To adopt from China you must:
...be at least 30 years old (when the dossier is sent to China), and must not be more than 50 years older than the child you're adopting (you or spouse).
...be married for at least two years; minimum of 5 years if you've been divorced. Nor can you be divorced more than two times - though determined on a case-by-case basis.
...have one parent travel to pick up their child (though it's highly recommended both parents travel). The trip approximately takes two weeks long.
...earn at least $10k per family member in your house including the child you're intending to adopt. Minimum of $80k net worth. Max. BMI of 40. Good health over-all. Clean record. I've heard there is some flexibility - if you're really interested in adopting and question an eligibility requirement - it'd be good to get in contact with an agency and inquire. Be sure to be open and honest - whatever skeleton you're trying to hide in your closet *will* show up during the background checking, and it doesn't look good if you've tried to keep something secret until then (they'll then question what else you've been hiding, etc).
Children available: Minor to severe special needs children, unless you're applying through the traditional China program for a healthy child (the wait is currently 5+ years in the traditional program). There are more boys available than girl for multiple reasons; one being that most families adopting from China request girls.
Length of process: If you're adopting through the Waiting Child Program (for special needs), the process from application to gotcha day is approximately 12-18 months (18-24 for a girl). That is of course dependent on a number of facts; what and how many special needs you're open to, age you're open to, gender, how quickly you can get various forms of paperwork completed, etc.
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There are numerous sites that give more detailed eligibility requirements; if you're seriously thinking about adopting - I'd recommend getting in contact with a reputable agency. Some agencies also offer a free pre-application process that will determine your eligibility (and you'll get an idea of what they're looking for). You can also sit down with some agencies for information meetings where you can ask eligibility questions - and there are free webinars you can watch and attend to answer most commonly asked questions. Keep in mind that simply attending a webinar, getting in contact with an agency rep, or attending an information meeting does *not* tie you to that agency indefinitely, and no reputable agency will ask you to pay a cent for asking for information. All application fees to agencies I've seen online are $250-350 (non-refundable) - so it's important to do your homework on the agency you wish to apply to ($300 in adoption money sounds like chump change - but, that's still $300 you don't want to lose applying to an agency you're not going to stick with).
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