Agency policies
Client Policies
Last updated: August 2026. Policies are reviewed annually.
World Links sets no age requirement, no marriage requirement, and no bar on single applicants. Countries set their own.
That distinction runs through this page. It covers what World Links requires of you, what we require of ourselves, and where a foreign country adds requirements of its own on top. Country-specific requirements live on each program page: Bulgaria, Kyrgyz Republic, Portugal.
If your situation is not covered here, call us before you apply. Most of what follows is evaluated case by case, so call us and we will tell you where you stand.
01Eligibility
Who can adopt through World Links
At a glance
| Requirement | World Links | Foreign countries |
|---|---|---|
| Age | No agency requirement. U.S. law requires applicants to be at least 25. | Many set an upper age limit, or tie the parent’s age to the age of the child. |
| Marriage | No set requirement. We evaluate whether the household is stable and nurturing. | Some set minimum marriage requirements and limit the number of divorces. |
| Single applicants | Accepted. | Some accept single female applicants more often than single male applicants. |
| Criminal history | Case by case, with documentation. USCIS approval also required. | A country may decline to place a child with an applicant who has any criminal history. |
| Child abuse or neglect as perpetrator | Not eligible. USCIS regulation, not agency discretion. A parent who was a victim of abuse or neglect is not disqualified. | USCIS bar applies regardless of country. |
| Chronic health condition | Case by case. Our staff can consult with you confidentially before you apply. | Some may decline a parent with a current or past chronic condition. |
| Prior disruption or dissolution | Case by case, disclosed at application. | A country may decline a family who has disrupted an adoption. |
Read the full policy on each of these below.
Age
World Links does not set an age restriction. The United States requires applicants to be at least 25 years of age.
Many countries do set age requirements, either as an upper age limit or as a rule linking the parent’s age to the age of the child. Those restrictions belong to the country, and they apply to adoptions from that country.
Marital status
World Links does not set a marriage requirement. We evaluate each applicant’s situation to verify that the environment is stable and nurturing for the placement of a child or children.
Some foreign countries set minimum marriage requirements. Some also limit the number of divorces an applicant may have.
Single applicants
World Links accepts applications from single applicants.
Some foreign countries accept single female applicants more often than single male applicants. Single male applicants currently face difficulty locating a country open to them. Talk with us to see which program may be best for you.
Sexual orientation
World Links does not restrict applicants by sexual orientation. The home study usually does not address it.
A foreign country may require a statement of sexual orientation as part of the dossier. World Links cannot knowingly misrepresent information about an applicant, their household, or their family members.
Criminal record
Applicants with a criminal history are accepted case by case.
Disclose any arrests or convictions during the application process. Submit a copy of the court disposition along with a personal letter explaining the situation and what you learned from it. World Links reviews that documentation for eligibility. USCIS approval must also be obtained.
A foreign country may decline to place a child with an applicant who has any criminal history at all.
If World Links learns of a criminal history that was not disclosed during the application process, we reserve the right to terminate any relationship with the client.
Child abuse and neglect
Applicants with a documented history as a perpetrator of child abuse or neglect are not eligible to adopt. This is a USCIS regulation.
An applicant who was a victim of abuse, neglect, or another traumatic event is not disqualified, but will need to demonstrate how they overcame it. World Links has the right to ask for further psychological testing or evaluation.
Substance abuse and domestic violence
Disclose any history of substance abuse or domestic violence during the application process. World Links evaluates each applicant case by case. Documentation of counseling or rehabilitation services is required as part of that evaluation.
If World Links learns of a substantiated history of substance abuse or perpetration of domestic violence after the home study process, that is grounds for terminating the process.
Prior disruption, dissolution, or termination of parental rights
If you disrupted or dissolved an adoption in the past, you are accepted case by case, depending on the reason. Disclose it during the application process.
If your parental rights were terminated, the case requires additional evaluation, and acceptance is solely at the discretion of World Links.
A foreign country may decline a family who has disrupted an adoption, or an applicant whose parental rights were terminated or revoked.
Physical and emotional health
If you have a chronic physical or mental health condition, confidentially discuss your case with one of our adoption consultants before you apply. World Links evaluates each situation case by case.
Some countries may decline a prospective adoptive parent who has or had a chronic physical or mental health condition. Be prepared to gather additional documentation from specialists for both your application and your dossier.
World Links reserves the right to request additional psychological testing, at the client’s expense.
Pregnancy during the process
If you become pregnant during the adoption process, notify your adoption consultant immediately.
We place a hold on your adoption process until six months after the birth. The file may be reopened at no additional cost, after a discussion between the family, the adoption consultant, and the social workers at both the placing agency and the home study agency.
02Disclosure
Your duty to disclose
Duty of disclosure
You and every adult member of your household have a duty of candor to disclose to World Links and to your home study agency any relevant information. That includes, but is not limited to:
- Physical, mental, or emotional health issues, and behavioral issues
- Any arrests, convictions, or other adverse criminal history, in the United States or abroad. This applies even if the record of the arrest, conviction, or other adverse criminal history has been expunged, sealed, pardoned, or the subject of any other amelioration.
- Any history of substance abuse, sexual abuse, or child abuse, and any history of family violence as an offender
You also have a duty to notify your home study preparer and USCIS of any new event or information that might warrant an amended or updated home study.
This duty is ongoing. It continues until there is a final decision admitting the adoptee to the United States with a visa.
Focusing on one placement at a time
World Links prefers that families focus on one adoption placement at a time.
03Placement
Children and placement
Discipline
World Links prohibits the use of corporal or unusual punishment on a child in the home. Corporal punishment means the deliberate infliction of pain intended as correction or punishment.
Gender preference
You may state a gender preference for the child or children you wish to adopt.
Adopting two unrelated children at once
World Links does not restrict the adoption of unrelated children. Some countries do.
Sibling groups
You may request to adopt siblings.
04Conduct
How we work together
What you can expect from World Links
World Links Association, Inc. employees will at all times comply with ethical standards prescribed by the social work profession and with any applicable state and federal law.
Our employees will treat prospective adoptive parents in a respectful, ethical, and non-coercive manner, and will refrain from use of personally derogatory or profane language or communication.
If you believe a World Links employee, or another person involved in your adoption, has treated you inappropriately, report it under our written Client Complaint Procedure. To request a copy, email hello@wliaa.org or call the office.
Your obligations as a client
Treat World Links employees and volunteers, and the personnel of in-country providers and cooperating agencies, with respect at all times. Refrain from communicating with them in any manner that is threatening, personally derogatory, abusive, or profane.
If you do not meet this standard, World Links will raise it with you directly, so you have the chance to put it right. If the conduct continues, World Links may require counseling or treatment before the adoption process goes further, pause adoption services, or end adoption services and this agreement. Those decisions rest with World Links alone, and World Links is not required to use the dispute resolution procedure created by this agreement first.
Comply at all times with all laws of the United States and of the country of adoption.
International adoption is a sensitive process. Failure to submit post-adoption reports, failure to register a child, posting confidential or derogatory information on the internet, and disclosing confidential information can all greatly affect the international adoption process in your country of adoption. The parties agree that damages for breach of these requirements are difficult to evaluate and that money damages are not sufficient, and expressly agree that the obligations hereunder may be enforced through legal action including specific performance and injunction.
Prohibition on child buying
World Links strictly forbids and discourages any practice or procedure related to the sale, exploitation, abduction, or trafficking of children.
World Links acknowledges that compensation may be paid for legitimate adoption services, but strictly forbids any practice that consists of, or is related to, payment for a child or as an inducement to release a child.
05Preparation
Home study and education
Home study
World Links accepts home studies only from agencies fully licensed in their state to perform those services. We cannot accept a home study from an independent contractor.
If you do not reside in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, World Links will forward your home study agency further requirements for home studies.
Adoption education
World Links requires a minimum of 10 hours of adoption education.
World Links provides training that allows you to be as fully prepared as possible for the adoption of a particular child. That training includes counseling on:
- The child’s history, and their cultural, racial, religious, ethnic, and linguistic background
- Known health risks in the specific region or country where the child resides
- Any other medical, social, and other data known about the particular child
06Reporting
After placement
Post-placement reports
World Links can perform post-placement reports for applicants residing in Pennsylvania who completed their adoption in the United States, not in the country of origin.
Post-adoption reports
World Links can perform post-adoption reports for applicants whose adoption was finalized in the child’s country of origin or in the State of Pennsylvania.
Our policy is to complete a minimum of four post-adoption reports over a three-year period. If the foreign country requests more, World Links abides by those requirements.
Post-adoption reporting is required. Failure to submit reports can greatly affect the adoption process in that country, for you and for the families who come after you.
07FAQ
Common questions
Do I have to be married to adopt through World Links?
No. World Links has no set marriage requirement, though we do evaluate whether your household is stable and nurturing for a placement. Some countries set minimum marriage requirements and limit prior divorces. Check the requirements for the country you are considering.
Is there an age limit?
Not one that World Links sets. U.S. law requires you to be at least 25. Many countries set an upper age limit, or tie the parent’s age to the age of the child.
I have a misdemeanor from years ago. Am I disqualified?
Not automatically. Disclose it at application with a copy of the court disposition and a letter explaining the circumstances. World Links reviews it for eligibility, and USCIS approval is also required. A country may decline any applicant with a criminal history.
Can single people adopt?
Yes. Some countries accept single female applicants more often than single male applicants. If you are a single man, talk to us before you begin, so you know what is realistic.
I take medication for depression. Does that stop me?
Not automatically. We evaluate case by case, and we reserve the right to request additional psychological testing at your expense. We suggest talking to an adoption consultant before you apply. Some countries may decline applicants with a current or past chronic condition.
We are trying to conceive while we adopt. Is that a problem?
It puts your file on hold. Tell your adoption consultant if you become pregnant. The hold runs until six months after the birth. The file may be reopened at no additional cost, after a discussion between you, your consultant, and the social workers at both agencies.
Can we work with another agency at the same time to improve our odds?
Yes. World Links prefers that families focus on one adoption placement at a time, so talk to us first if you are considering it.
Who do I talk to if I have a complaint about World Links?
Report it under our written Client Complaint Procedure. To request a copy, email hello@wliaa.org or call the office.
Still have questions
If you have a question about your adoption situation, please call us. Each case is unique, and the only way to know for sure is to consult with an adoption professional.
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Office
418 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510