Armenia is a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention or Convention).  Intercountry adoption processing in Convention countries must be done in accordance with the requirements of the Hague Adoption Convention; the U.S. implementing legislation, the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA); the IAA’s implementing regulations and U.S. adoption-related immigration policies; as well as the implementing legislation and regulations of Armenia.  Please see below in the Who Can Adopt, Who can be Adopted, and How to Adopt sections for more detail on the intercountry adoption steps involving Armenia.

We are aware there are also prospective adoptive parents who reside abroad who wish to adopt a child from the United States.  Please see our section on Adoptions from the United States for more information on the process for adopting a child from the United States.

In addition to being found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS, prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt a child from Armenia must meet the following requirements imposed by Armenia:

• Minimum Residency: There is no requirement under Armenian law for foreign nationals to reside in Armenia prior to adoption.
  
  
• Age of Adopting Parents: At least one of the prospective adoptive parents must be at least 18 years older than the child he/she intends to adopt but must not be more than 50 years older than the child.
  
  
• Marriage: Single people and married couples, with or without children, are eligible to adopt from Armenia. Couples adopting a child must be married.
  
  
• Minimum Income: There is no minimum income requirement for the prospective adoptive parents. The adoptive parents’ ability to care for a child is evaluated at the time of the application to Armenia’s Central Authority.

• Other requirements: Under Armenian law, same sex marriages are not recognized. Persons with certain illnesses, including psychotic mental disorders; non-psychotic mental disorders, which are accompanied by frequent exhibitions of neurotic and personality disorders; cognitive development disorders; dementia; schizophrenia; schizophrenic condition and hallucinogenic disorders; epilepsy with specific temperament changes/epileptic temperament (disintegration of personality); affective mood disorders; drug addiction; alcoholism; substance abuse; active tuberculosis; organ-system diseases at the decompensation stage with irreversible changes and stable functional disorder; acute infectious diseases; and sexually transmitted diseases and skin infectious diseases may not adopt in Armenia. Individuals who at the moment of adoption have convictions for grave or particularly grave crimes against a human being or public order and morality may not adopt from Armenia. Persons who have been recognized incapable or restrictedly capable by court; those who have spouses who are recognized incapable or restrictedly capable by court; persons deprived of parental rights or with restricted parental rights; persons deprived of guardianship rights for not fulfilling their obligations; and those whose previous adoptions were terminated by their own fault may not adopt from Armenia.

Because Armenia is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, children from Armenia must meet the requirements of the Convention in order to be eligible for intercountry adoption.  For example, the adoption may take place only if the competent authorities of Armenia have determined that placement of the child within Armenia has been given due consideration and that an intercountry adoption is in the child’s best interests.

For an adoption to be completed, the Central Authority must determine that the prospective adoptive parents are eligible and suitable to adopt, ensure that they have been counseled as necessary, determine that the child is or will be authorized to enter and reside permanently in the United States, and agree that the adoption or grant of legal custody may proceed. Confirmation that these steps have been taken is conveyed to the Central Authority via an Article 5 letter.

In addition to qualifying as a Convention adoptee under U.S. immigration law, the child must also meet the following requirements imposed by Armenia:

• Eligibility for adoption: Before a child becomes eligible for intercountry adoption, they must be registered and listed on the domestic adoption database for three months.  Should a foreign citizen and an Armenian citizen both wish to adopt the same child, preference is given to Armenian citizens permanently residing in Armenia. Siblings must be adopted together, unless there is an unusual health situation or age difference which would cause separate adoption to better meet the best interests of both children.
• Age of Adoptive Child:  Adoption in Armenia is possible for children from the age of three months to 18 years. Please note that for a child to meet the definition of Convention adoptee under U.S. immigration law, a Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, must be filed on the child’s behalf while the child is under the age of 16 (or under the age of 18 if the child is the birth sibling of another adopted child who meets the age and other requirements to immigrate based on adoption by the same adoptive parent(s)).  Please see the USCIS website and Form I-800 instructions for special rules on filing dates for children aged 15-16 or siblings under 18.

Caution: Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that not all children in orphanages or children’s homes are eligible for adoption.  In many countries, birth parents place their child(ren) temporarily in an orphanage or children’s home due to financial or other hardship, intending that the child return home when possible.  In such cases, the birth parent(s) have not relinquished their parental rights or consented to the adoption of their child(ren).

Warning:  Do not adopt or obtain legal custody of a child in Armenia before: 1) USCIS has approved your Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, 2) the Central Authority of Armenia has determined the child is eligible for intercountry adoption, 3) USCIS has provisionally approved your Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, and 4) a U.S. consular officer has issued an “Article 5/17 Letter” in the case.  Read on for more information.

Armenia’s Central Adoption Authority

Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia/Civil Acts Registration Services

The Process

Because Armenia is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, adoptions from Armenia must follow a specific process designed to meet the Convention’s requirements.  A brief summary of the U.S. Convention adoption process is provided below.  You must complete these steps in the following order to meet all necessary U.S. legal requirements.  Completing certain steps out of order may cause significant delays or result in the child not being eligible for an immigrant visa to the United States.

1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider
2. Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt (Form I-800A)
3. Apply to Armenia’s Authorities to Adopt, and Be Matched with a Child
4. Apply to USCIS for the Child to be Found Provisionally Eligible for Immigration to the United
5. States as a Convention Adoptee (Form I-800)
6. Apply for U.S. Visa and Receive U.S. Agreement to Proceed with the Adoption (Article 5/17 letter)
7. Adopt the Child in Armenia
8. Secure a U.S. Immigrant Visa if You Intend to Reside with Your Child in the United States
9. Obtain U.S. Citizenship for Your Child

1. Choose a U.S. Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Provider to Act as Your Primary Provider That Has Been Authorized by Armenia’s Central Authority to Operate in Armenia

The accredited agency or approved person you identify as the primary provider is responsible for:

• Ensuring that all six adoption services defined at 22 CFR 96.2 are provided consistent with applicable laws and regulations;
• Supervising and being responsible for any supervised providers, and otherwise complying with the requirements regarding the provision of adoption services using other providers (see 22 CFR 96.14); and
• Developing and implementing a service plan in accordance with 22 CFR 96.44.

Only accredited agencies, approved persons, supervised providers, exempted providers, public domestic authorities, and public foreign authorities that have been authorized by the Government of Armenia may provide adoption services in intercountry adoption cases.

Learn more about Agency Accreditation.

2.  Apply to USCIS to be Found Suitable and Eligible to Adopt

In order to adopt a child from Armenia, you will need to meet the requirements of the Government of Armenia and U.S. immigration law.

After you choose an accredited or approved adoption service provider, you must be found suitable and eligible to adopt by USCIS by submitting Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country.  You will need to submit a home study, provide biometrics, and cooperate in a background check as part of this application. Please see USCIS webpages on suitability determinations and USCIS policy guidance on adoptive parent suitability determinations.  Unless an exception applies, the home study must be prepared by a person who is authorized under 22 CFR 96 to prepare home studies and who holds any license or other authorization required by the law of the jurisdiction where the home study is conducted (unless a public domestic or public foreign authority).  The home study must comply with the requirements in 8 CFR 204.311 and USCIS policy.

3.  Apply to Armenia’s Authorities to Adopt, and be Matched with a Child

Submit Your Dossier to the Central Authority

After USCIS determines that you are suitable and eligible to adopt and approves the Form I-800A application, your adoption service provider will provide your approval notice, home study, and any other required information to the adoption authority in Armenia as part of your adoption application.  Armenia’s adoption authority will review your application to determine whether you are also suitable and eligible to adopt under Armenia’s law.

Receive a Referral for a Child from the Central Authority

If both the United States and Armenia determine that you are suitable and eligible to adopt, and Armenia’s Central Authority for Convention adoptions has determined that a child is eligible for adoption and that intercountry adoption is in that child’s best interests, the Central Authority for Convention adoptions in Armenia may provide you with a referral.  The referral is a proposed match between you and a specific child based on a review of your dossier and the needs of the child.  The adoption authority in Armenia will provide a background study and other information, if available, about the child to help you decide whether to accept the referral.  We encourage families to consider consulting with a medical professional and their adoption service provider to understand the needs of the specific child, but you must decide for yourself whether you will be able to meet the needs of and provide a permanent home for a specific child.  You must also adhere to the USCIS suitability determination with respect to the number of children and capacity to deal with any special needs of an adoptive child.  Learn more about Health Considerations.  If you accept the referral, the adoption service provider communicates that to the Central Authority in Armenia. Learn more about this critical decision.

4.  Apply to USCIS for the Child to be Found Provisionally Eligible for Immigration to the United States as a Convention Adoptee and Receive U.S. Agreement to Proceed with the Adoption

Submit a Form I-800 Petition to Obtain Provisional Determination on the Child’s Immigration Eligibility

After you accept a match with a particular child, you will apply to USCIS for provisional approval for the child to immigrate to the United States by filing the Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative.  USCIS will make a provisional determination as to whether the child appears to meet the definition of a Convention Adoptee and will likely be eligible to be admitted to the United States.

5. Apply for U.S. Visa and Receive U.S. Agreement to Proceed with the Adoption (Article 5/17 letter)

After provisional approval of the Form I-800 petition, you or your adoption service provider will submit a visa application to the consular section of U.S. Embassy Yerevan responsible for issuing immigrant visas to children from Armenia.  Your child will need an immigrant visa if you intend to reside in the United States with your child.  If instead you intend to continue residing overseas with your child but still seek naturalization of your child by application (Form N-600K), you will not need an immigrant visa, but you may need a different type of visa to complete that process.  Please discuss this with the consular officer handling your case and consult the USCIS website for more information.

You should receive a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and assigning a case number and an invoice ID number.  Use this information to log into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) to file the Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) for your child.  An adoptive parent should fill out these forms in your child's name.  Answer every item on the form.  If information is not applicable, please write “N/A” in the block.  Please review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact the NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.  A consular officer will review the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and the visa application and, if applicable, advise you of options for the waiver of any ineligibilities related to the visa application.

The consular officer will send a letter (referred to as an “Article 5/17 Letter”) to Armenia’s Central Authority in any intercountry adoption involving U.S. citizen parents and a child from Armenia if all Convention requirements are met and the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States.  This letter will inform Armenia’s Central Authority that the parents are suitable and eligible to adopt, that the child appears eligible to enter and reside permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority agrees that the adoption may proceed.

Warning:  Do not attempt to adopt a child in Armenia before you receive provisional approval of your Form I-800 petition AND a U.S. consular officer issues the “Article 5/17 Letter” for your adoption case.

Remember:  The consular officer will make a final decision about a child’s eligibility for an immigrant visa later in the adoption process.

6.  Adopt the Child in Armenia

Remember:  Before you adopt a child in Armenia, you must have completed the above five steps.  Only after completing these steps can you proceed to finalize the adoption.

The process for finalizing the adoption in Armenia generally includes the following:

• Role of Adoption Authority or Competent Authority:  The Central Authority in Armenia reviews the applications for registration in Armenia as prospective adoptive parents. The Central Authority is also responsible for matching a child with the prospective adoptive parents. Once a specific child has been identified for the prospective adoptive parents by the Central Authority and the prospective adoptive parents accept the match, the Central Authority conducts several reviews of the case in conjunction with various departments within the Armenian government. Following this review, the Armenian government may issue a permit for the adoption to proceed. Lastly, the Central Authority issues an intercountry adoption certificate after the adoption is finalized in court and registers the adoption in the Civil Status Acts Registration office.
• Role of the Court: Once the prospective adoptive parents accept the match and the government review process is complete, prospective adoptive parents apply to the court and a hearing date is set. During the hearing, the judge makes decisions on any requests to change the child’s name, date of birth and place of birth. After the hearing, the court will issue the decision, which will enter into force immediately and within 30 days the final court decision will be registered. Prospective adoptive parents and the child (if ten years of age or more) must be present during the court proceedings.
• Role of Accredited or Approved Adoption Service Providers:  Armenian law does not recognize adoption agencies, professional adoption facilitators, or attorneys in the adoption process. It does allow prospective adoptive parents to grant power of attorney to an individual to handle most aspects of the adoption process on their behalf, and therefore U.S. adoption service providers may help prospective adoptive parents throughout the adoption process by obtaining their power of attorney. Services that the accredited or approved adoption service providers may provide include translating and submitting paperwork and providing information.
• As noted above, any agency or person providing an adoption service on behalf of prospective adoptive parents in any Convention intercountry adoption case must be accredited or approved or be a supervised or exempted provider.
  
• Adoption service means any one of the following six services, under 22 CFR 96.2 Definitions:
  • Identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption;
  • Securing the necessary consent to termination of parental rights and to adoption;
  • Performing a background study on a child or a home study on a prospective adoptive parent(s), and reporting on such a study;
  • Making non-judicial determinations of the best interests of a child and the appropriateness of an adoptive placement for the child;
  • Monitoring a case after a child has been placed with prospective adoptive parent(s) until final adoption; or
  • When necessary because of a disruption before final adoption, assuming custody and providing (including facilitating the provision of) child care or any other social service pending an alternative placement.
• Adoption Application: To register as a prospective adoptive parent, applicants should apply to Armenia’s Central Authority, which can be submitted to Armenia’s Central Authority through the accredited or approved adoption service provider that has a power of attorney for the prospective adoptive parents. The application form is not available online but can be obtained by contacting Armenia’s Central Authority at the email address provided in the “contact information” section below or may be obtained from the U.S. accredited or approved adoption service provider.
• Time Frame: Intercountry adoptions in Armenia may take approximately one to two years to complete.  The Central Authority takes about two months to review applications for candidates to be registered as prospective adoptive parents in Armenia. Once the prospective adoptive parents are registered, the timing for matching a child with an eligible child is unpredictable. If there is no child available that meets the prospective adoptive parents’ specified criteria, the Central Authority will not match the parents with a child. Once the parents have accepted a child proposed for matching and communicated this to the Central Authority, the various government reviews take an additional two months to complete. The court process takes another two to three months. If a court decision needs to be reviewed by the Court of Appeals, this step can require additional time.

Adoption Fees:

• Administrative fees charged by the adoption authority – State duty of 1,000,000 AMD is charged for the examination of foreign citizens registration applications to adopt a child. 
• Issuance of Adoption Certificate by Armenian Central Authority is AMD 300 000 AMD
• Visa fees – Immigrant Visa processing fee – 325 USD or equivalent in Armenian drams is paid at Consular cashier when filing visa application on behalf of the child.
• Fees charged by specialized professionals – Local adoption facilitators working with U.S. accredited or approved adoption service providers may charge the following fees:
  • Legal services – 1,000 USD
  • Counseling and translation services – 2,000 USD
• Birth certificate – No fee is charged for registration of a birth in Armenia, including the issuance of a birth certificate.
• Passport – State duty 1,000 AMD is charged for passport issuance. For expedited issuance of the passport, up to 20,000 AMD may be charged.
• Legalization of documents – State duty for a notarized certification of a document is 2,000 AMD, while translation of a one-page document will cost from 4,000 to 5,000 AMD.
• Court application fee – 20,000 AMD.
• Medical examination – The basic examination fee for each applicant is 50 000 AMD.
• Chest X-ray and laboratory tests will be conducted for additional fees according to age requirements.
• Applicants aged 15 and older must have a chest radiography (chest x-ray). Chest X-ray in one position is 8 000 AMD. The fee for two positions is 12 000 AMD
• Applicants aged 2 years and older must have an IGRA test. The IGRA test fee is 40 000 AMD. If the test is positive, an additional chest X-ray is required.

We encourage prospective adoptive parents to obtain detailed receipts for all fees and donations paid, either by them directly or through your U.S. adoption service provider, and to raise any concerns regarding any payment that you believe may be contrary to the Convention, U.S. law, or the law of Armenia, with your adoption service provider, and, when appropriate, through the Complaint Registry.  Improper payments violate applicable law or create the appearance of buying a child and could put all future adoptions in Armenia at risk. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, for instance, makes it unlawful to make payments to foreign government officials to assist in obtaining or retaining business. Further, the IAA makes certain actions relating to intercountry adoptions unlawful, and subject to civil and criminal penalties.  These include offering, giving, soliciting, or accepting inducement by way of compensation intended to influence or affect the relinquishment of parental rights, parental consent relating to adoption of a child, or a decision by an entity performing functions as a competent central authority, or to engage another person as an agent to take any such action.

In the adoption services contract that you sign at the beginning of the adoption process, your adoption service provider will itemize the fees and estimated expenses related to your adoption process.

Documents Required:  The following is a list of documents required to register as a prospective adoptive parent in Armenia:

• Adoption application form
• Copy of the prospective adoptive parents’ passports
• Form I-800A approval notice
• Copy of the home study, including a description of the family and the home where the adopted child will reside
• Work verification letters indicating position, salary, and three reference letters
• Tax return for the most recent tax year
• Copy of marriage certificate, if applicable
• Copy of divorce decree, or spouse’s death certificate, if applicable
• Medical evaluation report for the prospective adoptive parent(s)
• Local police check for the prospective adoptive parents
• Training certificate on family preparation
• Power of attorney for an accredited or approved adoption service provider

The following documents must be submitted to the Court to finalize the adoption in Armenia:

• Full names of the prospective adoptive parent(s) and child
• Notification of prospective adoptive parents’ plans to change the child’s name, date, or place of birth, or to list themselves as parents on the new documents
• Prospective adoptive parents’ passports or other identification
• Prospective adoptive parents’ marriage certificate, if applicable
• Child’s consent if the child is over 10 years of age
• Child’s birth certificate and medical records
• Statement of child’s centralized registration from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
• Written consent of adoptive parents, birth parents, and the orphanage. If applicable, death certificates of birth parents and consents of biological grandparents if the biological parents are not legal adults.
• Government approval of prospective adoptive parents

Note:  Additional documents may be requested.

Authentication of Documents:  You may be asked to provide proof that a document from the United States is authentic. The U.S. Department of State’s Authentications Office has information on the subject.

7.  Secure a U.S. Immigrant Visa for Your Child If You Intend to Reside with Your Child in the United States

Once your adoption is complete, there are a few more steps to take before your child can enter the United States.  Specifically, the consular officer will need to issue a Hague Adoption Certificate and grant final approval of the Form I-800 petition.  Then you will need to obtain three documents before you secure a visa so your child can travel to the United States:

Birth Certificate

You will need to obtain a new or updated birth certificate for your child.

If you have finalized the adoption in Armenia, you will need to obtain a new birth certificate for your child with your name on it.

If you have been granted legal custody for the purposes of emigration and adoption of the child in the United States, the birth certificate you obtain will, in most cases, not yet include your name.

To obtain a birth certificate for the child with a new name and other information, the adoptive parent(s) must apply to the Civil Status Acts Registration office.

The following documents are required to obtain a new birth certificate for the child:

1. A written statement; (the sample form may be obtained from the website of the Ministry of Justice of Republic of Armenia, office of Civil Status Acts Registration (CSAR)); The application will be completed by an employee of the CSAR through an electronic system and given to the applicant to be signed. Preliminary completed hard copy of the application is not acceptable as it is subject to a mandatory submission through the electronic system.
2. Identification document of adopting parent(s);
3. A copy of the court judgment certifying the adoption of the child and the legal custody of the adopting parents; and
4. Child’s first birth certificate issued by the medical facility where the child was born, or which provided medical care during birth.

The birth registration takes a maximum of two days from submission of the application to the Civil Status Acts Registration Agency. No fee is charged for the registration of a birth, including the issuance of a certificate.

The adoption certificate will be provided to the child along with the new birth certificate.

After receiving the Birth and the Adoption Certificates, the prospective adoptive parents may apply to the Central Authority to receive the Intercountry Adoption certificate. The adopted child’s passport, court decision, child’s birth and adoption certificates are required to file the application.

Armenian Passport

Your child is not yet a U.S. citizen, so he/she will need a travel document or passport from Armenia.

Parents must visit the Armenian Passport Agency (located at Davtashen, 4th District, 17/10 Building) to apply for an Armenian passport for the child. The agency charges 1,000 AMD for passport issuance. Regular passport processing time is up to five working days. Expedited issuance of a passport within one or two days costs up to 20,000 AMD.

The child must have a passport before the visa interview at the U.S. Embassy.

U.S. Immigrant Visa

After you obtain the new birth certificate and passport for your child, you will then need to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa for your child from U.S. Embassy Yerevan if you intend to bring your child to reside in the United States with you.  After the adoption is granted, visit U.S. Embassy for a final review of the case the issuance of a U.S. Hague Adoption Certificate or Hague Custody Certificate, the final approval of the Form I-800 petition, and, if applicable, to obtain your child’s immigrant visa.  This immigrant visa allows your child to travel home with you and be admitted to the United States as your child.  Please contact U.S. Embassy Yerevan by email at  yerevanvisas@state.gov or through the Visa Navigator: https://am.usembassy.gov/visa-navigator-and-courier-pick-up-information/ to schedule your child’s immigrant visa appointment.  As part of this process, you must provide the consular officer with the Panel Physician’s medical report on the child if you did not provide it during the Form I-800 provisional approval stage.  Read more about the Medical Examination.

You will have already completed an Electronic Immigrant Visa Application (DS-260) online at the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) after receiving a letter from the National Visa Center (NVC) confirming receipt of the provisionally approved Form I-800 petition and assignment of a case number and an invoice ID number.  Print and bring the DS-260 confirmation page to the visa interview.  Review the DS-260 FAQs, our Online Immigrant Visa Forms page, or contact NVC at NVCAdoptions@state.gov if you have questions about completing the online DS-260 form.

Upon receipt of the case, the U.S. Embassy Yerevan generally notifies the petitioner. Visa issuance after the final interview generally takes 24-48 hours.  It is not usually possible to provide the visa to adoptive parents on the same day as the immigrant visa interview.  You should verify current processing times with U.S. Embassy Yerevan before making final travel arrangements.  Additional information on immigrant visa processing can be found on our website.

If you will reside outside the United States with your child, you should contact the Central or competent authority where you reside for additional information about how to bring your child to that country.

8.   Obtain U.S. Citizenship for Your Child

If you obtain an immigrant visa for your child, USCIS will mail your child either a permanent resident card (green card), or a Certificate of Citizenship, after your child enters the United States. If you plan to reside outside the United States with your child (and, therefore, may not benefit from an immigrant visa for your child), please see the relevant section below.

For adoptions finalized abroad before the child’s admission into the United States:  A child who was adopted abroad and has satisfied Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 101(b)(1)(E), INA 101(b)(1)(F), or INA 101(b)(1)(G) requirements, who is residing in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent residence generally will acquire U.S. citizenship after admission if the child is under the age of 18 when these conditions are met.

Depending on the visa your child receives, their age, and the other INA 320 requirements, you may not need to take any additional action for your child to acquire U.S. citizenship.  However, if your child does not meet the requirements of INA 320 at the time of admission into the United States, you may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met.  More information is available on the USCIS website.

For adoptions not finalized until after the child’s admission to the United States:

If the adoption is not finalized before the child is admitted to the United States, the child’s adoptive parent(s) must complete the adoption (or re-adoption or obtain judicial recognition of the foreign adoption) in the United States before the child turns 18 for the child to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship (if the child otherwise meets the requirements of INA 320).  You may file a Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, once the requirements are met.  More information is available on the USCIS Fact Sheet: Securing U.S. Citizenship for Your Child.

If you reside outside the United States with your child, you may file a Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322 with USCIS to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for your child if your child satisfies the requirements of INA 322.

Note: If you are a military service member or U.S. government employee who chooses to seek an immigrant visa for your child versus completing the Form N-600K process, you may need to use Form N-600 to apply for a Certificate of Citizenship.  Please note, however, that USCIS cannot mail Certificates of Citizenship abroad for children who acquire citizenship under INA 320.   

Read more about INA 320 and 322 in the USCIS Policy Manual and USCIS website U.S. Citizenship for an Adopted Child.

Applying for Your U.S. Passport

U.S. citizens are required to enter and depart the United States on a valid U.S. passport.  Once your child acquires U.S. citizenship, s/he will need a U.S. passport for international travel.  Only the U.S. Department of State has the authority to grant, issue, or verify U.S. passports.

Getting or renewing a passport is easy.  The Department of State’s Passport Application Wizard will help you determine which passport form you need, help you to complete the form online, estimate your payment, and generate the form for you to print—all in one place.

Obtaining a Visa to Travel to Armenia

In addition to a U.S. passport, you may also need to obtain a visa.  Where required, visas are affixed to your passport and allow you to enter a foreign nation. To find information about obtaining a visa for Armenia, see the Department of State’s country page.

Staying Safe on Your Trip

Before you travel, it is always a good practice to investigate the local conditions, laws, political landscape, and culture of the country.  The Department of State provides country information for every country in the world about various issues, including health conditions, crime, currency or entry requirements, and any areas of instability.

Staying in Touch on Your Trip

When traveling abroad during the adoption process, we encourage you to enroll with the Department of State through our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive important information from the U.S. Embassy about safety conditions in your destination country.  Enrollment makes it possible for U.S. Embassy, to contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency.  Whether there is a family emergency in the United States or a crisis in Armenia, enrollment assists the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in reaching you.

Enrollment is free and can be done online via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

Post-Adoption/Post-Placement Reporting Requirements

Armenia requires parents to report annually to the authorities for five years from the date of the adoption (based on the adoption certificate). The Armenian Central Authority will provide details of the reporting requirements during the adoption processing.

We urge you to comply with Armenia’s post-adoption/post-placement requirements in a timely manner.  Your adoption service provider may be able to help you with this process.  Your cooperation will contribute to Armenia’s positive experiences with U.S. citizen adoptive parents.

Post-Adoption Resources

Many adoptive parents find it important to find support after the adoption.  There are many public and private nonprofit post-adoption services available for children and their families. There are also numerous adoptive family support groups and adoptee organizations active in the United States that provide a network of options for adoptees who seek out other adoptees from the same country of origin.  You may wish to take advantage of all the resources available to your family, whether it is another adoptive family, a support group, an advocacy organization, or your religious or community services.  Your primary provider can provide or point you to post- placement/post-adoption services to help your adopted child and your family transition smoothly and deal effectively with the many adjustments required in an intercountry adoption.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains a website, the Child Welfare Information Gateway, which can be a useful resource to get you started on your support group search.

COMPLAINTS

If you have concerns about your intercountry adoption process, we ask that you share this information with U.S. Embassy Yerevan, particularly if it involves possible fraud or misconduct specific to your child’s case. The Department of State takes all allegations of fraud or misconduct seriously. Our Adoption Comment Page provides several points of contact for adoptive families to comment on their adoption service provider, their experience applying for their child’s visa, or about the Form I-800/A petition process.

The Complaint Registry is an internet-based registry for filing complaints about the compliance of U.S. accredited or approved adoption service providers with U.S. accreditation standards.  If you think your provider's conduct may not have been in compliance with accreditation standards, first submit your complaint in writing directly to your provider.  If the complaint is not resolved through the provider's complaint process, you may file the complaint through the Complaint Registry.

U.S. Embassy in Armenia
Address: 1 American Avenue
Yerevan 0082, Republic of Armenia
Tel: +374-10-464-700
Fax: +374-10-464-742
Email: yerevanvisas@state.gov or go through Visa Navigator
Internet: am.usembassy.gov/

Armenia’s Adoption Authority
Address: Ministry of Justice, Republic of Armenia Central Authority
3/8 Vazgen Sargsyan Street
Yerevan, Armenia 0010
Tel: +374-10-594-167; +374-10-594-158; +374-10-593-931
Email: albertvirabyan@moj.am; astghik.melikkaramyan@moj.am; marine.yaylakhanyan@moj.am
Internet:moj.am/en/

Embassy of Armenia
Address: 2225 R Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 1-202-319-1976
Fax: 1-202-319-8330
Email: armconsularusa@mfa.am
Internet: usa.mfa.am/en/

Armenia also has a consulate in: Los Angeles, California.

Office of Children’s Issues
U.S. Department of State
CA/OCS/CI
SA-17, 9^th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20522-1709
Tel: 1-888-407-4747
Email: Adoption@state.gov
Internet: adoption.state.gov

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

For questions about filing a Form I-800A application or a Form I-800 petition:

USCIS National Benefits Center (NBC):
Tel: 1-877-424-8374 (toll free); 1-913-275-5480 (local); Fax: 1-913-214-5808
Email: NBC.Adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov

For other USCIS-related questions:

USCIS Contact Center
Tel: 1-800-375-5283 (TTY 1-800-767-1833)
Internet: uscis.gov