Immigrant Visa
Adoptions
Disclaimer: The U.S. Embassy Accra urges prospective American citizen adoptive parents to consult with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) before identifying or taking custody of a child or otherwise proceeding with any adoption case.
The U.S. Embassy in Accra processes immigrant visas for children adopted in Ghana to include non-Ghanaian children who are legal residents in Ghana.
There are immigrant visa procedures for children adopted in Ghana that must be completed before you travel to Accra to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa for your adopted child or children. Prospective adoptive parents need to submit an I-600 either in the United States or at the USCIS office in the U.S. Embassy in Accra.
Filing the I-600 in Ghana does not guarantee a visa appointment. Due to the growing number of adoptions by U.S. citizens of children from Ghana, effective March 16, 2009, immigrant visa appointments for adoption applicants will be scheduled six to eight weeks after the I-600 petition is approved by USCIS, regardless if the petition is approved by a USCIS office in the United States or at the U.S. Embassy in Accra.
In addition, if you do not complete all the procedures required by the source country before arriving in Accra, the process may be delayed. For instance, Ghanaian law requires that adoptive parents fulfill a three-month residency requirement before the final adoption is approved.
For additional information, you may also want to visit the State Department’s Office of Children’s Issues.
You may contact us by e-mail by writing to AccraAdoption@state.gov.