Factors that Influence Adopting a Child

5. International Adoption

International adoptions are even more complicated. In addition to state and local laws, they are also governed by federal law and the laws of the child's birth country or country of residence. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services must determine eligibility to adopt internationally before the child can enter the country.

International adoptions take a long time to finalize, usually anywhere from one to four years. This depends on the country the child is coming from, the immigration process, the adoption agency, and any special circumstances with the case. Federal law requires international adoption agencies to disclose all fees before entering into an agreement with a hopeful adoptive family, as it can get quite expensive.