PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S15648-15651)
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Nov 23, 2003
Intercountry Adoption Reform Act of 2003 or ICARE Act - Establishes an Office of Intercountry Adoptions within the Department of State (DOS). Requires the President to appoint an Ambassador at Large to head the Office.
Transfers to the Office all immigration functions with respect to intercountry adoptions currently performed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to grant automatic U.S. citizenship to internationally adopted children upon entry of a full and final adoption decree (thus dispensing with the need for such children to obtain visas).
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Creates a new W nonimmigrant visa category for children traveling to the United States to be adopted by U.S. citizens.
Allows adopted children age 18 or under to claim an exception to immunization requirements for purposes of admissibility (currently limited to those age 10 or under).
Redefines the term "adoptable child."
Requires U.S. citizen adoptive parents to obtain approval of an adoption petition prior to issuance of a W visa or a full and final adoption decree. Provides that such petitions are subject to the terms applicable to orphan petitions. Directs the Ambassador to issue regulations: (1) establishing an expedited reapproval process for families whose prior approvals to adopt have expired; and (2) governing the appeal of petition denials.
Requires the Office to determine whether a child is an adoptable child, pursuant to specified procedures, as a prerequisite to the issuance of a W visa or a full and final adoption decree.
People & committees
Sen. Nickles, Don [R-OK] · R–OK
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S15648-15651)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S15647-15648)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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