Page "International adoption" Paragraph 4

In the United States, typically the first stage of the process is selecting a licensed adoption agency or agency to work with.

Each agency or attorney works with a different set of countries, although some only focus on a single country.

Pursuant to the rules of the Hague Convention ( an international treaty related to adoption issues ) the adoption agency or attorney must be accredited by the U. S. government if the child's country is also a participant in the Hague Convention.

If the child's country is not a participant in the Hague Convention, then the rules of the Hague do not apply, and instead the specific laws of the child and adoptive parents must be followed.

Even when the Hague does not apply, a home study and USCIS ( United States Citizen and Immigration Services )( formerly INS ( Immigration and Naturalization Service ) approval are requirements.

The Hague is discussed below.