I’ve got some great news for international adoptees in Alabama.
You may no longer have to go through the “re-adopt” process to obtain an Alabama birth certificate. The State Legislature passed a law that will greatly streamline the process for adoptees where the adoption was finalized in the home country and the adoptee has received a Certificate of Citizenship. Adoptees from places like China, Ukraine, and Hungary often fall into this category. Qualifying adoptees will usually have received an IR-3 or IH-3 visa.
The new law, called Karina’s Law, is planned to go into effect on January 1, 2013. Qualifying adoptees will only have to submit certain documents and paperwork to the State Registrar’s office in order to obtain the Alabama birth certificate (along with the small fee for the birth certificate).
Prior to the enacting of this law, there was no provision in Alabama for processing these kinds of adoptions. Local Probate Judges would try to fit the square peg of international adoption into the round of whole of the domestic adoption law.
You can read the text of Karina’s Law by clicking here. Thanks to Senator Phil Williams for being the lead proponent of this fantastic new legislation!
So, if your thinking about going through the “re-adopt” process to obtain an Alabama birth certificate for your child, think about waiting until the beginning of the year … Karina’s Law may save you a lot of time and money.
Contact The Adoption Law Firm for specific guidance as to whether your child will qualify.
