The Australian Government has no role
The Australian Government, including the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), has no role in the overseas expatriate adoption process.
The Australian Government, including the Department of Home Affairs and DFAT, does not provide documents that support or endorse expatriate adoptions overseas. This includes no objection certificates or letters of support.
As such, please do not contact the Australian High Commission, New Delhi to request these documents.
If an overseas authority, such as CARA in India, asks you to obtain a document of support for an expatriate adoption, you can advise them to email [email protected]
The Department of Home Affairs only assess and decide adoption visa applications. A visa will only be granted if all eligibility requirements are met.
Eligibility requirements for expatriate adoptees entering Australia
If the child is adopted through an expatriate adoption, and you are considering bringing them to Australia, then, amongst other criteria:
- at least one adoptive parent must have lived outside Australia for more than 12 months before lodging a visa application
- the adoptive parent must not have lived overseas to avoid Australia’s intercountry adoption laws
- the adoptive parent must have full and permanent parental rights. No remaining legal ties between the child and the birth parents can exist. The adoption must adhere to adoption laws of the home country.
Seek legal advice
We recommend you obtain independent legal advice both in Australia and in the child’s country of usual residence before proceeding with an expatriate adoption.