About 2,000 foreign children are adopted by citizens or permanent residents of Canada every year. This process can be lengthy although Citizenship and Immigration Canada works to deal with these adoptions as quickly as possible.

All international adoptions have two separate processes:

• the adoption process; and
• the immigration or citizenship process.

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
• meet the adoption requirements in the child’s home country.

Your first step should be to contact your provincial or territorial government office to get information about adopting a child. Some provinces require the use of an agency. You will be informed by your provincial or territorial government 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.

Choosing the Citizenship Process, or the Immigration Process

Some new adoptions will need to use the immigration process. The information below will help you understand both processes and decide which to use.

The Citizenship Process

You can apply for citizenship for an adopted person if:

• at least one adoptive parent is, or was, a Canadian citizen when the adoption took place
• the adoption severs (or severed) all ties with the adopted person’s legal parents
• the adoption was or will be completed outside Canada (except for Quebec).

The adopted person does not meet the requirements for the citizenship process if:

• neither parent was a Canadian citizen when the adoption took place
• the adoption took place before February 15, 1977
• the adoption did not fully sever all ties with the child’s legal parents
• the adoption will be completed in Canada, or
• a probationary period is to be completed in Canada before a final adoption order is issued from the child’s birth country.

The Immigration Process

You can use the immigration process to apply for permanent resident status for the adopted child if:

• the adopted child is going to Canada to live right after the adoption takes place, or
• one or both parents are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

The adopted person does not meet the requirements for the immigration process if:

• the adopted person is not going to Canada to live right after the adoption takes place
• you are an adult adoptee living outside Canada and not returning to Canada to live right after your application is approved.

*As of December 23, 2007, anyone adopted by a Canadian citizen after February 14, 1977 can apply for a grant of Canadian citizenship without first becoming a permanent resident.