Children adopted from overseas by New South Wales families since 1975 have come from many countries, and the welfare services of these countries differ greatly. Some have adoption laws similar to those in Australia, while others have no adoption legislation at all. The regulations governing what is required of the adoptive parents also differs from country to country. Some countries insist that the adoptive parents travel to the country for assessment or court hearings, while others prefer the adopted child to travel under escort to his new country and request that the parents abide by this rule. Some countries will only accept childless couples or those of a particular age, while others have less rigid application criteria.

Intercountry adoption is expensive. Depending on the country, an adoption can cost the family anywhere between $3,000 to $15,000.