Process for adopting a child residing abroad

In Québec, the Secrétariat à l’adoption internationale, under the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS), coordinates activities related to international adoption.

To adopt a child residing abroad (even if the child is related to you), all Québec residents must first obtain authorization from the Secrétariat à l’adoption internationale before beginning the process in the child’s country of origin.

These rules are valid for both permanent residents who do not yet have Canadian citizenship as well as for Canadian citizens and individuals with dual citizenship.

Obtaining authorization from the Secrétariat à l’adoption internationale (SAI)

After ensuring that the adoptive parents are eligible for adopting a child, that the appropriate consents have been obtained and that the adoption conforms to the laws and regulations of the child’s country of origin and Québec legislation, the SAI authorizes the international adoption by issuing a letter of non-opposition in which it declares that it is not aware of any reasons to oppose the adoption of a child residing abroad.

Applying for Canadian citizenship for the child you wish to adopt

Since December 2007, the Citizenship Act allows a large proportion of children adopted abroad to obtain Canadian citizenship, thereby enabling adoptive parents to bypass the sponsorship process, which can be longer and more costly. For more information on obtaining Canadian citizenship for children adopted abroad, contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Adoptive parents who cannot or do not wish to apply for Canadian citizenship for the child they plan to adopt abroad must follow the sponsorship process. For more information, visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website or call the Telecentre at 1 888 242-2100.

Sponsoring a child for adoption (international adoption)

If you must sponsor the child you plan to adopt, the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles will communicate directly with you, as soon as it has received the letter of non-opposition from the Secrétariat à l’adoption internationale, to ask you to download, complete and return the forms in the Undertaking application - Kit A – without financial requirements (this step does not apply to individuals who prefer to obtain Canadian citizenship for the child they plan to adopt).

	USEFUL INFORMATION
	Sponsoring a child adopted abroad before immigrating to Québec If you have adopted a child abroad before immigrating to Québec and you wish to sponsor the child, you must make sure that the judgment obtained terminates the pre-existing filial relationship between the child and his or her original family and create a new filial relationship with the adoptive parent (plenary adoption). Sponsoring a child from China If the child to be adopted is from China, please consult the Notice to individuals in the process of adopting a Chinese child.