Citizenship and Immigration Canada
www.cic.gc.ca
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International adoption
About 2,000 foreign children are adopted by citizens or permanent residents of Canada every year. Citizenship and Immigration Canada works to deal with these adoptions as quickly as possible. However, international adoption can be a long process.
Before you apply
In all international adoptions there are separate processes:
- the adoption process; and
- the immigration or citizenship process.
You need to understand both of these processes.
You and your adopted child must complete both processes before you can bring the child to live with you in Canada.
The adoption process
To be eligible for an international adoption, you must meet:
- the adoption requirements of the province or territory or the country where you live, and
- the adoption requirements in the child’s home country.
Provincial and territorial governments are responsible for adoptions in Canada. If you live in Canada, your first step should be to contact your provincial or territorial government office to get information about adopting a child. See Provincial and territorial government offices in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
Some provinces and territories use licensed agencies to handle most of the adoption process. Your provincial or territorial government office will tell you if you will need to contact a licensed agency.
If you want to adopt a child from a foreign country, you must obey the laws of that country about adoption. Make sure you understand the laws before beginning the adoption process. Your province or its licensed adoption agency can advise you on these requirements.
The Hague Convention governs international adoptions in many countries, including Canada. Your provincial government office will explain the requirements if your adopted child is coming from a country that follows the Hague Convention. Follow the Hague Convention link in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page to learn more.
Learn about:
- Choosing the citizenship process or the immigration process
- What are the differences between the processes?
