4 Eligibility of Applicants
The following are the requirements of the Chilean Authorities:
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Approvals | The New Zealand Central Authority must approve the applicants |
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Citizenship | The applicants must be habitually resident in New Zealand. One of the applicants must be either born in New Zealand or a New Zealand Citizen. If the applicant is a New Zealand Citizen by descent they must apply first to become a full New Zealand Citizen. Permanent residents can adopt but there is a different process. |
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Age of applicants | Applicants must be aged between 25 and 60 years and at least 20 years older than the child to be adopted. |
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Applicant couples | Couples must be legally married for two years (except where one of the applicants is infertile, in which case there is no minimum duration of marriage required). Same-sex couples cannot adopt from Chile. |
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Previously divorced applicant(s) | If either applicant has been previously divorced a copy of the divorce decree is required. |
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Single applicants | Single applicants are not accepted. |
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Religion | Not a criterion. |
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Infertility | Not a criterion. |
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Health | Couples must be in good health, both physically and mentally. If either applicant has any disabling illness or life endangering illness, they will not be considered. |
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Number of children in the family | There is no set limit on the number of biological or adopted children, each case is considered individually. However, if the applicants have more than 3 children, Sename's position is that they will be disadvantaged because Sename gives priority to applicants that do not have any children at all (who are the majority of the applicants) or who only have one other child. Sename's reasoning for this where applicants do not have any children is that the adopted child, being the first child of the family, will be doted on and this would be beneficial given the deficiencies of the child. Chile does not allow adoption of a child older than any current children the applicants may already have. The age difference between the youngest biological child and the adopted child needs to be one and a half to two years.
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Description and age of children | Children aged 5 and over in the care of the State. Only one child may be adopted at a time unless a sibling group. Siblings (the definition includes non blood brothers and sisters who have developed close relationships in the institution) will not be separated except under extraordinary circumstances where provision must be made for them to remain in contact. A child younger than 5 years may be adopted but only if part of a sibling group (the maximum age of the older child in the sibling group must be stated) or that child has a disability or special medical need. As with many countries, there is likely to be a preference not to place adolescent boys in the same home as adolescent girls or with younger girls, or to place adolescent or younger girls in the same home as adolescent boys. |
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Travel requirements | Both applicants are required to travel and length of stay in Chile is approximately 7-10 weeks. Both applicants are expected to stay for the duration and this is viewed as an important part of the bonding process. Under exceptional circumstances, one of the applicants may remain in Chile after the adoption order is granted with a Power of Attorney to obtain exit clearance and travel with the child. |
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Post placement reports | Following the placement Chile requires six monthly post placement reports for the first two years and twelve monthly reports for years 3 and 4. |
