Except as described in paragraph (n), for purposes of this section, the definitions in 22 CFR 96.2 apply.

On or after the Convention effective date, as defined in 22 CFR 96.17, a child habitually resident in a Convention country who is adopted by a United States citizen deemed to be habitually resident in the United States in accordance with applicable DHS regulations must qualify for visa status under the provisions of INA section 101(b)(1)(G) as provided in this section. Such a child shall not be accorded status under INA section 101(b)(1)(F), provided that a child may be accorded status under INA section 101(b)(1)(F) if Form I-600A or I-600 was filed before the Convention effective date. Although this part 42 generally applies to the issuance of immigrant visas, this section 42.24 may also provide the basis for issuance of a nonimmigrant visa to permit a Convention adoptee to travel to the United States for purposes of naturalization under INA section 322.

The provisions of this section govern the operations of consular officers in processing cases involving children for whom classification is sought under INA section 101(b)(1)(G), unless the Secretary of State has personally waived any requirement of the IAA or these regulations in a particular case in the interests of justice or to prevent grave physical harm to the child, to the extent consistent with the Convention.

An alien child shall be classifiable under INA section 101(b)(1)(G) only if, before the child is adopted or legal custody for the purpose of adoption is granted, a petition for the child has been received and provisionally approved by a DHS officer or, where authorized by DHS, by a consular officer, and a visa application for the child has been received and annotated in accordance with paragraph (h) of this section by a consular officer. No alien child shall be issued a visa pursuant to INA section 101(b)(1)(G) unless the petition and visa application are finally approved.

If a petition for a child under INA section 101(b)(1)(G) is properly filed with a consular officer, the consular officer will review the petition for the purpose of determining whether it can be provisionally approved in accordance with applicable DHS requirements. If a properly completed application for waiver of inadmissibility is received by a consular officer at the same time that a petition for a child under INA section 101(b)(1)(G) is received, provisional approval cannot take place unless the waiver is approved, and therefore the consular officer, pursuant to 8 CFR 204.313(i)(3) and 8 CFR 212.7, will forward the petition and the waiver application to DHS for decisions as to approval of the waiver and provisional approval of the petition. If a petition for a child under INA section 101(b)(1)(G) is received by a DHS officer, the consular officer will conduct any reviews, determinations or investigations requested by DHS with regard to the petition and classification determination in accordance with applicable DHS procedures.

A petition shall be provisionally approved by the consular officer if, in accordance with applicable DHS requirements, it appears that the child will be classifiable under INA section 101(b)(1)(G) and that the proposed adoption or grant of legal custody will be in compliance with the Convention. If the consular officer knows or has reason to believe the petition is not provisionally approvable, the consular officer shall forward it to DHS pursuant to 8 CFR 204.313(i)(3).

After a petition has been provisionally approved, a completed visa application form, any supporting documents required pursuant to § 42.63 and § 42.65, and any required fees must be submitted to the consular officer in accordance with § 42.61 for a provisional review of visa eligibility. The requirements in §§ 42.62, 42.64, 42.66 and 42.67 shall also be satisfied to the extent practicable.

A consular officer shall provisionally determine visa eligibility based on a review of the visa application, submitted supporting documents, and the provisionally approved petition. In so doing, the consular officer shall follow all procedures required to adjudicate the visa to the extent possible in light of the degree of compliance with §§ 42.62 through 42.67. If it appears, based on the available information, that the child would not be ineligible under INA section 212 or other applicable law to receive a visa, the consular officer shall so annotate the visa application. If evidence of an ineligibility is discovered during the review of the visa application, and the ineligibility was not waived in conjunction with provisional approval of the petition, the prospective adoptive parents shall be informed of the ineligibility and given an opportunity to establish that it will be overcome. If the visa application cannot be annotated as described above, the consular officer shall deny the visa in accordance with § 42.81, regardless of whether the application has yet been executed in accordance with § 42.67(a); provided however that, in cases in which a waiver may be available under the INA and the consular officer determines that the visa application appears otherwise approvable, the consular officer shall inform the prospective adoptive parents of the procedure for applying to DHS for a waiver. If in addition the consular officer comes to know or have reason to believe that the petition is not clearly approvable as provided in 8 CFR 204.313(i)(3), the consular officer shall forward the petition to DHS pursuant to that section.

If the petition has been provisionally approved and the visa application has been annotated in accordance with subparagraph (h), the consular officer shall notify the country of origin that the steps required by Article 5 of the Convention have been taken.

After the consular officer has received appropriate notification from the country of origin that the adoption or grant of legal custody has occurred and any remaining requirements established by DHS or §§ 42.61 through 42.67 have been fulfilled, the consular officer, if satisfied that the requirements of the IAA and the Convention have been met with respect to the adoption or grant of legal custody, shall affix to the adoption decree or grant of legal custody a certificate so indicating. This certificate shall constitute the certification required by IAA section 301(a) and INA section 204(d)(2). For purposes of determining whether to issue a certificate, the fact that a consular officer notified the country of origin pursuant to paragraph (i) of this section that the steps required by Article 5 of the Convention had been taken and the fact that the country of origin has provided appropriate notification that the adoption or grant of legal custody has occurred shall together constitute prima facie evidence of compliance with the Convention and the IAA.

If the consular officer is unable to issue the certificate described in paragraph (j) of this section, the consular officer shall notify the country of origin of the consular officer's decision.

After the consular officer determines whether to issue the certificate described in paragraph (j) of this section, the consular officer shall finally adjudicate the petition and visa application in accordance with standard procedures.

If the consular officer is unable to give final approval to the visa application or the petition, then the consular officer shall forward the petition to DHS, pursuant to § 42.43 or 8 CFR 204.313(i)(3), as applicable, for appropriate action in accordance with applicable DHS procedures, and/or refuse the visa application in accordance with § 42.81. The consular officer shall notify the country of origin that the visa has been refused.

Notwithstanding paragraphs (d) through (m) of this section, an alien described in paragraph (n)(1) of this section may qualify for visa status under INA section 101(b)(1)(G)(iii) without meeting the requirements set forth in paragraphs (d) through (m) of this section.

Per Section 4(b) of the Intercountry Adoption Simplification Act, Public Law 111-287 (IASA), an alien otherwise described in INA section 101(b)(1)(G)(iii) who attained the age of 18 on or after April 1, 2008 shall be deemed to meet the age requirement imposed by INA section 101(b)(1)(G)(iii)(III), provided that a petition is filed for such child in accordance with DHS requirements not later than November 30, 2012.

For any alien described in paragraph (n)(1) of this section, the “competent authority” referred to in INA section 101(b)(1)(G)(i)(V)(aa) is a court or governmental agency of a foreign country of origin having jurisdiction and authority to make decisions in matters of child welfare, including adoption. If the competent authority over matters of child welfare no longer has jurisdiction or authority over the alien due to his or her age, then the passport issuing authority of the country of origin may be considered the competent authority for the purposes of INA section 101(b)(1)(G)(i)(V)(aa).