Adopting from China is no longer possible for most foreign families. In August 2024, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs announced it would stop processing all foreign adoptions, with a narrow exception for stepchildren and blood relatives within three generations. More than 270 children who had already been matched with American families remain in limbo, and U.S. diplomatic efforts to finalize those cases are ongoing.
What Changed in August 2024
China first suspended international adoption travel in October 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. That suspension was expected to be temporary, but adoptions never resumed at full capacity. China finalized roughly 40 cases that were in their final stages during 2023 and 2024 but did not move forward with cases at earlier stages.
On August 28, 2024, the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued a formal notification that civil affairs departments across China would no longer carry out foreign adoption work. Chinese officials confirmed to U.S. consulate staff on September 2, 2024, that this applied to all pending cases at every stage, not just new applications.1Department of State. Report to Congress on Departmental Efforts on Pending China Adoptions
Who Can Still Adopt From China
The only exception China recognizes is adoption by foreigners who are adopting a stepchild or a child of a collateral blood relative within three generations. In practical terms, a foreign national could still adopt a niece, nephew, or similar close relative’s child in China. For everyone else, including families who had begun the process through a Hague-accredited U.S. agency, the program is closed.
Where Pending Cases Stand
As of May 2025, 224 American families told the Bureau of Consular Affairs they remain committed to finalizing their pending adoptions. The U.S. State Department has engaged Chinese officials at multiple levels, including meetings with the Chinese Ambassador in April 2025 and a direct request from the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Overseas Citizens Services to Chinese Embassy officials in May 2025, asking China to allow intercountry adoptions for children already matched with American families. No resolution has been announced.1Department of State. Report to Congress on Departmental Efforts on Pending China Adoptions
If you have a pending case, there is no procedural action you can take on the Chinese side while the freeze holds. USCIS approvals on Form I-800A do expire and can require re-filing to stay current, so families waiting on any diplomatic breakthrough should stay in contact with their placing agency and keep their U.S. paperwork alive.
What Families With Pending Matches Should Know
The rest of this article covers the parts of the process that still matter if your case finalizes: what the total cost is likely to be, how citizenship works when the child arrives, the tax credit you can claim, and the reporting obligations that follow the adoption. The eligibility, dossier, and travel steps applied under the program as it operated before the shutdown; families with pending cases have already cleared those.
Expected Costs
International adoption from China was never inexpensive. The total cost typically ran between $25,000 and $40,000, depending on the agency and circumstances. That figure covered agency fees, the home study (usually $1,000 to $3,000), dossier preparation and authentication, USCIS filing fees, a donation of roughly $3,000 to $5,000 to the Child Welfare Institute, travel expenses for both parents, and post-adoption reporting costs. Families with pending cases should expect their total costs to fall within or near this range, assuming their adoptions are eventually completed.
U.S. Citizenship When the Child Arrives
Under the Child Citizenship Act, an adopted child who enters the United States with an IH-3 immigrant visa (the standard visa for Hague Convention adoptions finalized abroad) automatically becomes a U.S. citizen upon admission, provided the child is under 18, is admitted as a lawful permanent resident, and is in the legal and physical custody of a U.S. citizen parent. USCIS automatically mails a Certificate of Citizenship to these families.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. U.S. Citizenship for an Adopted Child
If a child enters on an IH-4 visa, used when the adoption was not fully completed abroad, citizenship is not automatic at entry. It becomes automatic once the parents complete the adoption or re-adoption in the United States, as long as all other conditions are met before the child turns 18. Families in this situation can file Form N-600 to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship after completing the domestic adoption.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. U.S. Citizenship for an Adopted Child
Federal Adoption Tax Credit
Families who finalize an international adoption can claim the federal adoption tax credit for qualified expenses, including agency fees, court costs, travel, and other direct adoption costs. For adoptions finalized in 2025, the maximum credit is $17,280 per child. The amount adjusts annually for inflation, and the 2026 figure is expected to be approximately $17,670.3Internal Revenue Service. Adoption Credit
Starting in tax year 2025, a portion of the credit became refundable up to $5,000, meaning families with little or no federal tax liability can still receive some benefit. The credit phases out at higher incomes. For 2025, the phase-out begins at a modified adjusted gross income of $259,190, and the credit disappears entirely above $299,190. Families with pending China adoptions who eventually finalize should keep records of all qualified expenses, since the credit is claimed in the year the adoption becomes final.3Internal Revenue Service. Adoption Credit
Ongoing Obligations for Completed Adoptions
Families who already completed adoptions from China have obligations that continue after they return home. These exist under both Chinese and U.S. law.
Post-Placement Reports
The CCCWA requires six post-placement reports over five years following the adoption registration date. For cases completed after January 1, 2015, reports are due at six months, one year, two years, three years, four years, and five years. The first three reports must be prepared by the social workers who prepared the original home study. The last three may be written by the families themselves.4U.S. Department of State. Post-Adoption Reporting Overview
Each report must include details about the child’s health, development, and adjustment to family life. Eight color photos showing the child’s daily life and family activities are required. For children aged 10 or older, some reports also require the child to write an essay about their experience in the adoptive family.
Re-Adoption in Your Home State
Most families complete a re-adoption or re-finalization in their state of residence. This step gets the foreign adoption recognized under U.S. state law, which provides additional legal protections and typically results in a U.S. birth certificate for the child. The process and fees vary by state.