Why Adopt from Samoa?

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Families who choose to adopt from Samoa are usually excited about the opportunity to parent a child who otherwise wouldn't have the chance at a family.

MLJ Adoptions limits the number of prospective adoptive families invited to begin the program, as Samoa is a small country and consequently has fewer children in need of a family through international adoption at any given time. Families interested in adopting younger children should also consider our Bulgaria, Burkina Faso or Haiti programs.

Samoa program is currently closed due to the program being at full capacity.

Samoa is a small island nation of less than 200,000 people, and has very few resources to care for its neediest children. International adoption from Samoa may be a Samoan child’s only opportunity for a family.

All adoptions in Samoa are completed through a collaborative effort with a Samoan attorney and foreign service providers, with strict compliance to Samoan law in regards to international adoption. They ensure all children legally available for adoption are classified as true orphans under USCIS definitions and available for adoption. MLJ Adoptions is the only Hague-Accredited agency that works in Samoa. Our domestic staff and our foreign staff includes attorneys licensed to practice law in Samoa and who are well versed in Samoan adoption law, US Embassy practices and procedures and the US federal laws and regulations related to international adoption and orphan visa. MLJ Adoptions maintains a collaborative relationship with SVSG in Samoa to place orphaned children in need of loving homes, who do not have viable options for placements in Samoa. SVSG is well respected not only in Samoa but in the South Pacific for their dedication to assisting victims and abandoned children.

Children in Need of Families

  • Age: infancy to teens.
  • Children reside in a shelter run by the Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG.) Due to Samoa’s small size, it is the only shelter of its kind in the country.
  • Children in need of families from Samoa often have emotional needs and may have a history of abuse.
  • Children may be placed for adoption due to poverty, or because they could be products of rape or incest.

Family - Fall - PicnicAdoptive Parents

  • Married couples, between 23-55 years old (there is no marriage length requirement) may adopt from Samoa.
  • Single women, at least 24 years old, are eligible to adopt from Samoa.
  • Canadian residents may be eligible to adopt from Samoa subject to the approval of their home study agency and provincial authorities.

Adoption Timeline

  • Home Study and Dossier Preparation: approximately six months.
  • Approximate Wait Time: 18-48 months once the family receives their first immigration approval (I-171H). The process may be expedited if a family is pursuing the adoption of a waiting child.
  • Completion of Adoption: 12-14 months once a family accepts the referral of a child.
  • Travel: one trip is required, with a 5-7 day stay in Samoa and a 5-7 day stay in Auckland, New Zealand. The total trip time is 2-3 weeks.
  • Samoa is not a Hague Convention Country.

SAMOA ADOPTION NEED    Samoa Program Summary for 2016   FIVE YEARS IN SAMOA
Learn more about Samoa at the CIA World Factbook.

Contact us to learn more about how to adopt from Samoa.

Country information is to be considered general information and subject to change. The information is based upon state, federal, foreign, and international law, as well as our own business policies.