Apostille: An Apostille is a similfied form of authentication of public and notarized documents accepted in countries that are party to the Hague Convention, which eliminated the requirement that documents be certified by the Authentications Office of the U.S. Department of State, and legalized by the embassy or consular of a foreign country. The Apostille certifies the authenticity of a signature on a document, verifies that the notary is a valid notary in the State where he/she is commissioned, and identifies the seal and/or stamp on the document.

Article 5 Letter: This is the notification provided by the Consular or Embassy to the Convention Country’s Central Authority that the prospective adoptive parents are suitable to adopt and that the child accepted for placement may enter and live with the prospective adoptive parents in the United States. Prospective adoptive parents are not to adopt or obtain custody of a child until an Article 5 letter has been issued.

Article 16 Report: The Article 16 Report contains information regarding a child’s social and medical history. The Report is issued by the Central Authority of the country where the child lives and is forwarded to the adoption agency in the United States.

Authentication Certificates: Documents sent to countries not participating in the Hague Convention must be "Authenticated" and "Certified". In this context, Authentication is the legalization of certified and notarized documents and involves certain authorities attesting to the validity of a succession of seals beginning with your document and ending with the seal of the foreign embassy or consulate in the United States. Typically, documents must be notarized, certified by the Secretary of State, authenticated by the Department of State, and legalized by the foreign embassy or consulate in the United States.

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA): The Central Adoption Resource Agency in India is an autonomous agency under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment having authority over domestic and international adoptions.

Central Authority: This is the entity designated in a Convention Country to discharge the duties established by the Hague Convention. In the United States, the U.S. Department of State is the Central Authority.

Convention Country: A country that is party to the Hague Convention.

Certification: See Authentication above.

Decree of Adoption: An order of the court granting parenthood to adoptive parent(s) over a child. The decree creates a legally binding parent-child relationship between the adoptive parent(s) and the adopted child, changes the name of the child to that of the adoptive parent(s), and orders the issuance of a new birth certificate.

Dossier: A Dossier is a collection of legalized and translated documents assembled by the adoptive parent(s) that is submitted to a country's foreign government for the purpose of receiving the foreign court's approval to adopt or receive guardianship over a child. The documents required for a Dossier vary between countries and must be authenticated with certifications or apostilles.

Fingerprinting: USCIS requires prospective adoptive parent(s) and all adults 18 years of age or older living in the home of the prospective adoptive parent(s) to be fingerprinted in order to conduct FBI criminal background checks. A Form I-600 or I-800 will not be approved without FBI fingerprints. A $80 fee for each adult must be submitted with a Form I-600A, I-600, or I-800. Remember, fingerprints are valid for 15 months.

Hague Convention: The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is an international treaty that governs adoptions of children between countries that are party to the treaty. The Hague Convention entered into force for the United States on April 1, 2008. The Convention strengthens protections for children, birth parents, and prospective adoptive parent(s), and establishes internationally agreed upon rules and procedures for adoptions between countries that have a treaty relationship under the Convention.

Home Study: A Home Study is a multi-tiered process that involves a social worker of a licensed adoption agency visiting the home of the prospective adoptive parent(s); educating the prospective adoptive parent(s) about adopting a child; interviewing the prospective adoptive parent(s) regarding such things as their medical history, criminal history, parenting values, family background, financial status, motivations to adopt, and employment status; preparing a written report of the social worker's findings; and providing a recommendation for adoption. The purpose of a Home Study is to assist the courts, USCIS and a foreign government in the case of international adoptions, in their determination of whether the prospective adoptive parent(s) are suitable to care for an adopted child and whether the home provides a safe environment to raise a child.

I-171H: I-171H, Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, is a letter issued by USCIS granting approval of the prospective adoptive parent(s)' Form I-600A. Once USCIS approves your I-600A, the I-171H will be delivered to you and cabled to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where you intend to adopt. Typically, this document must be included in a Dossier.

I-600A and I-600: Form I-600A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, and Form I-600, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, are used to adopt a child who habitually resides in a Convention country. The purpose of I-600A is to begin the process with USCIS by completing the portions related to the prospective adoptive parent(s), and the purpose of the I-600 is to allow a child to receive an immigrant visa to permanently live in the United States.

I-800A and I-800: Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, and Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, are used to adopt a child who habitually resides in a Convention country.

Immigrant Visa: Once the adoption or grant of custody of a child is finalized in the foreign country the adopted child must obtain an immigrant visa before he/she can enter the United States. The child will be issued an IR-3 or IR-4 visa. The IR-3 visa will be issued when the adoption was finalized in the foreign country, both parents physically saw the child prior before or during the adoption proceedings, and the State where the adoptive parents reside does not require re-adoption in the U.S. An IR-4 visa will be issued when the full adoption did not occur in the foreign country and the adoptive parent(s) have guardianship over the child. A child admitted to the U.S. on an IR-3 visa will be granted citizenship automatically upon entry, while a child who enters the U.S. with an IR-4 visa will acquire citizenship with a full and final adoption in the U.S. An immigrant visa is obtained at the U.S. Consular office in the foreign country.

Notarization: Notarization is the process of authenticating the signature on a document when the document is signed in the presence of a Notary Public. Also, copies of original documents can be notarized by a Notary Public attesting to fact that the copy is a true copy of the original and that the copy contains no alterations from the original. Having your documents notarized is the first step in legalizing your documents for your Dossier.

Orphan: For purposes of international adoption, an Orphan is defined as a foreign child who does not have parents because "of the death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from, both parents, or for whom the sole or surviving parent is incapable of providing the proper care and has in writing irrevocably released the child for emigration and adoption." See Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 101(b)(1)(F); 8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1)(F).

Post placement: In some cases, after a child is adopted and living with his/her family in the U.S., Post Placement visits are required by the State, and the government of the foreign country in the case of international adoption. The purpose of the Post Placement process is to ensure the well-being of the adopted child, the continued safety of the home, and the child's adjustment to his/her new family.

USCIS: United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is part of the Department of Homeland Security and has responsibility for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities.