I wish to adopt my step-daughter, age 13(I am the step-father writing), who immigrated from the Philippines with her mother and 2 sisters on a fiancée visa in June, 2007. We married in July, same year. We live in Massachusetts.

Her natural father is still living, in the Phils, but has played no role in my step-daughter's life, except to sign a permission allowing her to travel and live abroad indefinitely.

My wife and I were hoping that the adoption would confer automatic citizenship upon our daughter, and accelerate the citizenship process for her. Is this correct?


Also, we also don't know if there is a judicial process required in the surrender of the natural father's parental rights. We do believe that he will be willing to surrender his parental rights on paper, which we can bring to court here when we are prepared.

We have an atty. Here, but we still have a few questions which she(our atty) cannot answer.

I realize that this question overlaps the categories of 'adoption', 'citizenship', 'Philippine law'.

You need the consent of the father before you can adopt the child. The adoption (obviously) would take place where you live.

I do not believe you can adopt a non-citizen of the US.

You CAN adopt non-US citizens. It's an international adoption, though.

You need to get a lawyer, and you need the biological father's permission to proceed. A lawyer would be able to walk you through this step-by-step.

You CAN adopt non-US citizens. It's an international adoption, though.

You need to get a lawyer, and you need the biological father's permission to proceed. A lawyer would be able to walk you through this step-by-step.



You are right, of course - I fogot about international adoption and was thinking in terms of stepdaughter here on a visa.

EDIT: Read through various info and this site appears to say that if it is an ADULT adoption all that is required is the consent of the person who wishes to adopt AND the consent of the person being adopted. I do recall this question on the legal board - adult female being adopted by a non-relative, natural mother protesting. Result was adult female did NOT need consent of natural mother.

Immigration may be a bigger problem than the adoption.

At any rate, interesting info: http://adoption.about.com/od/typesofadoption/a/adultadopt.htm