Qualifications To Adopt From China

According to the Adoption Law of the People’s Republic of China (published 11/4/1998 ), current Chinese government policies and practices, and U.S. immigration laws, you must meet the following guidelines to qualify for a China adoption:

Applicants must be a legally married heterosexual couple. At least one applicant must be a U.S. citizen.

Couples with no previous marriages must be married for at least two years at the time the dossier is logged in at the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA). If either spouse has been previously married, the current marriage must be at least five years old at the time the dossier is logged in at the CCAA. No applicant may have had more than two divorces.

Applicants must be at least 30 years old* and no older than 49 years old at the time their dossier is logged in at the CCAA. Applicants are qualified to adopt children based on their ages as specified below. When spouses have ages that fall into two categories, they must be open to the upper age limit of the child to be adopted.

Applicants ages 30 - 44 qualify for a child with no known medical conditions up to 12 months of age.**
Applicants ages 45 - 49 qualify for a child with no known medical conditions up to 24 months of age.**
*Applicants may submit an application to CCAI once both parents are at least 29.5 years old.

**Currently, the youngest children coming out of China are about seven months old. All families are qualified for a child older than the above-mentioned age range, if desired.

All above applicants are qualified, if desired, for a child with medical conditions.

Families must have no more than four minor children living in the home, and the youngest child must be at least 12 months old at the time the dossier is logged in.

Families must document $10,000 of annual income per member in the household, including the to-be-adopted child. A minimum of $80,000 net worth is required.

Applicants must be in good physical and mental condition necessary to provide responsible care for an adopted child. If an applicant has a history of any cancer, please contact CCAI before completing the Application for Adoption.

If any applicant is currently taking any medication for depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder, or schizophrenia, the applicant is not eligible to apply. If the medications were taken in the past, the applicant must have been off the medication for at least two years at the time the dossier is submitted to the CCAA.

Each applicant’s Body Mass Index (BMI) must be under 40. (BMI equals a person's weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. BMI=kg/m 2). Click here to calculate your BMI

Applicants must have a minimum of high school education or equivalent.

Applicants must have no criminal record or alcohol abuse within the past 10 years. Neither applicant may have committed any acts of domestic violence, sexual abuse or child abuse. Applicants must have no history of illegal drug use, including experimentation.

Families who have adopted from China previously may submit their next dossier to China once their previous adoption has been finalized for at least one year.