• Children from 9 months to 15 years old

• Children are racially diverse; Caucasian, Kazakh (Asian appearance), Turkic, etc.

• Children under age 4 live in Baby Houses in group home settings

• Adoption of biological siblings only

• Tested for HIV/AIDS, Syphilis and Hepatitis and a variety of other disorders

• Above average care received in the baby houses and orphanages

• Many older children and children with special needs are available for adoption Some special needs are minor and correctable.

• Special needs children are available for approved families

• Married couples and single women may adopt from Kazakhstan. There is currently no quota on singles adoption.

• The maximum age is 50 although if one spouse is less than 50 they may adopt.

• Kazakh law requires that adoptive parents are a minimum of 18 years older than the adoptive child.

• No limits regarding the number of children already living in the home, although families with many children will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Previously divorced individuals may also adopt.  Recommend no more than two prior divorces.

• Both adoptive parents must be U.S. citizens.

• Both parents must travel for the first trip of approximately three weeks for the 14 days of mandated bonding time with the child and to attend court the third week. Once that requirement is met several flexible travel options exist. Some regions require one long trip, some two trips, and a few require three trips.

• Must have no criminal history for State and FBI police/fingerprint clearances.

• Some health conditions may disqualify you, please note any chronic physical or mental health conditions on the pre-application form. Reported history of anti-depressants will disqualify you from the program due to regulations in Kazakhstan.

Parents are usually able to complete their adoption 3-9 months after the dossier is sent to Kazakhstan depending on several factors.  To adopt a baby under 15 months old, and especially a baby girl, you should anticipate it may be 6-9+/- months after submission of dossier. The wait for boys or older children will be less.

However, the timeframe for any adoption depends on several factors, including how fast you complete the homestudy, complete USCIS (I171H) and dossier, available children, age/gender of child desired, and the current situation in the country and region of the adoption. Due to the challenges and shut down in the adoption programs of several other sending countries, the wait to adopt from Kazakhstan is longer than it has been in recent past. Your adoption coordinator will be able to give you current estimated timelines. Patience and flexibility is the key to any international adoption. 

One trip of 6-8 weeks is required to complete the adoptive process, although it can be split into two shorter trips (3-4 weeks for first trip, 5 days for last trip).   Some regions require two trips or even three and prospective adoptive parents are requested to be financially and emotionally prepared for three trips as we may not know which region you will travel to until very late in the process. In addition, regional requirements have and do change and often in the midst of your process. In order to complete your adoption from Kazakhstan you must be flexible and will be willing to meet the newest regulations in place when you travel, not those that were in place when you began the process. Escort is often available in lieu of a second trip but this may not be available due to region or availability of approved escorts.

PREPARING FOR THE ADOPTION

Parents complete pre-application to A Love Beyond Borders (LBB) and upon acceptance into the program you will begin a Homestudy with LBB in Colorado or a licensed agency in your state. We take pride in the accuracy, details and thoroughness of our clients' dossier which is partially accomplished by working collaboratively with your homestudy agency. We guide you through each step to prepare the detailed, specific dossier.

Parents submit completed dossier to LBB. We will send it to be translated and registered at the Kazakhstan Embassy in the US. Our attention to detail will help ensure a smoother pass through the Kazakhstan Embassy's registration process. Part of your success in Kazakhstan depends on the presentation of the dossier. We will work with you and our facilitator to make sure your individual or family profile is optimized for officials in Kazakhstan.

From there, it will be sent to the A Love Beyond Borders representative in Kazakhstan who will follow-up with the dossier as it moves through the ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education, then on to the regional Department of Education (DE). At that time we will work with you and our facilitator to determine the best region in which to send your dossier, based on the child you desire to adopt. After further processing, the DE will send your dossier to the selected region and then send A Love Beyond Borders a letter of invitation (LOI) for the adoptive parents to travel and meet with children. We will notify you that the letter has arrived.

Once you receive your letter of invitation (LOI) from the government of Kazakhstan it will be nearly time to travel! We will assist you with recommendations for securing your visa, airfare, packing lists, cultural expectations, etc. Accommodations (an apartment or hotel depending on region and availability) and transportation (train, intercountry flights, etc.) within Kazakhstan will be coordinated by the facilitator. You are responsible for all travel related expenses.

TRAVEL TO KAZAKHSTAN

One of the best things about the Kazakhstan adoption program is the required 14-day bonding time. While this may initially seem like a burden to some adoptive parents, in reality it is the healthiest, most effective way to transition the child into your family, plus a time you will look back on with great fondness. The child will get to know you --a relative stranger -- in the safety of his/her own environment. Take advantage of this special one-on-one time with your child, getting to know him/her in the place where he/she has been living until the adoption.

To finalize your adoption you will be required to travel to Kazakhstan.  Both parents must be present for the first two weeks for bonding (plan on additional travel days) and at the court hearing, which is normally one to several weeks after arrival depending on the region.  Bonding period of a minimum of 14 days at the child’s habitual place of residence (the baby house or orphanage) is required. The total required for the first trip is usually three weeks but may vary. This can not be waived for either applicant.

One or both parents may remain in Kazakhstan during this post-court waiting period, or one or both may return to the US. If you select two trips you will return to the US during this time to wait.  Once the facilitator receives word that the adoption decree has been signed, she will begin processing the final documents needed to bring your child home. This includes such things as the new birth certificate, child's Kazakhstan passport, translation of all adoption documents and registration in Astana. Once everything is collected documents are submitted to the US Embassy in Almaty and the parents (or escort) may travel to receive the child and finish the final steps of the process  for approximately 3 to 5 days depending on weekends, holidays, availability of airfare, etc.

If you choose the escort option and if it is available at that time, it will take several additional weeks to make arrangements before the child arrives in the US. Your child will arrive in the US as a US Citizen.

Your child will arrive home in the US on an IR3 Visa, which confers automatic US Citizenship upon the child. We strongly encourage families to validate their child's adoption in their state since this is a separate legal status than citizenship.

Due to the nature of international adoptions, the requirements, timelines and fees are subject to change without notice.