Have to adopt wife's child in Philippines?

[hunnyko 0]

Hi does anyone know if you can adopt your wife's child in USA when she can come here after her petition is approved? Or do you have to go there and adopt?The Philppines law to adopt says you have to live there for 2 years but it is very confusing, most have there children come here with them, so can you adopt the child here after they come?

[Donna A 4]

i cant say for sure but im going to guess....i would think u could. people adopt thier spouses children every day. just make sure ur marriege is on stable grounds first tho...there was a man i worked with who adopted his wifes kids from a previous marriege and they divorsed and he had to pay child support to her.

[Dakine 26]

Hi does anyone know if you can adopt your wife's child in USA when she can come here after her petition is approved? Or do you have to go there and adopt?The Philppines law to adopt says you have to live there for 2 years but it is very confusing, most have there children come here with them, so can you adopt the child here after they come?

Sure can!

I adopted my wifes 7 year old daughter [K3/K4] AFTER they arrived in the US. Almost impossible to do so in the Philippines.

It was a very easy process and only took a couple months. I applied for her US passport right after she got her GC. After my anak got her GC she automatically got her US citizenship 2 years after our date of marriage in the Philippines. Passport agency held the application until the 2 years were up and then sent it.

Moms still has to wait 3 years from date on GC to apply.

[eau_xplain 2]

Yes, you can adopt the child once he/she is here in the US. However, if you want the child's birth records in the Philippines to be corrected to show you as his/her father and have his/her family name changed to yours, the US adoption will have to be 'certified' by a Philippine court. So, you can take the adoption one step at a time. Do the US adoption first and, when you are ready to schedule a trip to the Philippines, do the amendment of the birth records.

[pushbrk 12,105]

Yes, you can adopt the child once he/she is here in the US. However, if you want the child's birth records in the Philippines to be corrected to show you as his/her father and have his/her family name changed to yours, the US adoption will have to be 'certified' by a Philippine court. So, you can take the adoption one step at a time. Do the US adoption first and, when you are ready to schedule a trip to the Philippines, do the amendment of the birth records.

Why would any kind of adoption change a birth record? Being adopted doesn't change the biographical data associated with their birth.

Yes, you can adopt your foreign step-child in the USA with similar stipulations as what would apply to a US Citizen step-child.

[eau_xplain 2]

Yes, you can adopt the child once he/she is here in the US. However, if you want the child's birth records in the Philippines to be corrected to show you as his/her father and have his/her family name changed to yours, the US adoption will have to be 'certified' by a Philippine court. So, you can take the adoption one step at a time. Do the US adoption first and, when you are ready to schedule a trip to the Philippines, do the amendment of the birth records.

Why would any kind of adoption change a birth record? Being adopted doesn't change the biographical data associated with their birth.

Yes, you can adopt your foreign step-child in the USA with similar stipulations as what would apply to a US Citizen step-child.

Pushbrk, my husband was adopted by his (then) stepfather. When hubby's adoption was completed, the court arranged for a new birth certificate to be issued for my husband and it showed his stepfather as his father. That is part of the biographical data associated with birth and they are changed when an adoption is completed.

When my son's adoption process is completed, I would like it to be reflected in his birth records. Since my son was born in the Philippines we, obviously, need to submit the adoption documents to the government office in the Philippines that manages such records. We want these changes to be reflected in the Philippines so that my son will be able to maintain dual citizenship if he wants to without any problems.

[Dakine 26]

Yes, you can adopt the child once he/she is here in the US. However, if you want the child's birth records in the Philippines to be corrected to show you as his/her father and have his/her family name changed to yours, the US adoption will have to be 'certified' by a Philippine court. So, you can take the adoption one step at a time. Do the US adoption first and, when you are ready to schedule a trip to the Philippines, do the amendment of the birth records.

Why would any kind of adoption change a birth record? Being adopted doesn't change the biographical data associated with their birth.

Yes, you can adopt your foreign step-child in the USA with similar stipulations as what would apply to a US Citizen step-child.

Pushbrk, my husband was adopted by his (then) stepfather. When hubby's adoption was completed, the court arranged for a new birth certificate to be issued for my husband and it showed his stepfather as his father. That is part of the biographical data associated with birth and they are changed when an adoption is completed.

When my son's adoption process is completed, I would like it to be reflected in his birth records. Since my son was born in the Philippines we, obviously, need to submit the adoption documents to the government office in the Philippines that manages such records. We want these changes to be reflected in the Philippines so that my son will be able to maintain dual citizenship if he wants to without any problems.

I called the Philippine consulate and they said my anak automatically has dual citizenship.

[eau_xplain 2]

I called the Philippine consulate and they said my anak automatically has dual citizenship.

Hi Haole, so you don't plan on submitting the adoption papers to the NCSO in the Philippines?

Edited to add:

I sent an email to the Census office in the Philippines regarding registering the adoption and here's what they provided me:

If the adoption is finalized in the United States, please be informed that the same should first undergo court validation under Memorandum Circular No. 2007-008 issued by this office which provides that judgments/orders rendered by foreign courts must be passed upon judicially by Philippine court to prove its validity. These are not self-executory in the Philippines.

These judgments/orders must be judicially confirmed/enforced by filing a civil action with the RTC in the Philippines. You may file with the RTC where the birth of the child took place. The RTC will render a decision and will issue a Certificate of Finality which shall be registered in the Local Civil Registry Office of the city/municipality where the court is functioning. The decisions of the RTC shall become the basis for the amendment of the birth certificate of the child.

After this, you may get a copy of the amended birth certificate of your son with our office at NSO East Avenue, Quezon City.

Edited June 16, 2008 by eau_xplain

[Dakine 26]

I called the Philippine consulate and they said my anak automatically has dual citizenship.

Hi Haole, so you don't plan on submitting the adoption papers to the NCSO in the Philippines?

Not at this time. I'll check on what has to be done to renew her Philippine passport in her new name when the time comes.