Adoption Information: Nigeria
The Department of State’s (DOS’s) June 30, 2023, adoption notice, “Ongoing Concerns Related to Intercountry Adoptions from Nigeria,” recommends that prospective adoptive parents reconsider plans to adopt in Nigeria due to ongoing concerns about practices that may place children and families at risk and result in difficulty immigrating an adopted child to the United States. For the latest information on adoption from Nigeria, see the DOS’s Intercountry Adoption webpage for Nigeria, which also contains DOS adoption notices for Nigeria.
USCIS Processing
USCIS continues to accept and adjudicate Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, and Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, for Nigeria. However, please see DOS’s adoption notices for information on how these ongoing concerns may negatively affect your ability to complete the adoption process in Nigeria.
Applicants or petitioners with pending or approved Form I-600A applications or pending Form I-600 petitions may request a change of country to continue the adoption process in another country. For additional information, see our Change of Country webpage.