DOS Notice – Haiti Expedite Fee Fraud

The U.S. Embassy in Haiti has heard reports from a number of prospective adoptive parents regarding certain adoption service providers requests for substantial additional payments.  These adoption service providers are claiming that these fees are charged by the Haitian authorities to expedite the adoption process.  The Embassy has verified with Haiti’s adoption authority, the Institut du Bien-Être Social et de Recherches (IBESR), that the Government of Haiti does not charge expedite fees in association with adoptions in Haiti.   

Likewise, the U.S. government does not charge expedite fees in any visa cases.  All possible immigrant visa fees are published on travel.state.gov.  The Department of State and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Haiti do not charge fees for additional visas services, including any expedite fees.  All visa processing fees are collected on the U.S. Embassy premises at the time of the visa interview. 

If you are applying for a U.S. immigrant visa for an adopted child, do NOT pay any fees at cybercafés, banks, or to anyone outside the U.S. Embassy claiming to act on behalf of the U.S. government.  Prospective adoptive parents who are asked to make payments for expedited visas fees to an adoption service provider should immediately report such behavior toPAPFraud@state.gov.

The U.S. government does not require adoptive parents to travel to Haiti at any point during the adoption process, although the Haitian government may have such requirements.  We also remind prospective adoptive parents that the U.S. government is not involved in the local adoption process. 

Contact information for the U.S. Embassy in Haiti is listed below:

U.S. Embassy in Haiti
Consular Section (Adoptions Unit)
Boulevard du 15 Octobre
Tabarre 41
Tabarre, Haiti
Tel: 509-2229-8000 (within Haiti); 1-866-829-2482 (from the United States)
Email: papadoptions@state.gov
Internet: haiti.usembassy.gov/ 

The Department of State will continue to publish updates on intercountry adoptions in Haiti on adoption.state.gov.  Please direct any questions related to Haitian adoptions to AdoptionUSCA@state.gov, 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States.