Adoptee Rights Law Center

Legal representation and advocacy for adult adopted people

Intercountry Adoptees

What Happens When You Question Adoption

First published on • Last updated on

The politicization of the Barretts’ adoptions from Haiti—which they’ve clearly politicized themselves—highlights the rift between concept and reality in intercountry adoption.

Immigration Proclamation: What You Need to Know

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The American Immigration Lawyers Association has released the following information about the recent Presidential Proclamation related to suspension of certain immigration classes to the United States.

How Will COVID-19 Issues Affect Me?

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Overview of COVID-19 issues that may impact adopted people beyond the immediate threat to a person’s health, community, and economic safety.

Proposed USCIS Fee Hike: Impact on Adult Adoptees

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The proposed fee hikes will substantially increase the cost of naturalization applications for intercountry adoptees plus eliminate the ability to apply if you lack the financial resources to do so.

The Kafkaesque Case of James Christian Werthmann

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I’m not the first person to conjure up Kafka as a way to describe James Werthmann’s case. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recognized the absurdity immediately.

What We Overlook

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We is almost always exclusive, and it is defined by those who speak it. Who are “we” overlooking in adoptee rights?

What’s an Original Birth Certificate?

Most adopted persons know what an original birth certificate (OBC) is. Many non-adopted people do not. An original birth certificate is the initial birth certificate created shortly after a person's birth. For most people, it is their only birth certificate.

For persons born and adopted in the United States, a new or "amended" birth certificate replaces the OBC once the adoption is final. In addition to replacing the original, the names of the birth parents are also replaced with the names of the adoptive parents. Some states may also alter or omit additional information on a new certificate, including the adoptee's specific place of birth.

Depending on state law, an original birth certificate is sealed and remains unavailable to the adopted person, even when they become an adult. If you are not adopted, your original birth certificate is your only birth certificate---and it is always available to you upon request.