DOS Adoption Notice: Update on Inter-country Adoptions in Cambodia

Cambodia

November 30, 2012

Notice: Update on Inter-country Adoptions in Cambodia

The Special Advisor for Children's Issues, Ambassador Susan Jacobs, met with host government officials in Cambodia on October 28 and 29 regarding Cambodia’s efforts to meet obligations under the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption (the Convention).  The United States continues to support Cambodia's efforts to improve its child welfare system and intercountry adoption process.
We welcome Cambodia's efforts to implement fully its new law on intercountry adoption.

The Cambodian government has indicated that it intends to begin accepting adoption petitions on January 1, 2013.  Based on this information, the Department of State is currently assessing whether consular officers will be able to certify that individual adoptions will comply with the Convention, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, and U.S. implementing regulations.  The Department has made no decision as to when intercountry adoptions between the United States and Cambodia will resume.

We continue to caution adoption service providers (ASPs) and prospective adoptive parents that important steps must still take place to ensure that adoptions between Cambodia and the United States comply with the Convention, the U.S. law, and implementing regulations before intercountry adoptions between the United States and Cambodia may resume.  ASPs should not initiate, nor claim to initiate, adoption programs in Cambodia until they receive notification from the Department of State that it will resume processing Convention adoption visa applications in Cambodia.
Updated information will be provided on adoption.state.gov as it becomes available.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=cambodia_4

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Special Advisor's Trip to Cambodia to discuss Hgaue Convention Advances

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

October 22, 2012

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Special Advisor for Children’s Issues Ambassador Susan Jacobs will visit Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Cambodia, and Vietnam October 22-November 1.

While in the region, Special Advisor Jacobs will meet with non-governmental organizations and government officials to discuss the Hague Abduction and Adoption Conventions and the need to strengthen child protection systems.

In Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), Special Advisor Jacobs will discuss international parental child abduction. In the ROK, she will review Korea’s plans to accede to the Hague Adoption Convention. The Special Advisor will also visit Cambodia and Vietnam, which are in the process of implementing the Hague Adoption Convention.

For more information about children’s issues, please visit: ChildrensIssues.state.gov
For updates on Special Advisor Jacobs’ trip, follow her on Twitter: @ChildrensIssues
For press inquiries please contact CAPRESSREQUESTS@state.gov or (202) 647-1488.

Ethics, Transparency, Support~
What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

DOS Adoption Notice: Update of status of adoptions in Cambodia

Notice: Update of status of adoptions in Cambodia

The Office of Children’s Issues wishes to provide a further update for U.S. citizens interested in intercountry adoptions with Cambodia.

The Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation recently announced to all embassies with diplomatic and consular missions in Cambodia that the Cambodian government has decided to delay the date that it will begin receiving adoption petitions until January 1, 2013. The Cambodian government is still working to establish the necessary internal child welfare structures to function as a Hague partner.

The Special Advisor for Children's Issues, Ambassador Susan Jacobs, met with the host government officials in January 2012 regarding Cambodia’s ability to meet obligations for conducting intercountry adoptions. The United States continues to support Cambodia's efforts to create a child welfare system and an intercountry adoption process that fulfills its obligations under the Hague Adoption Convention. We welcome Cambodia's efforts to fully implement its new law on intercountry adoption.

Updated information will be provided on www.adoption.state.gov as it becomes available.

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/country_specific_alerts_notices.php?alert_notice_type=notices&alert_notice_file=cambodia_3
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USCIS Country Information on Cambodia Adoption

The USCIS has recently published country information on its intercountry adoptions pages. The following is their statement on Cambodia, which can be found at:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=ecab18a1f8b73210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=ecab18a1f8b73210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

Cambodia is a party to the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention. DOS determined that Cambodia is currently not meeting its obligations under the Convention. For this reason, DOS Consular officers cannot issue the required Hague Adoption Certificate or Hague Custody Declaration at this time.

In light of the inability to complete the immigration process for Hague cases, prospective adoptive parents are strongly urged not to file Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, identifying Cambodia as the country from which they intend to adopt.

Additionally, the United States suspended orphan visa petition processing in Cambodia on December 21, 2001, due to the inability to verify that any particular Cambodian child is an “orphan” as defined in U.S. immigration law. It is important to note that this suspension remains in effect for any Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, filed prior to April 1, 2008.

Ethics, Transparency, Support~
What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/