Adoption is a legal process in which an adult person assumes responsibility for the care and support of another person (usually a child) who is not the adoptive parent's biological child. Intercountry adoption is the process by which you adopt a child from a country other than your own through permanent legal means and then bring that child to your country of residence to live with you permanently.
In Virginia, adoption is governed by state statutes that outline the legal process for an adult to become the legal parent of a child who is not their biological offspring. This process involves terminating the parental rights of the child's biological parents and establishing a new, permanent legal relationship between the adoptive parent(s) and the child. Intercountry adoption, also known as international adoption, is when a resident of Virginia adopts a child from another country. This process requires compliance with the laws of both the child's country of origin and U.S. federal law, including obtaining an immigrant visa for the child through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The Hague Adoption Convention, an international treaty that the United States has ratified, may also govern the process if the child's country of origin is a member. The Convention aims to ensure that intercountry adoptions are in the best interests of the children and to prevent abduction, exploitation, sale, or trafficking of children.