State Recognition of Intercountry Adoptions Finalized Abroad - Connecticut

Effect and Recognition of a Foreign Adoption Decree

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Readoption After an Intercountry Adoption

Citation: Gen. Stat. § 45a-730(a)

A petition for validation of an intercountry adoption decree may be filed with a probate court for an adoption that was finalized outside the United States when the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service* refused to grant the child U.S. citizenship because the adoptive parents did not personally see and observe the child prior to or during the adoption proceedings.

The petition for validation may be made by the adoptive parent or child-placing agency and filed with the probate court in the petitioner's county of residence and must be accompanied by an authenticated copy of the adoption decree, unless the court waives this requirement.

The court may validate the adoption if it finds that:

• The adoption of the foreign-born child was finalized abroad.
• The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service* refused to naturalize the child because the adoptive parents did not personally see and observe the child prior to or during the adoption proceedings.
• It is in the best interests of the child.

A validation under this section shall not be construed to validate an adoption otherwise invalid in accordance with the law of the place of adoption.

*As of March 1, 2003, the responsibility for providing immigration-related services was transferred from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The statutes do not yet reflect this change.

Application for a U.S. Birth Certificate

Citation: Gen. Stat. § 7-54

The Department of Public Health will prepare a certification of birth registration or a certificate of foreign birth for any person born outside the country who is adopted by a State resident provided:

• An authenticated copy of the adoption order from the court conducting the adoption proceedings, or other evidence that is considered satisfactory by the probate court, is filed with the court.
• The probate court notifies the department that the copy or satisfactory evidence has been filed.

The certification of birth registration will contain only:

• The adopted name
• Sex
• Date and place of birth
• Date of preparation of the certification

The certificate of foreign birth will contain:

• The adopted name
• Sex
• Date and place of birth
• Legal name of adoptive parent or parents
• Date of preparation of the certificate

No certification of birth registration or certificate of foreign birth shall be prepared except on specific written request by the person to whom the certification relates, if over age 16; the adopting parent(s); or the court for the district in which the adoption proceedings were held.

The adoptive parent(s) or adopted person, if age 18 or older, may apply to the court to determine the person's biological age and date of birth. After a hearing on the application, the court may issue a decree to establish the biological age and date of birth of the adopted person. If the biological age and date of birth established in the decree differs from that in the certification of birth registration or a certificate of foreign birth, the court shall provide a certified copy of the decree to the department.