Visas for Ukrainian Children in the Process of Intercountry Adoption and/or Who Previously Traveled for Hosting Programs in the United States
The Office of Children’s Issues and many U.S. Embassies in Europe, particularly in countries near Ukraine, are receiving inquiries about how to bring Ukrainian children to the United States for their safety.
For families in various stages of the adoption process for children from Ukraine, we fully understand that prospective adoptive parents fervently wish to explore and employ available and appropriate options for facilitating the arrival into the United States of their prospective adoptive child. We take very seriously and prioritize the importance of facilitating full and final adoptions that comply with both U.S. and Ukrainian laws. Toward that end, we urge families to be cautious of any consultants, legal advisors, or organizations that suggest travel for prospective adoptive children or formerly-hosted children from Ukraine is possible without the approval of the authorities with legal guardianship of the child.
Adoption-Based Visas: Each step in the intercountry adoption process is aimed at ensuring legal requirements in both Ukraine and the United States are met and that immigrant visas are issued to children who are truly in need of permanency. Children without a final adoption decree or guardianship order from a Ukrainian court are not eligible for adoption-based immigrant visas. Please see Information for U.S. Citizens in the Process of Adopting Children from Ukraine for more information. On March 13, the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy confirmed that intercountry adoption is not possible at this time.
DOS link:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/Intercountry-Adoption-News/-notice---visas-for-ukrainian-children---march-21-docx-.html