Ethiopia: There are several U.S.-based adoption agencies authorized by the Government of Ethiopia to provide adoption services, and several others pending accreditation. Private adoptions are also legal and allowed, but discouraged.
Ethiopia requires post placement reports on Ethiopian orphans at 3 months, 6 months, and one year after the adoption, then annual reports until the child turns 18. Ethiopia has the best-established international adoption programs and places the most children, by far. Waiting times for referrals are increasing, but there are also waiting children for whom there is no wait from application to referral. HIV+ children are starting to be placed from Ethiopia, with the issuance of a visa waiver from Nairobi, Kenya.

Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to orphans:
Fiscal Year Number of Immigrant Visas Issued
FY 2006 731
FY 2005 440
FY 2004 289
FY 2003 135
FY 2002 105

Be sure to check out the Ethiopian Adoption blog.

Gabon: No information found.

Gambia: Foreigners are allowed to adopt Gambian children only in exceptional circumstances. Prospective adoptive parents must be resident in The Gambia at least six month prior applying to adopt. The Government of Gambia passed into law a Children’s Act in 2005 that includes laws governing adoptions in the country. Under this Act, the Children’s Court has jurisdiction over matters of adoption; therefore, this court must approve all adoption applications. As of March 31, 2006, the Children’s Court has only heard one case, and it was not related to adoptions.
Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics indicate only one immigrant visa has been issued to a Gambian orphan in the last five fiscal years.

Ghana: The US State Dept website indicates that prospective adoptive parents must be residents in Ghana a minimum of six months prior to adopting a child. The prospective adoptive parents must foster a child for one year in Ghana before the adoption is finalized. However, there is now at least one US adoption agency placing children from Ghana, with no residency required. That agency is Life’s Vision International - contact Lois Socrant, director, for more information.

Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect the following pattern for visa issuance to Ghanaian orphans:

Fiscal Year Number of Immigrant Visas Issued
FY 2005 20
FY 2004 13
FY 2003 6
FY 2002 8
FY 2001 18

Guinea: This process involves complex Guinean and U.S. legal requirements. U.S. consular officers give each petition careful consideration on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the legal requirements of both countries have been met, for the protection of the prospective adoptive parent(s), the biological parents(s) and the child. Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics reflect that in the last four years only one Guinean child was adopted by a U.S. citizen.

Guinea-Bissaau: Because relatively few foreigners have adopted Bissau-Guinean orphans, the specific procedures to adopt an orphan are unclear. In general, adopting parents have identified an orphan through the help of a foreign adoption agency and the local orphanage before presenting the supporting documents to a private lawyer, who then presents the case before the Regional Tribunal. The adoption process in Guinea-Bissau can take from six months to two years to complete. A local lawyer is required to handle all of the requisite legal paperwork. Recent U.S. immigrant visa statistics indicate that fewer than five immigrant visas have been issued to Bissau-Guinean orphans in the last five years. There are no residency requirements, single parents have successfully adopted and there are no US agencies currently placing children from Guinea-Bissaau (Guyana).