[sak9645]

If your relative had the child as an unmarried person, and is not living with the father of the child or a stepfather of the child, he/she would probably qualify as an eligible orphan.

The I-600 requests information on the child for whom a visa is being sought. If the prospective parent has filed the I-600A in the U.S., he/she will often file the I-600 at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the foreign country, after receiving custody of the child via adoption or guardianship. However, he/she can also file it with his/her local USCIS office in the United States, I'm told, prior to travel.

If the I-600 is filed overseas, the parent will be asked for certain additional paperwork at that time. Some of this paperwork will be about the child -- for example, the adoption decree, birth certificate, foreign passport, report of an examination at an approved visa medical clinic, and so on. There will also be certain additional paperwork about the parents, in some cases, such as the I-864 Affidavit of Support if only one parent
travels. The child will have to be present at the Embassy or Consulate.

Based on the information provided, a Consular official may simply issue a visa, or he/she may delay issuing the visa, pending the outcome of an investigation into the facts pertaining to the child. In some countries, there may be a request for a birthparent interview, for example, so that the Embassy can be sure that the child was voluntarily relinquished and not bought or kidnapped, or so the Embassy can verify that the woman is a single parent. Any irregularities in the foreign paperwork, even fairly minor ones such as two different spellings of the birthmother's name, could cause
delays.

If the I-600 is filed in the U.S., there may be fewer problems when the family goes to the Embassy or Consulate abroad to obtain the child's visa. However, Consular officials overseas still have the right to request additional information if their knowledge of local conditions leads them to suspect that something is amiss.

In countries where there is a long tradition of adoption by U.S. citizens, and where the foreign government tends to be meticulous in its handling of adoption issues, I-600s and visa applications are handled fairly routinely. As an example, it is rare for the Consular authorities in Guangzhou, China to challenge any paperwork. With about 7,000 Chinese adoptions annually by American citizens, and with a tightly controlled and centralized adoption process, things tend to go very smoothly.

In countries where there is a history of child trafficking, visa fraud, etc., investigations tend to be more thorough and there may be specific, required investigative processes. As an example, with regard to non-relative direct relinquishment adoptions from Guatemala, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City requires DNA testing of the child and the birthmother, to ensure that the woman relinquishing the child is, in fact, the birthmother and not someone who has stolen or bought the child.

While it is, at least theoretically, possible to do independent adoption from some countries -- others don't allow it -- I would like to reiterate
that you should have competent help to ensure that things go smoothly.

You may find an adoption agency that can help you with a Belize adoption, but I don't think it's your best or lowest cost option. There are very few adoptions from Belize, and I can't think of an American agency with expertise in that country, though there could be one.

On the Belizean side, you will probably need an attorney to handle the adoption/guardianship in the country's court system. Be very careful in choosing such a person, to make sure that everything is done in a legal and ethical manner, and that the person is thoroughly familiar with the processes and personalities involved. Your adoption/immigration attorney can help you find such a person if you don't have good contacts.

On the American side, I would STRONGLY advise against trying to go it alone. U.S. immigration law is complicated, and it is easy to run into problems if
you aren't thoroughly familiar with the process, or if you rely solely on a foreign attorney.

I'm afraid that I don't know an attorney in your area who can help you. I will PM you with the name of an immigration/adoption attorney in Georgia who might be able to refer you to someone. She is very, very well regarded in the field of adoption and immigration law. You can also call your local bar association.

Sharon