Hong Kong is a beautiful, modern yet historic city. Part of China, it enjoys a Special Administrative Region status which allows it to develop in keeping with its unique culture and economy. Located on a deep sea harbor, with many scenic attractions and wonderful local cuisine, Hong Kong is a favorite destination, worldwide. Chinese and English are the predominant languages spoken there.

Hong Kong is party to the Hague Adoption Convention. 

Hong Kong’s Adoption Authority

The Hong Kong Department of Social Welfare is the Central Authority in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.  This department will review your dossier and match you with a child.  

The Process

The process for adopting a child from Hong Kong generally includes the following steps:

• Hand in Hand applicants must submit a completed application, home study, and dossier to Hong Kong through ISS-HK.

• Once the documents are recorded and reviewed, ISS-HK will send Hand in Hand a referral of a child that meet’s the family’s specifications.  The screening and referral process takes an estimated 8 to 12 weeks, depending upon the family’s preferences, and the needs of the children who are currently waiting for placement. If a family has pre-identified a waiting child, they will receive that child’s full referral upon submitting their application to Hong Kong.

• A match is accepted by the family, then the legal procedures in Hong Kong take approximately 8 weeks and the family is granted guardianship by the court in Hong Kong.  

• Hand in Hand families will then be assisted in processing the USCIS I-800  in the US. 

• Upon I-800 approval, ISS-HK will apply for the visa and passport for your child. The visa is granted prior to the family traveling to Hong Kong so time spent in Hong Kong can be spent simply bonding with your child.

• Travel to Hong Kong to pick up your child and bring them home to the United States.

• After a post placement period of several months at home in the U.S., a post placement report is sent to ISS-HK.

• The Central Authority then reviews the report and approves the finalization, which is then completed by a local family court in your county.

Who Can Be Adopted?

Children from 1 year to 15 years of age with special placement needs are available for adoption. Special placement needs may include medical health needs, developmental health needs, or birth family issues. Some waiting children have moderate to severe special needs such as Thalassemia or Down Syndrome. Some older children are available who have no apparent medical problems. Each prospective family will be asked to complete a medical needs list, indicating the needs they might consider. ISS-HK will use this list, as well as information provided in the home study and dossier, to identify a potential child match for your family.

Who Can Adopt?

• Age of Adopting Parents: Prospective adoptive parents must be at least 25 years of age to adopt from Hong Kong.
  

• Marriage: Married, heterosexual couples are eligible to adopt from Hong Kong, with a minimum length of 3 years of marriage. If either prospective parent has been divorced, the minimum length of marriage is 5 years. Single women are only permitted to adopt from Hong Kong if they have experience in child care and a strong support network.
  

• Minimum Income: Hong Kong uses the Hong Kong Median Monthly Domestic Household Income as a standard requirement for prospective adoptive parents adopting children from Hong Kong. Prospective parents are required to submit tax returns and a financial questionnaire as part of the application process.
  

Travel Requirements

Both prospective adoptive parents are required to travel to Hong Kong to accept placement of the child. Time in Hong Kong is typically 7 days, though this time may vary slightly. While in Hong Kong, you will receive a guardianship agreement from the Hong Kong court, a Hong Kong passport, and a U.S. visa for the child. Families will be assisted with all travel arrangements.

Timeframe

From time of application to time of travel/placement, families can expect the process to take between 12 and 18 months.