What requirements that must be met for obtaining permanent residence are specific for adopted foreign orphans?
Special rules apply for obtaining permanent residence for adopted foreign orphans that do not apply in other family based immigrant categories. For these special rules to apply, the following five requirements must be met: The childs country of origin must permit adoptions by foreign nationals, and the prospective US citizen parents must comply with all of the rules of that country relating to adoptions; The child to be adopted must be under 16 years old and must either have no surviving parent or only one parent who cannot care for the child and has authorized the childs adoption and immigration; The adoptive parent must be a US citizen, although in the case of a married couple, who must make a joint petition, only one needs to be a US citizen. Single adoptive parents must be at least 25 years of age; The child must have been formally adopted in its country of origin, or the adoptive parents must have custody of the child for immigration and an adoption to be finalized in the US ; and
