At least one of the adopting parents must be a United States citizen. Licensed adoption agencies provide services to assist people in adopting foreign-born orphans through the Intercountry Adoption Program. Although it is possible to adopt a child from another country independently, it is much better to go through an agency. Intercountry adoptions can be more expensive than domestic adoptions. In addition to travel expenses, INS fees, and fees for additional documentation, agency fees usually are higher, as are foreign court fees.
Many people work with a foreign agency, as well, which is an additional expense.
Intercountry adoptions also can be more difficult. The waiting period both before and after the adoptive parents qualify may be longer, and there is a greater risk of medical and social factors becoming problematic. All of this said, intercountry adoption is a perfect option for many people. Adopting a healthy infant may be a greater possibility in an intercountry adoption, because waiting lists for American-born infants are quite long. In addition to coordinating placement of a child with adoptive parents, most public and private adoption agencies provide other services to both sets of parents.