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Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§14931 Adoptions of children immigrating to the United States

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 143— - INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - RECOGNITION OF CONVENTION ADOPTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES › § 14931

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of State must give a special certificate for each Hague Convention adoption to a U.S. adoptive parent (or a prospective U.S. parent who has legal custody of the child for emigration and adoption) after getting notice from the child’s country and confirming the Convention rules and this law were followed. If the certificate is attached to the original adoption papers, government agencies and courts must accept it as official proof and as the immigration certification needed. A foreign final adoption that the Secretary of State certifies is treated as a valid U.S. adoption for all federal, state, and local laws. A U.S. court cannot make an adoption final for a child who came from another Convention country for adoption unless that certificate has been issued.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §14931

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Secretary of State shall, with respect to each Convention adoption, issue a certificate to the adoptive citizen parent domiciled in the United States that the adoption has been granted or, in the case of a prospective adoptive citizen parent, that legal custody of the child has been granted to the citizen parent for purposes of emigration and adoption, pursuant to the Convention and this chapter, if the Secretary of State—
(A)receives appropriate notification from the central authority of such child’s country of origin; and
(B)has verified that the requirements of the Convention and this chapter have been met with respect to the adoption.
(2)If appended to an original adoption decree, the certificate described in paragraph (1) shall be treated by Federal and State agencies, courts, and other public and private persons and entities as conclusive evidence of the facts certified therein and shall constitute the certification required by section 1154(d)(2) of title 8.
(b)A final adoption in another Convention country, certified by the Secretary of State pursuant to subsection (a) of this section or section 14932(c) of this title, shall be recognized as a final valid adoption for purposes of all Federal, State, and local laws of the United States.
(c)In the case of a child who has entered the United States from another Convention country for the purpose of adoption, an order declaring the adoption final shall not be entered unless the Secretary of State has issued the certificate provided for in subsection (a) with respect to the adoption.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 106–279, Oct. 6, 2000, 114 Stat. 825, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 14901 of this title and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective upon entry into force for the United States of the Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, pursuant to Article 46(2)(a) of the Convention, with transition rule, see section 505(a)(2), (b) of Pub. L. 106–279, set out as an

Effective Date

s; Transition Rule note under section 14901 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 14931

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73