International adoption

About 2,000 foreign children are adopted by citizens or permanent residents of Canada every year. Canada’s immigration system works to deal with these adoptions as quickly as possible. However, international adoption can be a long process. Before you travel, see the Important Notice for Adoptive Parents in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

Before you apply

It is important to understand that you must complete two processes for an international adoption: the adoption process and the immigration process. You need to understand the steps in both of these processes if you are thinking about adopting a child from overseas.

The adoption process

• The provincial and territorial governments are responsible for adoptions in Canada. Your first step should be to contact your provincial or territorial government office to get information about adopting a child. See Provincial and territorial government offices in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
• Some provinces and territories use licensed agencies to handle most of the adoption process. Your provincial or territorial government office will tell you if you will need to contact a licensed agency.
• If you want to adopt a child from a foreign country, you must obey the laws of that country about adoption. Make sure you understand the laws before beginning the adoption process. Your province or its licensed adoption agency can advise you on these requirements.
• The Hague Convention governs international adoptions in many countries, including Canada. Your provincial government office will explain the requirements if your adoptive child is coming from a country that follows the Hague Convention. Follow the Hague Convention link in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page to learn more.

The immigration process

• You must meet all the immigration requirements before Citizenship and Immigration Canada can issue a visa for your adoptive child to come to Canada. You must also meet all the requirements of your province, and of your adoptive child’s home country.
• There are two parts to the immigration process:
• applying for sponsorship and
• applying for permanent residence.
• See Who can apply and How to apply below for more information.

While the process may seem long, it is necessary to protect adoptive children.

Learn about:

• Who can apply
• How to apply
• After applying
• Arriving
• Frequently asked questions

Related Links

• Provincial and territorial government offices
• The Hague Convention
• Important notice for adoptive parents—Before you travel
• Fact sheet for parents looking to adopt from another country