International adoption processes are complex and involve lengthy bureaucratic red tape. Adopting a child from another country may take you at least six months and perhaps several years. You should be ready for an expensive and emotionally tedious exercise, and many layers of bureaucratic formalities, when you adopt a child from another country. The money involved in the process may range from $8,000 to $30,000, but the process can be a lot smoother if you seek the help of an international adoption agency.

If you already know a child that you would like to adopt, the first step is to fill out the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) forms with the help of the adoption agency. But if you are randomly picking a child from another country, you should be looking at the condition of the children, their ages and genders and other details before filing the INS forms. You can select a child from agency photos and profiles, and discuss the health conditions of the child with a pediatrician.

You can talk to friends who have already gone through the process of international adoption. You can also discuss the process with the agency and decide on a schedule for the home study. The home study involves preparing all the necessary papers, organizing visits from social workers and attending classes on international adoption.

Once you get your final clearance for adoption, you can visit the child in his\her country and try to get to know the son or daughter who will soon become part of your family. Then you can file the papers for adoption in both countries and get the passport and visa for your child ready. After the final referral, it doesn't take longer than three days to complete the process, and soon you can welcome the new member into your family.

Not all people go through adoption agencies, but choose children from adoption oriented camps held in the United States, or through a facilitator, or independently.