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A very important issue to consider before and during the process is which Visa your child will be obtaining from the US Embassy in order to come the United States. There are two visas that are issued called the IR-3 and the IR-4 visa. The state department website gives a little information regarding this by saying:
Adopted or To-Be-Adopted
U.S. law distinguishes between orphans adopted overseas and orphans coming to the United States for adoption. An orphan fully adopted overseas may receive an IR-3 visa. To qualify for an IR-3, the child must also have been seen by both parents prior to or during the adoption proceedings. An orphan who has not been fully adopted, or whose adoptive parents did not see him/her prior to the adoption’s finalization, may receive an IR-4 visa. Any child who enters the U.S. on an IR-4 immigrant visa must be re-adopted after he/she enters the United States, in accordance with applicable laws of the state in which the family resides. Thus, before an IR-4 visa can be issued, the consular officer must be sure that pre-adoption requirements by the child’s future state of residence have been met. Adoptive parent(s) should determine in advance the requirements of their own particular state of residence. This information is available through the state social services agency or many adoption practitioners. Click here for entire BCIS sit
To put it simply, an IR-3 visa means that the child will become a US citizen upon entry into the United States. 45 days or less following entry into the US, the child’s certificate of citizenship (Often written CoC) will be recieved in the mail. In order for this to be possible, the parents must visit the child before the PGN process is completed and the “Escritura final de Adopcion” is issued. If this is your desire then make sure to schedule a visit trip to see the child before that time.
An IR-4 visa applies to a child when the parents first visit the child after the adoption has been approved through the PGN. Most of these situations are when the parents first meet the child on the “pick-up” trip. When the child arrives in the United States they will receive a permanent resident card. The parents then must file for re-adoption within their home state. This usually involves follow-up visits from the a social worker. Once this has been completed then the child can receive a certificate of citizenship (CoC).
