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Process

  1. Register with CHOICES and complete your home study with a CHOICES Social Worker (approximately 3 months);
  2. Apply to sponsor your adopted child with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (as the same time as your home study is being completed)
  3. Once we receive your application and the home study, CHOICES will guide you through all phases of the adoption process by assisting you in completing your paperwork and preparing your dossier for presentation to Bulgarian authorities.
  4. We shall forward your dossier to CHILDREN UNDER THE RAINBOW who will provide translation to Bulgarian and required authentication and legalization of all the documents (2 weeks), and will submit your request to the Ministry of Justice.
  5. Once approved the parents shall be entered within 30 days into the Applicants’ Register maintained by the Ministry of Justice.
  6. A child is proposed to the parents. This may take two years or more. Children are not proposed in chronological order of the applications, but are matched to parents in the best interest of the children.
  7. The parents make their first visit to Bulgaria to make contact with the child and to spend at least 5 consecutive days together. Once the parents accept the proposal, they sign documents launching the adoption process.
  8. CHOICES will request a Letter of No Objection from the Ministry of Children and Family Development in British Columbia or in the adoptive parents' province of residence. This is required for completion of the adoption and for Canadian Immigration.
  9. All of the documents are submitted to the Ministry of Justice for approval (2 weeks); once approved the Ministry sends them to the Sofia City Court within 3 days;
  10. The judicial procedure is completed (usually in 2 weeks), the Court’s decree becomes effective, a new birth certificate and passport are issued and the child is ready to leave Bulgaria (2 weeks).
  11. The parents make their second trip during which time you’ll also receive the immigration documents from the Canadian Consulate that are necessary to bring the child to Canada.
  12. Bulgaria requires adoptive parents to submit post placement reports completed by a social worker, on CHOICES letterhead, every six months for two years. The continuation of future adoptions may depend on timely submittal of post placement reports!

* Please note that these timeframes are estimates based on our understanding of the new laws and policies in Bulgaria. The timeframes may vary after the new laws are fully implemented.

Travelling to Bulgaria

A representative of CHILDREN UNDER THE RAINBOW will facilitate all the aspects of your stay while in Bulgaria. Although the Bulgarian government requires two short trips (5-10 days each) to Bulgaria, only the first trip requires both parents. A Canadian passport valid for at least three months beyond the date of your expected departure from Bulgaria is required. There is no visa requirement for Canadians traveling to Bulgaria for a stay of less than 90 days.