What is the procedure in the US for adopting an 8 yr old family member who was born in another country?
Answer:
Yak is right. Here are the rules in more detail:
"A child adopted by a U.S. citizen and who will reside in the US must obtain an immigrant visa before he or she can enter the U.S. Issuance of visas is governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which currently provides for two categories of adopted children to immigrate to the United States. The first category, as provided in INA 101(b)(1)(E), allows a child adopted by an American citizen before they reached the age of 16 who has already resided with the adoptive parent in their legal custody for two years, to immigrate to the United States. The second category, as provided in INA 101(b)(1)(F), allows an “orphan,” as defined by U.S. law and regulations, to immigrate."
You have to move to the country where the child is living and legally adopt the child there using that country's legal system. Then you must live there with the child, in your home, for two years. After the two years is up you file an I-130 petition for an alien relative.
After the child comes to the US the CIS considers all ties with the original family to be severed permanently. The child cannot turn around and petition his "real" family upon reaching age 18.
If the child was an orphan, and you were using an international adoption agency, you would not need to live overseas for the two years.
you need to follow strict adoptive procedures first,otherwise you never succeed
The immigration information post by website user , MyTend.com not guarantee correctness