International adoption
Minimum time between two parentals projects
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.
In Quebec and certain countries of origin, before any new application for adoption, there must be an interval of at least 12 months:
- after an adoption (international or national), whether the country concerned differs or not;
- following the birth of a biological child.
This length of time was established by the Ordre des psychologues du Québec, the Ordre des travailleurs sociaux et des thérapeutes conjugales et familiaux du Québec, the directors of youth protection and the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux in accordance with section 71.7 of the Youth Protection Act.
It aims to ensure that international adoptions take place in the best interests of the child and with respect for the child’s fundamental rights as recognized in international law. It respects the principles of the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co‑operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.
Last update: October 27, 2025