Canadians may sponsor a child under 19 who has been adopted abroad or is to be adopted in Canada. These requirements are intended to protect the best interests of the child. With international adoptions, adoptive parents must deal with several different processes and jurisdictions. Citizenship and Immigration Canada CIC is responsible for immigration requirements.
Adoptive parents complete a sponsorship application , as with any family class sponsorship.
The immigration application is completed on behalf of the child and the child must undergo a medical examination and obtain a passport from the child's country of nationality. Visa officers need to ensure that a genuine parent-child relationship exists, and that it is not an adoption of convenience. A child adopted by Canadian citizens does not automatically become a Canadian citizen, but comes to Canada with an immigrant visa and becomes a permanent resident. Then parents can apply for citizenship on behalf of the child. For more information, please see International Adoption and the Immigration Process .