Procedure for Adopting from Kazakhstan

1. Send us your application by fax or mail. You can download and print the application or contact us toll free: 1-888-899-2349 for info packet and application.

2. A full Adoption Guide on Adopting in Kazakhstan will be sent to you

3. Your personal Kazakhstan Adoption Counselor will be assigned from the Home Office in St. Louis or one of the regional offices.

4. Apply to INS after downloading the form.

5. Your Home Study will be scheduled either from our main office or one of our regional offices. We assist families in all 50 states.

6. Collect the necessary paperwork with the direction from your Kazakhstan Adoption Guide and your personal adoption consultant.

7. Get the papers documented, notarized and apostilled with help from your CHI Kazakhstan Adoption consultant.

8. Send the documented paperwork (dossier) to our main office.

What happens then?

1. CHI will look over your dossier to make sure everything is correct. We add several documents to each dossier from our office that are required by the Government of Republic of Kazakhstan. Dossier then will be translated and then sent to the Consulate of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

2. After the Consulate of Kazakhstan, your dossier will be sent to Kazakhstan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then to the Ministry of Education. There you dossier will be register and they will begin the process of identifying a child as closely as possible according to your request as to age and gender that was presented on your Petition to Adopt.

3. When a child is identified, the dossier will be sent to the region, where child resides. Family will be invited to travel to meet the child and receive all information about the child, which has been chosen for them. It is no longer possible to send information about the child, including pictures, video and medicals to the family prior to their trip. After your acceptance of the child, you await for a court hearing, which will finalize the adoption. The adoption is finalized and the child becomes officially yours on the first trip!!!

4. Our CHI representative will meet you in Kazakhstan to take you to the orphanage in your child's area and guide you through the finalization of the adoption process.

5. On your second trip you will fly to Almaty and be met by our Almaty representative who will assist you in getting a medical for a child’s visa and go through the finalization of the adoption in the American Embassy.

6. You will fly home with your child! CHI will be here to serve you as long as you need us.

7. We will continue to work with you through the post-placement process. Kazakhstan requires adoptive families maintain contact with CHI in order to complete the post-placement process.