INDIA ADOPTIONS

• India is a signatory to The Hague Adoption Convention.

• Sunrise is accredited by the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) to help find families for children in India.

We are currently accepting applications from families across Canada, except Quebec and Ontario.

The Parents

The eligibility criteria to adopt from India is:

• Married couples and single applicants may adopt from India. Couples must be married for at least two years. Common law marriage is not accepted.

• Unfortunately, India does not permit same sex applicants to adopt at this time.

  
  

• The age limit for adoptive parents, at the date of registering their application with India, are as follows:

• The minimum age difference between the child and either of the prospective adoptive parents should not be less than 25 years.

• Families of Indian heritage are given priority for adoption although foreign families can also adopt . To qualify as Indian heritage at least one spouse must be a non-resident Indian who holds either an Indian Passport (NRI) or an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card.

• Couples with 2 or more children will only be eligible for a Special Needs placement.

• Applicants should have adequate financial resources.

• Must be in good mental and physical health with no known life-threatening medical conditions or current mental health diagnosis.

• India is unlikely to accept applicants with a significant history of mental health.

• Not currently using cannabis.

The Children

• Most families who apply to adopt from India will adopt through the Special Needs Placement program.

• Children are typically between 1 – 5 years of age.

• Children live in orphanage care and are often placed there at or shortly after birth. As a result, there is limited or no background information known about the child’s birth parents or pre-natal risk factors.

Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)

OCI is an immigration status permitting a foreign citizen of Indian origin to live and work outside India indefinitely. The Constitution of India prevents Indian citizens from holding dual citizenship. As such the OCI is not actual citizenship of India. To apply for and use an OCI document, a holder must be a citizen of and hold a passport of another country. OCI cards can be obtained by contacting the Consulate of India in your Canadian province.

Relative Adoptions

Sunrise facilitates relative adoptions from India. In India the term relative refers to a child that is either a niece, nephew or grandchild.

All relative adoptions in India must be completed through CARA and follow the intercountry adoption process including engaging a licensed adoption agency in your Canadian province. Failure to complete the steps necessary for intercountry adoption will result in your child's immigration application to Canada being refused. It is important to get the right information when deciding to adopt a relative from India. Contact our office to learn about the steps and procedural requirements.