Adoption Act 1988

The court shall not make an order for the adoption of a non-citizen child unless the court is satisfied as to the matters referred to in section 24 and is also satisfied –

that the persons in whose favour the order is made are persons both of whom were approved by the Secretary as persons suitable to adopt a non-citizen child before the child came into, or was placed in, the care of those persons and that the placement of the child with a view to adoption by those persons has been approved by the Secretary; or that the child has been in the care of the persons in whose favour the order is made for the preceding 12 months and that, during that period, the Secretary has supervised the welfare and interests of the child.