How to Legally Protect Your International Adoption in Pennsylvania
For parents who have crossed oceans to complete their families, it is often a relief to finally return to the United States after a long international adoption process. But there is one more piece of the process these parents need to complete before their adoption will be considered full and final in Pennsylvania.
Depending on the type of visa your child received during the intercountry adoption process, you may need to finalize or register your adoption with a Pennsylvania court. The Law Offices of Denise M. Bierly can guide you through each step of this process, providing the following services to legally protect your adoption:
– helping you determine whether you need to finalize or register your international adoption.
– filing the necessary legal paperwork to register your international adoption.
– completing the legal adoption process and finalizing your international adoption in court.
– obtaining a new birth certificate for your child after finalization.
– providing the general case management and oversight you need through each step of the process.
– and more.
Finalizing or registering your international adoption is an important part of the process that helps provide your family — and most importantly, your child — with the legal security and peace of mind you need. Here, learn how to legally protect your overseas adoption in Pennsylvania.
How to Finalize an International Adoption in Pennsylvania
If your child enters the United States on an IR-4 or HR-4 visa, it means the adoption was not legally finalized in his or her country of birth. Your child may receive this type of visa if you are adopting from certain countries or if only one of two parents is present to meet the child in his or her birth country.
In these circumstances, you will be required to legally finalize the adoption in a Pennsylvania court. As with any other type of adoption finalization, this process involves filing certain legal paperwork with the court and appearing at a finalization hearing with your child.
The Law Offices of Denise M. Bierly can provide all of the services, support and guidance you need to complete this process, which will allow you to obtain a U.S. birth certificate for your child and ensure he or she is legally recognized as a United States citizen.
How to Register an Intercountry Adoption in Pennsylvania
If your child comes to the United States on an IR-3 or HR-3 visa, it means that the adoption has been finalized overseas, and you will not need to complete the finalization process in Pennsylvania. However, there is a paperwork process to register your foreign adoption, which will allow you to obtain a Pennsylvania birth certificate for your child.
Because it does not require a court appearance, registering an intercountry adoption is a relatively streamlined paperwork process that can greatly benefit your family. Here are just a few reasons to make sure you complete this important step of the international adoption process:
– It allows you to obtain a U.S. birth certificate for your child, which is typically much easier to replace than a foreign birth certificate
– It allows you to legally change your child’s name
– It may simplify everyday tasks, like enrolling your child in school or obtaining a driver’s license for him or her
– It protects the child and ensures his or her adoption and citizenship are never challenged
If you have adopted internationally, it is crucial to finalize or register your adoption after returning to Pennsylvania with your child. This is an important step in every international adoption process that will provide your child with the legal security he or she needs.
To ensure your adoption is legally recognized and protected in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, contact The Law Offices of Denise M. Bierly to schedule a consultation.
Pennsylvania adoption attorney Denise Bierly is actively involved in the international adoption community. She has served as the keynote speaker for several international adoption delegations hosted by the U.S. Department of State, where she provides foreign adoption officials with an overview of the U.S. adoption process and the safeguards in place to ensure internationally adopted children are placed in loving, suitable homes.