Adopting my 9 Year old niece From Jamaica

[shelly-bug 15]

HAs anyone ever successfully adopted a relative? I want to adopt my 9 year old niece, she is my twin brother's daughter and he and the mother are not capable of taking care of her. My mom and i took care of her while i was living in Jamaica from birth upon until the time i immigrated to the US.

She is currently living with my father and her mom has not been in contact with her.

Please advise what is the best route to take and what my possible outcome may be.

[Cody and Daisy 373]

http://travel.state.gov/content/adoptionsabroad/en/adoption-process/who-can-adopt/adoptions-by-non-us-citizens-living-in-the-us.html

Read this.

I don't think you can.

Edited February 16, 2015 by Cody and Daisy

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

It is hard to do an adoption of a relative that will be valid for immigration purposes if the parents are alive and if they are able to keep the child in a manor common the the culture. Google " immigration adoption Jamaica " for more country specific details.

[shelly-bug 15]

I am a US citizen so i don't think that applies to me.

[Cody and Daisy 373]

I am a US citizen so i don't think that applies to me.

Well then when you ask a specific question you might want to give the whole story in as much detail as possible.

I wouldn't have researched it for you if I had known your weren't an LPR. That was a waste of time.

[Cody and Daisy 373]

This might give you a little insight.

http://www.immigrationdirect.com/us-citizenship-children.jsp

[shelly-bug 15]

I am sorry that i wasn't specific. But my post was under the "US citizens petitioning relatives" heading, so thought it would be redundant to state that i am US citizen..

Thanks for your answer anyway.

[Jawaree 717]

Not very easy since she is not an orphan, and live with family members , she is not in a home

LPR or not, however I would suggest you go to Jamaica & adopt the child, when/if that comes

thru you then can petition the child, but adopting a child for immigration benefits when both

parents are alive is not an easy feat

[shelly-bug 15]

Not very easy since she is not an orphan, and live with family members , she is not in a home

LPR or not, however I would suggest you go to Jamaica & adopt the child, when/if that comes

thru you then can petition the child, but adopting a child for immigration benefits when both

parents are alive is not an easy feat

She is basically "orphaned" by both parents, because they both have neglected and abandoned her since birth.

This might give you a little insight.

http://www.immigrationdirect.com/us-citizenship-children.jsp

Thank you so much! Very insightful!

[aaron2020 11,651]

She is basically "orphaned" by both parents, because they both have neglected and abandoned her since birth.

Thank you so much! Very insightful!

Hi,

It doesn't matter what her parents are doing. They are both alive.

You can adopt her, but US law will not allow an immigration visa to be issued to her.

This is a classic case of adopting a relative for an immigration benefit, and it's specifically not allowed. If it was, how many of use do you think would adopt a relative? If it worked, I would have adopted many of my cousins' children.

Edited February 16, 2015 by aaron2020

[shelly-bug 15]

Hi,

It doesn't matter what her parents are doing. They are both alive.

You can adopt her, but US law will not allow an immigration visa to be issued to her.

This is a classic case of adopting a relative for an immigration benefit, and it's specifically not allowed. If it was, how many of use do you think would adopt a relative? If it worked, I would have adopted many of my cousins' children.

4. Who is an orphan?

To be considered an orphan under U.S. immigration law, a child must meet very specific conditions:

• Be a foreign-born child without any parents because both parents have died or disappeared, abandoned or deserted the child, or because of separation from or loss of both parents; or
• Be a foreign-born child with a sole or surviving parent who is unable to provide for the child's basic needs, consistent with local standards of the foreign sending 9. Who can file an immediate relative petition on behalf of an adopted child?

  If you adopt a child, but did not go through the orphan adoption process, then the child is considered to be your child for immigration purposes when you meet the following requirements:

  country, and who has irrevocably released the child (in writing) for emigration and adoption.
  • The adoption must be finalized before the child turns 16 years old (or 18 if you also adopted a biological sibling of the child before the sibling was 16 years old); and
  • The child must have lived with you for at least 2 years, either before or after adoption; and
  • The child must have been in your legal custody for at least 2 years, either before or after adoption.

Based on what I have read I think my niece might have a chance.

[aaron2020 11,651]

4. Who is an orphan?

To be considered an orphan under U.S. immigration law, a child must meet very specific conditions:

• Be a foreign-born child without any parents because both parents have died or disappeared, abandoned or deserted the child, or because of separation from or loss of both parents; or
• Be a foreign-born child with a sole or surviving parent who is unable to provide for the child's basic needs, consistent with local standards of the foreign sending 9. Who can file an immediate relative petition on behalf of an adopted child?

  If you adopt a child, but did not go through the orphan adoption process, then the child is considered to be your child for immigration purposes when you meet the following requirements:country, and who has irrevocably released the child (in writing) for emigration and adoption.

• The adoption must be finalized before the child turns 16 years old (or 18 if you also adopted a biological sibling of the child before the sibling was 16 years old); and
• The child must have lived with you for at least 2 years, either before or after adoption; and
• The child must have been in your legal custody for at least 2 years, either before or after adoption.

Based on what I have read I think my niece might have a chance.

Best of luck to you.

It's not that simple. If it was, many of use would have already done this.

[shelly-bug 15]

Thank you Aaron.

I will try, if I don't try, then i won't know.

[Boiler 45,525]

Having read your original post and the requirements how do you have a chance?

Back to pont one you would first need to adopt and that would need a local family lawyer. No idea if it is even possible.

[Mark88 183]

You're chances are very slim. Even if you can proof legal abondement by the biological parents, and adopt, there is no guarantee that DOS will reconize it for immigration purposes. Your looking at a road that will most likely take years.

If you have the cash, you can send her to school in the US under a F student visa.

Good luck.