Kazakhstan
For Department of State Advisory on Kazakhstan, click here
Children Available
Infants from age 6 months and children through age 15, including siblings as well as special needs children of all ages. Families may request a gender and age preference. Children may be of Eastern European, Asian, or Turkish descent or some combination of these ethnicities. It is possible to adopt biological siblings and sometimes unrelated children together but generally Kazakhstan prefers that families adopt one child at a time.
Who May Adopt?
Couples and single women. The mother should be no more than 50 years old to adopt an infant. Prior divorces and/or other children in the home will be acceptable.
Time Frame
It takes 3-4 months to process dossiers before parents can travel. Preliminary referrals will be made during this time period (it can take a little longer for infant girls or if adopting more than one child.)
Travel
If married, both adoptive parents must travel and stay through the two week bonding period and court. After court, one or both parents may stay to complete the adoption process which takes abut 3 more weeks. In the alternative, families may elect a two trip option in which case only one parent is required to travel on the second trip of about 3 business days. Families are met at the airport by our English speaking contacts who will guide them through the adoption process. In the past, Kazakhstan has also allowed escorts to bring the children to the U.S. after parents travel for bonding and court at an additional expense to the adoptive parents. The use of escorts at this time is unclear.
The Process
Under our guidance, adoptive parents complete their home study, obtain CIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services) approval and build a dossier of documents needed for a Kazakh adoption. Although we may have some preliminary medical information, families formally approve a referral when they travel. Adoptive parents then comply with a required two week bonding period of visitation, attend the court proceedings and then complete a waiting period of up to 15 days before applying for visa issuance in Almaty. Kazakhstan requires that the adoption be registered before leaving the country and also requires post-placement upon return.
Fees and Expenses
Program fees encompass all professional services. Ask about our fee reductions for older or special needs children. Additional expenses include pre-adoption costs like the CIS fee, the home study, fingerprint checks, and the cost of documents as well as travel expenses, U.S. embassy fees and required post-placement.
