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CHILEAN ADOPTION
Chilean adoption law gives priority to Chilean families over non-Chilean families.  Most Chilean children available for inter-country adoption are at least four years old.  Not allchildren eligible for adoption in Chile meet U.S. immigration requirements to receive an orphan visa, so it is important that adopting families consult with the U.S. Embassy in Santiago beforebeginning any adoption procedures to ensure that the adoption complies with U.S. law.  Under Chilean law, children to be adopted may not leave the country until the adoption is complete.
WHO CAN ADOPTAdoption between the United States and Chile is governed by the Hague Adoption Convention.  Therefore to adopt from Chile, you must first be found eligible to adopt by the U.S. Government.  The U.S.Government agency responsible for making this determination is the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS).

In addition to these U.S. requirements forprospective adoptive parents, Chile also has the following requirements for prospective adoptive parents:
* RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: There are no residency requirements to adopt in Chile.
* AGEREQUIREMENTS: The adoptive parents must both be at least 20 years older than the child being adopted.
* MARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS: Only married couples between the ages of 25 and 60 can adopt in Chile.WHO CAN BE ADOPTED
Because Chile is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, children from Chile must meet the requirements of the Convention in order to be eligible for adoption.  For example, theConvention requires that Chile attempt to place a child with a family in-country before determining that a child is eligible for intercountry adoption.  In addition to Chile’s requirements, a childmust meet the definition of a Convention adoptee for you to bring him or her back to the United States. 
Families interested in adopting in Chile must apply and be approved by SENAME, which keeps...