DOS: Guyana accedes to the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption UPDATED

From here:”On February 5, 2019, Guyana deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). The Convention will enter into force for Guyana on June 1, 2019. The Department is determining if the United States may process Convention adoptions with Guyana pursuant to U.S. law.

Guyana is the 100^th nation to become party to the Hague Adoption Convention, an international agreement that establishes safeguards with the goal of protecting the best interests of the child and of providing greater security, predictability, and transparency for all those involved in an intercountry adoption.

Please monitor adoption.state.gov or subscribe to our listserv for updated information. For questions related to this notice, please email the Office of Children’s Issues at adoption@state.gov.”

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update:From here: “On June 1, 2019, the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) entered into force for Guyana. Please be advised that the Department of State has determined it will not be able to process intercountry adoptions from Guyana initiated on or after June 1, 2019 (see below regarding “transition cases”). Guyana does not yet have implementing legislation giving authority to the designated Central Authority to carry out its responsibilities under the Convention. As a result, consular officers will be unable to issue Hague Adoption Certificates or Custody Certificates, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) cannot approve Form I-800, Petitions to Classify Convention Adoptees as an Immediate Relative, for a child from Guyana.

Families interested in adopting from Guyana may not file the Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative for a child from Guyana until such time as the Department determines Hague Certificates may be approved on a case-by-case basis. Until then, USCIS will reject any Form I-800 petitions filed on behalf of a child from Guyana. The Department of State will notify USCIS and the public if a determination is made that Convention adoption processing with Guyana may proceed.

Transition cases: We are seeking to confirm whether Guyana will continue to process cases in which a U.S. citizen filed a Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, or a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, prior to June 1, 2019, or in which a final adoption was completed prior to June 1, 2019. Once we are able to confirm this information, we will post an updated notice on our website at adoption.state.gov. As of June 1, 2019, families should not file, and USCIS will not process, a Form I-600 for a child from Guyana or a Form I-600A that indicates Guyana as the intended country for adoption.

We are in the process of updating our Country Information Sheet for Guyana. Please continue to monitor adoption.state.gov for updated information as it becomes available. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Office of Children’s Issues at adoption@state.gov.”

Update 2: From here:”With reference to our Adoption Notice dated June 1, 2019, Guyana has confirmed that it will continue to process certain adoption cases under the non-Convention process in effect prior to June 1.  These cases are those in which a U.S. citizen filed a Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, or a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, prior to June 1, 2019, or in which a final adoption was completed prior to June 1, 2019.  CI will continue to coordinate with Guyanese authorities on issues related to “transition cases” and Guyana’s accession to the Hague Adoption Convention.

We are in the process of updating our Country Information Sheet for Guyana.  Please continue to monitor adoption.state.gov for updated information as it becomes available.  If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Office of Children’s Issues at adoption@state.gov.”