Children are bearing the brunt of the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. Can you adopt a Syrian orphan? According to the US embassy in Damascus, several attempts by U.S. prospective adoptive parents have failed. I think this is because I wasn’t their lawyer! Like many other Muslim countries Syria’s personal status law does not recognize the concept of adoption however; Syrian courts will grant guardianship decrees and these can be used as the basis for an orphan visa petition. The State Department often places a moratorium on adoptions from war zones because it is almost impossible to verify which children might fall under the definition of orphan and which don’t. There is no such moratorium in place in Syria. That said, anyone considering an adoption in Syria should be prepared to submit A LOT of evidence to the US immigration authorities that the child they wish to adopt falls under the definition of orphan. Even more encouraging, US immigrat...
Our Globally Recognized Team of Immigration Lawyers Shares Our Knowledge and Provides Counsel on Immigration Issues that Affect You, Your Business and Your Family