International adoption
General information about international adoption
Moratorium on new international adoption files
A moratorium on international adoptions with certified bodies is in force. The opening of new files is suspended.
However, files submitted without certified bodies, in the circumstances expressly provided for by regulation, as well as files with certified bodies that are already open are exempt from this measure and will continue to be processed as planned. For more information on cases where adoption without an accredited agency is possible, see the page International adoption without a certified body.
Before any adoption procedures are undertaken, they must be authorized by the Secrétariat aux services internationaux à l’enfant (SASIE). Without this authorization, they will not be recognized: no adoption or immigration approval will be granted, and the child will not be able to obtain the right to live permanently in Canada. These rules exist to ensure that every adoption takes place within a legal and safe framework and, above all, in the best interests of the child.
When it is impossible for a child to be raised in their family of origin or extended family and when domestic adoption in their country cannot be considered, international adoption may be the best definitive solution if it is in the child’s best interests. In Quebec, every adoption must comply with the standards and principles established by the Act to implement the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co‑operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption of 1993.
The adoption procedure must be carried out through a certified body. Only certain exceptional situations previously authorized under the Regulation respecting the adoption without a certified body of a child domiciled outside Québec by a person domiciled in Québec do not require the use of a certified body to adopt a child internationally. Intra‑family adoption is one example.
Before they are undertaken, all adoption procedures must be authorized by the Secrétariat aux services internationaux à l’enfant (SASIE). Otherwise, the authorizations allowing the adoption and immigration process to go ahead will not be issued and the adopted child will not be authorized to reside permanently in Canada.
Last update: June 11, 2024