DOS: Adoption Notice: Adoptions From St. Kitts and Nevis after February 1, 2021

From here, “On February 1, 2021, the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) will enter into force for St. Kitts and Nevis. Please be advised that the Department of State has determined it will not be able to process intercountry adoptions from St. Kitts and Nevis initiated on or after February 1, 2021, under the Convention. St. Kitts and Nevis does not currently have the legal framework granting specific authority to the designated Central Authority to carry out its responsibilities under the Convention, or the institutions allowing it do so. As a result, consular officers will be unable to issue Hague Adoption Certificates. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) cannot approve Form I-800 Petitions to Classify Convention Adoptees as an Immediate Relative without a Hague Adoption Certificate.

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

In the meantime, we are confirming with Nevisian officials whether St. Kitts and Nevis will treat cases in which a U.S. citizen filed a Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, or a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an immediate relative, prior to February 1, 2021, as transition cases, and whether St. Kitts and Nevis will process those cases under the current Form I-600/I-600A process.  As of February 1, 2021, families should not file, and USCIS National Benefits Center will not accept, a Form I-600 or I-600A for a child from St. Kitts and Nevis. Once we are able to confirm this information, we will post an updated notice on our website at adoption.state.gov.

We are in the process of updating our Country Information Sheet for St. Kitts and Nevis. 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. ”

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