Nepal

Effective August 6, 2010, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced the suspension of new adoption cases for children identified as Abandoned in Nepal. The primary concern with these cases is the documentation of the abandonment. DOS feels the origin of the child cannot be adequately determined and the child’s adoptability cannot be assured. The DOS will continue processing adoption petitions for those children referred to an American citizen prior to August 6, 2010. However, the review of these cases will be vigorous and it is expected that some might not be ultimately approved. It appears that cases in which children were relinquished will continue to be processed.The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that prospective adoptive families may do a one-time transfer their Immigration approval (I-171h) to another country at no cost. The full announcement on the suspension and Q&A can be found at: USCIS Announcement & USCIS Q&A

Carolina Adoption Services is currently not accepting new applications to this program. If you were interested in adopting from Nepal, please consider one of our many other international adoption programs. We will update families as more information is made available. If you have any questions please contact Mary Beth King.

Read the most recent news about our Nepal adoption program (click here to read).

Quick Reference

Children:

Age: 3.5-16 years

Parent Requirements:

Age: 30-55, must be 30 years older than child
Marriage: Married at least 5 years

Estimated Process Timeline

From Dossier to referral: 6-12 months
Travel: 3-4 weeks

Children Available

The children available for adoption are of Asian or Indian heritage with a darker skin tone and brown or black hair. The children are available for adoption 90 days after entering the children’s home either by abandonment or relinquishment.

Eligible Applicants

Married couples ages 30-55 and single women ages 35—55 may adopt children from
Nepal. Parents must be at least 30 years older than the matched child. Parents that are 50 years and older should be open to adopting an older child. Couples must be married for at least 5 years. Married couples must provide a certificate of infertility from their doctor(s).

Families that have children are strictly limited to only adopting a child of the opposite gender than the child(ren) in the home. If a family has children of both genders they are not eligible to adopt a child from Nepal. The only exception to this rule is if a family is trying to adopt a biological sibling of a Nepalese child in their home. Families must adopt a child at least three years younger than any child(ren) in the home, unless they are adopting a sibling of a Nepalese child in their home.

Program & Process

Carolina Adoption Service’s staff will assist families with the dossier paperwork. The dossier is then sent to our representatives in Nepal and presented to the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MOWCSW). Once the MOWCSW grants approval, they match the family with an available child. From submission of dossier until the child is referred is approximately 6 to 12 months. Information about a referred child consists of a medical, social, developmental and background report (as available) along with pictures of the child.

Adoptive parents will make one trip to Nepal, which may last 3-4 weeks and includes an interview at the US Embassy in Kathmandu for the child’s immigrant visa.

Parents are met at the airport by our in-country representative and are escorted throughout their trip. Families will stay in or near Kathmandu during their trip.

The Country

Nepal is a mountainous country located north of India and south of China. It is famously known as the home of Mt. Everest in the Himalayans. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world though ironically also one of the most beautiful. The two primary religions in Nepal are Hinduism and Buddhism. The Nepalese embrace a rich culture filled with traditional festivals for every occasion throughout the year. The flag of Nepal is very unique as it is the only flag in the world that is not quadrilateral. The flag is composed of two pennants which symbolize the hope that Nepal will exist as long as the sun and the moon.