Ethiopia’s Adoption Authority
Federal First Instance Court (FFIC)

PAIR Process: No Longer Necessary for PAPs of Ethiopian Origin

Prior to the 2018 ban, adoptions from Ethiopia were subject to the Pre-Adoption Immigration Review (PAIR) process. Under PAIR, USCIS reviewed the child’s eligibility to immigrate to the United States before PAPs obtained legal custody or adopted the child and before the Department’s completion of a Form I-604, Determination on Child for Adoption. If the determination was favorable, USCIS issued a PAIR letter to the PAPs. PAPs included the USCIS PAIR letter with its dossier to initiate an adoption with the FFIC. The FFIC then forwarded adoption dossiers to the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MOWSA) for review and issuance of a best interest determination (BID) letter. Once the FFIC received a BID letter from MOWSA, they would make a final decision and issue an adoption order.

MOWSA has informed the Department they will not be involved in intercountry adoptions going forward and will not issue BID letters, including in diaspora adoptions. The FFIC has informed the Department that it will no longer require PAPs to submit a USCIS PAIR letter before issuing an adoption order in diaspora cases. Accordingly, the PAIR process is no longer applicable to adoptions by PAPs who have been confirmed by the FFIC to be of Ethiopian origin. Adoptive parents of Ethiopian origin may now file Form I-600 petitions with USCIS or in-country with Embassy Addis Ababa (note: you must have a valid Form I-600A to file in-country; see our website for more information).

The Process

The process for adopting a child from Ethiopia generally includes the following steps:

  1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider To Act as Your Primary Provider
  2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt (Form I-600A) (or file a Form I-600 combination filing to have USCIS review both your suitability and eligibility as an adoptive parent and the child’s status as an orphan at the same time)
  3. Apply to Ethiopia’s Authorities to Adopt, and to be Matched with a Child
  4. Adopt the Child in Ethiopia 
  5. Apply for Your Child to be Found Eligible to Immigrate to the United States as an Orphan (Form I-600)
  6. Secure a U.S. Immigrant Visa if You Intend to Reside with Your Child in the United States
  7. Obtain U.S. Citizenship for Your Child

1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider

The accredited agency or approved person you identify as the primary provider is responsible for:

  • Ensuring that all six adoption services defined at 22 CFR 96.2 are provided consistent with applicable laws and regulations;
  • Supervising and being responsible for any supervised providers, and otherwise complying with the requirements regarding the provision of adoption services using other providers.  (see 22 CFR 96.14); and
  • Developing and implementing a service plan in accordance with 22 CFR 96.44.

Only accredited agencies, approved persons, supervised providers, exempted providers, public domestic authorities, and public foreign authorities may provide adoption services in intercountry adoption cases and that has been authorized by the Government of Ethiopia.

For more information on primary providers and the UAA, please see Universal Accreditation Act of 2012. See additional guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required. Learn more about Agency Accreditation.

2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt (or file a Form I-600 combination filing to have USCIS review both your suitability and eligibility as an adoptive parent and the child’s status as an orphan at the same time)

In order to adopt a child from Ethiopia, you will need to meet the requirements of the Government of Ethiopia and U.S. immigration law.

To meet U.S. immigration requirements, you may choose to file a Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, with USCIS, to be found suitable and eligible to adopt. Please see the USCIS website for more information about filing options. If you have already identified the child you wish to adopt, you may alternatively choose to file the Form I-600 petition for the child and include all the required supporting documentation for the Form I-600A application (i.e. an approved home study) so USCIS can make a determination on your suitability and eligibility to adopt before reviewing the child’s eligibility as an orphan. Please see USCIS webpages on suitability determinations and USCIS policy guidance on adoptive parent suitability determinations. Unless an exception applies, the home study must be prepared by a person who is authorized under 22 CFR 96 to prepare home studies and who holds any license or other authorization required by the law of the jurisdiction where the home study is conducted (unless a public domestic or public foreign authority). The home study must comply with the requirements in 8 CFR 204.311 and USCIS policy.

3. Apply to Ethiopia’s Authorities to Adopt, and be Matched with a Child

If you are found suitable and eligible to adopt under U.S. immigration law, Ethiopia requires you to submit an adoption application to the FFIC to be found eligible to adopt by Ethiopia.

The competent adoption authority or other authorized entity in Ethiopia will review your adoption dossier and, if an appropriate match is found, may provide you with a referral. We encourage families to consider consulting with a medical professional and their adoption service provider to understand the needs of the specific child, but you must decide for yourself whether you will be able to meet the needs of and provide a permanent home for a specific child. You must also ultimately adhere to the USCIS’ suitability determination (i.e. typically the Form I-600A approval notice) with respect to the number of children you are approved to adopt and the characteristics of the child(ren) (such as age, sex, nationality, and/or special need, disability, and/or impairment) that you are approved to adopt. Learn more about Health Considerations

The child must be eligible to be adopted according to Ethiopia’s requirements, as described in the Who Can Be Adopted section. The child must also meet the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law.

4. Adopt the Child in Ethiopia

The process for finalizing the adoption in Ethiopia generally includes the following:

  • Role of the Court: The Federal First Instance Court acts as the Adoption Authority in Ethiopia for adoptions to parents of Ethiopian origin and will receive all documentation associated with the adoption. The FFIC will order a social worker in the court to provide an assessment concerning the personal, social and economic position of adoptive parents, which is usually done in the form of an interview. If the prospective parents can not be present at court and are represented by legal attorneys, FFIC requires the PAPs to submit a home study conducted by an authorized social worker from the country they live in. This report is usually authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia before it becomes part of the court records/document.
  • The FFIC will also review all adoption requests, and determine if PAPs are able to adopt under Ethiopia’s current laws, including the requirement that they are ‘of Ethiopian origin’ and issue an Adoption order.
  • Role of Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Providers: 
    As noted above, any agency or person providing an adoption service on behalf of prospective adoptive parents in any non-Convention intercountry adoption case must be accredited or approved or be a supervised or exempted provider.

    Adoption service means any one of the following six services, 22 CFR 96.2 Definitions:
    • Identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption;
    • Securing the necessary consent to termination of parental rights and to adoption;
    • Performing a background study on a child or a home study on a prospective adoptive parent(s), and reporting on such a study;
    • Making non-judicial determinations of the best interests of a child and the appropriateness of an adoptive placement for the child;
    • Monitoring a case after a child has been placed with prospective adoptive parent(s) until final adoption; or
    • When necessary because of a disruption before final adoption, assuming custody and providing (including facilitating the provision of) child care or any other social service pending an alternative placement.

Note: See additional guidance for limited situations when a primary provider may not be required.

  • Adoption Application: The FFIC has not indicated there is a specific form for adoption, but prospective adoptive parents will need to submit the information listed in section three to the FFIC.
  • Time Frame: Intercountry adoptions in Ethiopia may take approximately two to four months to complete from the time the application is submitted to the FFIC.
  • Adoption Fees: The fee for filing an adoption with the FFIC is 25 Birr

    We encourage prospective adoptive parents to obtain detailed receipts for all fees and donations paid, either by them directly or through their U.S. adoption service provider, and to raise any concerns regarding any payment that you believe may be contrary to U.S. law, or the law of Ethiopia, with your adoption service provider, and, when appropriate, through the Complaint Registry. Improper payments violate applicable law, or create the appearance of buying a child, and could put all future adoptions in Ethiopia at risk. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, for instance, makes it unlawful to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business. Further, the UAA and IAA make certain actions relating to intercountry adoptions unlawful, and subject to civil and criminal penalties. These include offering, giving, soliciting, or accepting inducement by way of compensation intended to influence or affect the relinquishment of parental rights, parental consent relating to adoption of a child, or a decision by an entity performing functions as a competent authority, or to engage another person as an agent to take any such action.

    In the adoption services contract that you sign at the beginning of the adoption process, your adoption service provider will itemize the fees and estimated expenses related to your adoption process.  
  • Documents Required:
    • Birth certificate of the adoptive parents
    • Passport copies of adoptive parents
    • Record of criminal history
    • Proof of income
    • If the adoptive parent is married, explicit consent of the other spouse on the adoption agreement
    • Best interest determination (BID) letter if the child is being adopted from an orphanage.
    • Proof of Ethiopian origin, such as an Ethiopian birth certificate, Ethiopian passport, or Ethiopian Origin Card (also called a Diaspora card or yellow card).
    • In cases where an adoption agreement is concluded between birth parents or guardians of the adoptive child and the prospective adoptive parents who live abroad:
      • Social workers will provide an assessment of the prospective adoptive parents,
      • If the prospective adoptive parents cannot be present at court they can submit a home study conducted by an authorized social worker from the country they live in.

Note: Additional documents may be requested.

  • Authentication of Documents: You may be asked to provide proof that a document from the United States is authentic. The U.S. Department of State’s Authentications Office has information on the subject.

5. Apply for Your Child to be Found Eligible to Immigrate to the United States as an Orphan

After you finalize the adoption in Ethiopia, USCIS must determine if the child meets the definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law in order for the child to immigrate to the United States. You will need to file a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, on behalf of the child and unless a limited exception applies, you must identify a primary provider.

If you have a valid Form I-600A approval, you may file your Form I-600 petition in the United States with the USCIS National Benefits Center, or at the U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Please see the USCIS website for more information about filing options.

When a Form I-600 petition is adjudicated by USCIS in the United States, the U.S. Embassy’s consular section must complete a Form I-604, Determination on Child for Adoption (sometimes informally referred to as an orphan determination), to verify the child’s orphan status.

When a Form I-600 petition is filed with the U.S. Embassy’s consular section, the consular officer must complete the Form I-604, Determination on Child for Adoption, to verify the child’s orphan status.

Conducting the Form I-604 determination is a critical part of the non-Convention adoption process. It can take approximately two months to complete, depending upon the circumstances of your case. Consular officers appreciate that families are eager to bring their adopted child home as quickly as possible. Some of the factors that may contribute to the length of the process include prevailing fraud patterns in the country of origin, civil unrest or security concerns that restrict travel to certain areas of the country, and the number of determinations performed by available staff. Consular officers make every effort to conduct them as quickly and thoroughly as possible. You are advised to keep your travel plans flexible while awaiting the results.

6. Secure a U.S. Immigrant Visa if You Intend to Reside with Your Child in the United States

Once your adoption is complete and the Form I-604 determination has been completed, finding that your child meets the legal definition of an orphan for immigration purposes, there are a few more steps to take before your child can enter the United States.

Your child will need an immigrant visa if you intend to reside in the United States with your child. If instead you intend to continue residing overseas with your child but still seek naturalization of your child by application (Form N-600K), you will not need an immigrant visa, but you may need a different type of visa to complete the process. Please discuss this with the consular officer handling your case and consult the USCIS website for more information.

You need to obtain three documents before you secure a visa so your child can travel to the United States:

Birth Certificate

You will need to obtain a new or updated birth certificate for your child.

If you have finalized the adoption in Ethiopia, you will first need to apply for a new birth certificate for your child with your name on it.

If you have been granted legal custody for the purposes of emigration and adoption of the child in the United States, the birth certificate you obtain will, in most cases, not yet include your name.

Any Ethiopian who is under the age of 18 can obtain a birth certificate from the Vital Event Registration office if the following requirements are fulfilled:

  1. Both the adoptive father and mother must appear in person
  2. If one of the parents is unable to appear in person, then one of them must provide power of attorney or guardianship approved by a court.
  3. Provide a copy of the adoption order
  4. The parent must present a valid Kebele ID / passport/ travel document or ARRA ID (UNHCR document)
  5. Bring one photograph of the child and pay a fee of 200br

Ethiopian Passport
Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or passport from Ethiopia.

1. Prepare all the required documents for this service.

  • Valid Kebele Identity card and authenticated Birth certificate.

2. Pay the service fee for new Passport 

Expedited Passport Services 

  • 2 Days, 25,000br 
  • 5 Days, 20,000br

3. Scan all the required documents and resize them according to the guidelines.

4. Submit payment through an online and bank using the payment code generated after the application form is submitted.

5. After you apply, you must print the last page which has your appointment and delivery date and time. Take the paper with you to your appointment

6. When you come to the office on the appointment date, you need to make sure that:

  • You have the appointment paper with you
  • You have all the original required documents with you. These should be the same documents that you uploaded with the Online Application.
  • If you are applying as a guardian or parent, you have to accompany the child/toddler.

If the applicant is under 18, parents or guardians are required to attach the following document.

7. Prepare all the required documents for this service.

  • If Parent, Valid Kebele ID of his/her mother/father or copy of passport information page
  • If Guardian, legal document from court
  • Authenticated Birth Certificate of the Applicant.

U.S. Immigrant Visa
After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child and you have filed Form I-600, you will then need to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa for your child from [U.S. Embassy/Consulate] [City] if you intend to bring your child to reside in the United States with you. This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you and be admitted to the United States as your child. Please contact U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa by email at AddisIV@state.gov to schedule your child’s immigrant visa appointment. As part of this process, you must provide the consular officer with the Panel Physician’s medical report on the child. Read more about the Medical Examination.

You must complete an Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) online at the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) after receiving a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the approved Form I-600 petition and assignment of a case number and an invoice ID number. Print and bring the DS-260 confirmation page to the visa interview. Review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.

Upon receipt of the case, U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa generally notifies the petitioner. Visa issuance after the final interview generally takes 24 hours. It is not usually possible to provide the visa to adoptive parents on the same day as the immigrant visa interview. You should verify current processing times with U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa before making final travel arrangements. Additional information on immigrant visa processing can be found on our website.

If you will reside outside the United States with your child, you should contact the adoption authority or competent authority where you reside for additional information about how to bring your child to that country.

7. Obtain U.S. Citizenship for Your Child

If you obtain an immigrant visa for your child, USCIS will mail your child either a permanent resident card (green card), or a Certificate of Citizenship, after your child enters the United States. If you plan to reside outside the United States with your child (and, therefore, may not benefit from an immigrant visa for your child), please see the relevant section below.

For adoptions finalized abroad before the child’s admission into the United States: A child who was adopted abroad and has satisfied Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 101(b)(1)(E), INA 101(b)(1)(F), or INA 101(b)(1)(G) requirements, who is residing in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent residence generally will acquire U.S. citizenship after admission if the child is under the age of 18 when these conditions are met.

Depending on the visa your child receives, their age, and the other INA 320 requirements, you may not need to take any additional action for your child to acquire U.S. citizenship. However, if your child does not meet the requirements of INA 320 at the time of admission into the United States, you may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met. More information is available on the USCIS website.

For adoptions not finalized until after the child’s admission to the United States:
If the adoption is not finalized before the child is admitted to the United States, the child’s adoptive parent(s) must complete the adoption (or re-adoption or obtain judicial recognition of the foreign adoption) in the United States before the child turns 18 for the child to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship (if the child otherwise meets the requirements of INA 320). You may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met. More information is available on the USCIS Fact Sheet: Securing U.S. Citizenship for Your Child.

If you reside outside the United States with your child, you may file a Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322 with USCIS to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for your child if your child satisfies the requirements of INA 322. Note: If you are a military service member or U.S. government employee who chooses to seek an immigrant visa for your child versus completing the Form N-600K process, you may need to use Form N-600 to apply for a Certificate of Citizenship. Please note, however, that USCIS cannot mail Certificates of Citizenship abroad for children who acquire citizenship under INA 320.

Read more about INA 320 and 322 in the USCIS Policy Manual and USCIS website U.S. Citizenship for an Adopted Child.