with a child’s referral.

• Waiting for a referral can vary and depends on multiple factors, based on the approval parameters; 6 – 18 months depending on families openness to age, gender and special needs. Plus, it depends on type of children are currently available for international adoption in the portal.

• Once a referral is received, you will have an opportunity to review the child’s information with the doctor and your adoption consultant to be sure you understand all the child’s need and are comfortable with referral. Once a child’s referral is accepted, we will help you to prepare the final paperwork necessary to finalize your adoption and bring your child home.

• The I-800 approval is issued by USCIS with all the information about the specific child your family decided to adopt. The I800 paperwork file with USCIS as soon as your family has accepted a referral.  Next, we will complete your child immigrant visa application and the Article 5 Letter will be issued.   
• The Article 5 is the official approval issued by the U.S. Embassy, confirming that your family is qualified and approved to adopt the child, and the child meets all the legal requirements of being free for adoption. Receive the No Objection Certificate from CARA. Family can decide about the timing of traveling.  

• Send CARA and/or the orphanage documents as requested for court processing. Upon completion of court processing, an order for the child’s new Birth Certificate is issued. Our team facilitates getting the BC and the child’s passport. 
• Apply for a six-month multiple entry tourist visa for India. 
• Travel to India. Our India representative will escort you to pick up your child from their orphanage and travel to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi for your medical/visa appointment to obtain an immigrant visa for your child to enter the United States. This trip takes an average of 7-10 days. Note: Some states in India will require a longer in country stay.   
• Bring your child home from India!  After you receive a Visa in the child’s name, you will be able to bring the child home.

Travel 

 At least one trip to India is required. The trip may be 2-3 weeks, but a minimum of 10 days is anticipated. Travel typically occurs after CARA’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) is issued, and the dossier is filed with the District Magistrate by the Indian agency (SAA). 

Some states in India will require you to be present for court thus lengthening you’re in country stay by several weeks. You will pick up the child and their documents from the orphanage and then travel to the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi where you will have your child evaluated at the medical clinic there and obtain their immigrant visa. Open Door has an in-country representative that will accompany you to all appointments.  

Post Adoption 

The total number and interval of post adoption reports/visits can vary by state in India but will be specified on your India court order. The most common is a total of 6 reports according to the following schedule: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months from U.S. arrival. TOD will submit these social worker reports, along with photos and citizenship information to CARA. 

Costs 

Initially The Open Door will have reduced fees for our pilot families. 

Please request our Cost Disclosure to see if this applies. Your additional costs will include home study, USCIS approval, notary & apostille fees, airfare, hotel, in country guide, and embassy fees as shown on the fee schedule. Your out-of-pocket expenses may further be reduced if you receive scholarships, grants or employer-provided adoption benefits.

Families working with The Open Door Adoption Agency will be able to utilize the services of Your Adoption Finance Coach to help with funding your adoption.