[oldbean]

Just want to know if anyone adopted from China with a not so perfect police record?

[sak9645]

It depends on the nature of the offense, when the offense occurred, and whether the offense was repeated or a one-time thing.

Neither your homestudy agency nor the USCIS nor China will accept you if you committed a crime of spouse abuse, child abuse or neglect, or violence. And they are also unlikely to accept you if you have been a seller of illegal drugs. Some agencies won't accept you if there has been any felony conviction, even for a nonviolent offense.

It is unlikely that you will be accepted by your homestudy agency, the USCIS, or China if you committed a crime recently. In general, if you have an offense on your record, it should be at least ten years old. However, it may be possible to adopt if there was a rather minor offense slightly more recently.

It is pretty unlikely that you will be accepted if you had multiple offenses. This is especially true with alcohol or drug-related offenses, as it suggests dependency on these substances. The USCIS and China are very concerned about substance abuse, and/or a pattern of criminal activity.

You should never try to hide the offense or to justify it with statements like, "Everyone was doing it," or "It was a pretty minor thing." You should disclose the offense to your social worker and let him/her know that you recognize it was a stupid thing to do. China states explicitly that one of the criteria it uses in deciding whether a person who has committed a crime should be allowed to adopt is whether he/she truly shows remorse.

If you got any counseling -- for example, if you attended an alcohol awareness class after a DUI -- be sure to let him/her know, as it can work in your favor.

With any criminal offense, you will probably need to obtain information from the police or court about it.

If you were falsely accused of a crime -- for example, by a vindictive ex-spouse -- be sure to disclose this fact and be ready to obtain evidence that any charges against you were dismissed as unfounded.

[skingspan]

I think it depends what the arrest was for.

I was arrested when I was 17 for a minor offense and my agency said it wouldn't be a big deal but I did need to get a certified copy of the court docket and write a letter explaining the arrest.

I think the key is to be upfront and honest about it as long as it isn't a major crime they should be able to work with it.