PR resident, need to adopt spouses biological kids?

[mzalli 0]

Hello all,

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but here we go.

My cousin, a US Permanent Resident, married someone from Guyana, a country in South America.

He sponsored her, along with her biological children.

The woman and her kids had their Consular interview this morning and the immigration officer asked her to provide adoption paperwork.

My question, does my cousin have to adopt her kids?

From what I understand, their biological father is no where to be found.

Maybe someone can shed some light on this.

Thanks in advance.

[aaron2020 11,651]

Hello all,

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this, but here we go.

My cousin, a US Permanent Resident, married someone from Guyana, a country in South America.

He sponsored her, along with her biological children.

The woman and her kids had their Consular interview this morning and the immigration officer asked her to provide adoption paperwork.

My question, does my cousin have to adopt her kids?

From what I understand, their biological father is no where to be found.

Maybe someone can shed some light on this.

Thanks in advance.

Your LPR cousin does not have to adopt the kids. LPRs can petition for stepkids.

The children will need either their biological father's consent for them to immigrate or a court order. Without one of those two things, the only other way is for the biological father's parental rights to be terminated by adoption. This is why it was probably brought up.

Either 1) biological father's permission to immigrate, 2) court order allowing children to immigrate, or 3) adoption which terminates that biological father's parental rights.

[mzalli 0]

Aaron2020,

Thank you very much for clarifying, much appreciated.