International Adoption From Ontario: Hague Convention Steps

Adopting a child from another country involves two sets of rules at once: Ontario's rules about who may arrange an adoption and be approved, and the rules of the child's country and Canadian immigration law. The process is long, and the order of the steps matters.

This article explains the Ontario steps, how the Hague Convention fits into the immigration side, and where families often need professional help. Every country has its own requirements, so use this as a general map and not a substitute for advice on your specific country.

What Ontario requires before you leave

Before leaving Ontario for an international adoption, you must work with an Ontario-licensed individual or agency, complete a homestudy by an Ontario-approved adoption practitioner, complete PRIDE training and obtain Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services approval of your eligibility.

It is an offence to leave Ontario for an international adoption without ministry approval, even if you hold dual citizenship.

Only a children's aid society or an adoption licensee can place a child with another person for adoption in Ontario. Licensees may decline clients or cases.

The steps in order

• Contact a licensee authorized for the child's country and sign a service agreement.
• Find a private adoption practitioner.
• Complete the homestudy and training, which can run at the same time.
• The licensee sends your file, with translations, to the foreign country.
• Once you are matched, the licensee reviews the proposal against your homestudy.
• Your practitioner prepares a consent report and the ministry approves the proposal.
• You travel to meet the child.
• The adoption is finalized in the child's country or, in some cases, an Ontario court.

The homestudy is the SAFE study, with four to six interviews over four to six months. PRIDE is mandatory and has a 27-hour curriculum.

Timing, validity and updates

The ministry's approval letter confirming your eligibility is valid for two years. Police clearances and medicals are also valid for only two years.

If no proposal arrives within two years, the homestudy must be updated and a new letter obtained. Because matching abroad can be unpredictable, plan for the possibility that you will need to renew documents.

Hague Convention and immigration rules

The Hague Convention matters most when your child needs to be brought to Canada. For immigration, a Hague Convention adoption needs written approval from both the child's home country and the Canadian province where the child will live, confirming that the Convention was followed.

A non-Hague adoption needs no evidence of trafficking or improper gain, and the province must still approve in writing.

For an adoption completed abroad of a child under 18, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires several things.

• The adoption must be in the child's interests.
• There must be a homestudy of the adoptive parents.
• The biological parents must give free and informed consent.
• There must be a genuine parent-child relationship.
• The adoption must comply with the laws of both places.
• It must not be done to give the child immigration status or privilege.

If the adopted person was 18 or older at adoption, the adoption must follow the laws of either the country where it took place or the sponsor's country, and a genuine parent-child relationship must have existed at the time of adoption and before the person turned 18. The specific Hague steps for your country can differ, so confirm them with your licensee and a lawyer.

Finalization abroad or in Ontario

If the adoption is finalized in an Ontario court, the child usually stays in their home country until the final adoption order and immigration clearance are issued.

What to do next

• Research which licensees are authorized for the country you are considering.
• Ask each licensee about service agreements, fees and whether they take your case.
• Confirm your practitioner is Ontario-approved before starting a homestudy.
• Track the two-year validity dates of your approval letter, police clearances and medicals.
• Get legal advice on immigration and citizenship for the child before you travel.

Frequently asked questions