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Eligibility to Adopt in Guatemala - Click Here

• Parents should be between the ages of 25-55 years of age.
• A couple must show evidence of a stable marriage.
• Singles may adopt.
• You may be previously divorced.  

• Your dossier is sent to Guatemala and translated. Many times the dossier is sent even prior to getting an assignment.
• When a child is available you will receive pictures,  medical report and lab work.
• You will have 48 hours to decide on the assignment. 
• We will prepare a power of attorney authorizing the attorney in Guatemala to begin the adoption process on your behalf.  THE ADOPTION DOES NOT BEGIN UNTIL THE POWER OF ATTORNEY IS FILED IN GUATEMALA.  WHEN YOU RECEIVE THIS DOCUMENT FOR SIGNATURE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE IT NOTARIZED IMMEDIATELY AND SENT OVERNIGHT MAIL TO OUR OFFICE.  We will immediately sent it to the Guatemalan Consulate that handles your area for final legalization.
• When the power of attorney arrives in Guatemala it takes approximately ten days to register.  The adoption begins upon completion of the registration.
• Some families choose to travel to Guatemala and sign the power of attorney.  In this case the power of attorney is registered the next day and you do not have to wait for the authentication process. 
• At the beginning, the Guatemalan adoption process and the embassy pre-approval process run parallel. 
• The lawyer files the POA and documents with the court and obtains a date from the social worker to interview the birth mother and child.  The social worker will prepare a Guatemalan homestudy recommending the approval of the adoption.  Seldom are cases rejected). 
• During the same period the lawyer organizes a folder that consisting of the I-600,  G-28,  copy of the I-171 H,  birthmother records, and baby records.  If these documents are in order the Department of Homeland Security in Guatemala will issue an authorization to perform the DNA.  This document is faxed to us from the attorney.  We fax it to the lab wherein they stamp paid on the DNA authorization form.  We fax it to the attorney in Guatemala so he can take it to the lab when he takes the birthmother and child for DNA testing. The DNA test will not be administered without the paid receipt from the lab in the United States.
• It can take up to two weeks for the DNA results to get to the embassy.
• The embassy will review the documents  filed and the DNA results.  Sometimes cases are approved based upon the documents submitted. Other times the embassy may want more information, such as the birth certificates for other children.  The embassy sometimes randomly picks cases for investigation and the birthmother is interviewed.  The embassy pre-approval process can take from several weeks to two months.
• When the case is approved by the court and we have embassy pre-approval,  you are ready to enter the PGN (Procuradoria General de la Nacion).  UNTIL THERE IS EMBASSY PRE-APPROVAL THE CASE CAN NOT ENTER THE PGN. There are times when the case has been approved by the court but the lawyer can not move forward until the embassy pre-approval is issued.  With embassy pre-approval prior to PGN entry you are assured that the child’s visa will be approved when the adoption is completed.   The worst case scenario is that an adoption is approved by the Guatemalan government but the embassy will not issue a visa.  EMBASSY PRE-APPROVAL IS NOT A 100 PERCENT GUARANTEE THAT THE VISA WILL BE ISSUED UPON THE COMPLETION OF THE CASE.  THE EMBASSY CAN DENY THE I-600 APPLICATION IF THEY DISCOVER FRAUD WITH DOCUMENTS OR ANY PART OF THE PROCESS.  This rarely happens.
• The approval by the PGN can take several weeks to several months.   When the case is filed at the window it is assigned to an initial reviewer. If the reviewer approves the case, it is sent to a supervisor for final approval.  If the case is rejected,  the reasons are stated a written opinion stating the reasons for the rejection.  If the lawyer properly corrects the errors, then the case will most likely be approved.
• After PGN approval the birth mother must sign the final protocol (adoption deed).  This usually happens within days of receiving PGN approval.
• An application is made for the birth certificate.  There are 300 municipalities.  The new birth certificate must be registered in the municipality where the child is born.  Obtaining the birth certificate can take from up to two weeks or longer.  Birth certificates from other municipalities can take from a few days to a week.
• The birth certificate, final adoption decree, and other documents are filed with the embassy to obtain the famous pink slip.  The embassy has the pink slip ready within 48 hours after the filing.  There are times when it takes longer to issue the pink slip because there may be a document that the embassy believes that it is not in proper form.  The embassy issues a form I-72 asking the lawyer to submit any additional or corrected documents. Sometimes the pink slip is not issued if the consular section of the embassy does not have record of the cable sent by your local Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.  Your local INS office will resend the cable.
• Your lawyer will pick up the pink slip and the attached documents which include the original I-600 form submitted at the beginning, the Visa application, and the vaccination affidavit.
• The Pink slip must be taken to the embassy-approved doctor for the baby’s final examination.  The doctor issued a sealed medical report that is to be opened only by the consular official.
• Families should not travel until after the pink slip is issued.
• You are now ready for your appointment at the embassy.  The term appointment is a misnomer.  Families do not need scheduled appointment.  Families whose last names are from A through M go to the embassy at 7:15 a.m. and N through Z go to the embassy at 8:00 a.m.    The embassy only sees families from Monday through Thursday. 

Current Document List - Click Here

1. Proof of approval by a licensed Adoption Agency. (This is called the homestudy).

2. Special power of attorney.   Women must include their maiden name. I will provide this form when the child is selected. The power of attorney may vary from country to country.

3. Marriage certificates. 

4. Birth certificate for each adoptive parent.

5. Police record check.

6. A statement from a physician that each spouse is healthy and that you are not HIV positive.

7. Affidavit of two persons who know you.  This is lieu of letters of reference. We will provide this document in Spanish. 

8. Photos of immediate family and home.

9. Verification of employment. This can be a letter from your employer stating that you are employed, your annual salary and the length of your employment.  If you are self-employed, your accountant can provide written verification of your earnings.

10. Certificate of approval by INS. This is a letter from INS that you have been approved for an Orphan Visa. This does not need to be verified or notarized.

11. Declaration of Identity.  (This is a listing of all the names used by the adoptive parents). 

12. Two color passport photos of each of you and photographs of the inside and outside of your home. Please provide photographs of you and your extended family. No bathrooms or pets.

13. Photocopy  of your passports.

14. Once all documents have been notarized and verified by the Secretary of State, they must be sent to the appropriate foreign consulate  for legalization.