Texas International Adoption: How to Adopt a Child from Another Country

International adoption from Texas involves two parallel legal systems that must both be satisfied before a child can come home: the laws and procedures of the child's birth country, and U.S. federal immigration requirements administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Texas state law then governs a final re-adoption or confirmation proceeding to establish a Texas birth certificate and Texas legal parentage.

The process is significantly more complex than domestic adoption and has become more limited in recent years as sending countries have tightened requirements or paused international adoption programs. Families who go in with clear expectations about timelines and cost are much better positioned than those who treat international adoption as a faster alternative to domestic options.

Hague vs. Non-Hague Countries

International adoption falls into two categories based on whether the birth country has signed the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption.

Hague Convention countries (which include most of Europe, Mexico, Colombia, and many others) have agreed to a standardized framework that includes oversight of adoption agencies, regulated child welfare assessments, and specific documentation requirements. U.S. families adopting from Hague countries use the I-800A process with USCIS. The U.S. agency facilitating the adoption must be Hague-accredited.

Non-Hague countries (which include some countries in Africa, certain parts of Asia, and others) operate under their own legal frameworks with no standardized international oversight. U.S. families use the I-600A process. These cases carry greater variability in timelines, legal requirements, and potential for complications.

Both pathways require a Hague-compliant home study from a licensed Texas provider (even for non-Hague country cases, the home study must meet Hague standards under U.S. federal law). The home study provider must be Hague-accredited or work under a Hague-accredited agency.

The Federal Process: USCIS

Before a Texas family can bring a child home from another country, USCIS must approve:

I-800A (Hague) or I-600A (non-Hague): This application establishes that the adoptive family is approved to adopt. It requires submission of the home study, criminal background checks, and biometrics for all household members 18 and older. The I-800A approval is valid for 15 months and can be extended.

I-800 or I-600: Once a specific child is identified and matched, this petition establishes that the particular child meets the legal definition of an orphan under U.S. immigration law. The child's legal status, birth records, and the validity of any prior relinquishment of parental rights are reviewed at this stage.

IR-3 vs. IR-4 Visa: If the adoption is fully legally finalized in the birth country before the child enters the United States, the child receives an IR-3 visa and U.S. citizenship is conferred automatically upon entry. If the adoption is only partially completed and must be finalized in the United States, the child receives an IR-4 visa — and Texas re-adoption or readoption in a District Court is then required.

Re-Adoption in Texas

Texas requires either re-adoption or a judicial confirmation of the foreign adoption in a Texas District Court in order to obtain a Texas birth certificate and a Texas court-issued adoption decree. Even families who received U.S. citizenship for their child automatically at entry (IR-3) often go through Texas re-adoption to have a domestic legal record and access to the Texas Vital Statistics Unit for a state birth certificate.

The re-adoption process involves filing a petition in the District Court, presenting the foreign court decree and adoption documents (with certified translations), and a brief hearing. In most cases, no new home study is required for re-adoption — the court accepts the original Hague-compliant home study filed for the immigration process.

Costs of International Adoption from Texas

International adoption is the most expensive pathway available to Texas families. Total costs typically run $30,000 to $55,000 and include:

• Home study cost: $1,500 to $3,500 (Hague-compliant standard)
• U.S. agency fees: varies widely by country program, typically $10,000 to $25,000
• In-country program fees to the receiving agency or government: $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the country
• USCIS filing fees (I-800A + I-800 or I-600A + I-600): approximately $1,600 to $2,600 total
• Translation and document authentication (apostilles): $1,000 to $3,000
• Travel: one or two trips to the birth country are typical, adding $3,000 to $10,000 per trip for flights, accommodation, and in-country costs
• Texas re-adoption attorney fees: $1,000 to $2,500

The federal Adoption Tax Credit — approximately $15,000 to $16,000 — applies to qualified international adoption expenses, though its full value only offsets taxes for families with sufficient tax liability. Texas's lack of a state income tax means there is no state-level adoption credit to supplement it.

Realistic Timeline Expectations

International adoption timelines are driven almost entirely by the birth country's program, which can pause, change requirements, or restrict eligible adopters on short notice. Historical timelines for open countries have ranged from 18 months to 4 years from initial application to the child coming home. Families should not enter international adoption with a specific timeline expectation.

The U.S. process has tightened significantly since the 1990s and early 2000s peak of international adoption. Annual international adoptions to the United States have fallen from approximately 22,000 in 2004 to under 2,000 in recent years, as sending countries have implemented stricter domestic child welfare standards and reduced availability of children for international placement.

International Adoption and the Texas Home Study

A Hague-compliant home study for international adoption meets the same substantive Texas standards as a domestic home study — criminal background checks, FACT clearance, home inspection, financial documentation, references, and family interviews. The critical difference is that the home study provider and the U.S. agency involved in the international placement must both be Hague-accredited entities. Texas has multiple accredited providers, including agencies that specialize in country-specific programs.

The Texas Adoption Process Guide includes an overview of how international adoption interacts with the Texas District Court process, what re-adoption in Texas requires, and how the home study process differs between international and domestic pathways.

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