I-600 Instructions TOC (fee)

TABLE OF CHANGES – INSTRUCTIONS

Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative

OMB Number: 1615-0028

Date: 10/01/2016

Reason for Revision: Updates are required for Form I-600 due to a Fee Increase.

Current Page Number and Section	Current Text	Proposed Text
Pages 11-12, What Is the Filing Fee?	[page 11] The filing fee for Form I-600 is $720 for each petition, unless the children are birth siblings. A biometric services fee of $85 is required for every petitioner, spouse (if married), and any adult member of the household, unless you filed Form I-600A and you, your spouse, and any adult members of your household are within the 15-month biometric services validity period. For adult persons living abroad, see the Note for Petitioners Residing Abroad below. NOTE: The filing fee and biometric services fee are not refundable, regardless of any action USCIS takes on this petition. DO NOT MAIL CASH. You must submit all fees in the exact amount. Note for Petitioners Residing Abroad: You, your spouse (if married), and each adult member of your household MUST provide biometrics: USCIS will inform a person residing abroad if he or she must pay a USCIS biometric services fee. The U.S. Department of State or U.S. military installations abroad may also charge biometric services fees. Contact the nearest USCIS international office, U.S. Embassy, or U.S. Consulate for instructions on fess and the method of payment. NOTE: No fee is required for this petition if you filed Form I-600A, and: It was approved (or an extension was approved) within the previous 18 months; or Is still pending; and This is the first Form I-600 you have filed based on your valid Form I-600A (or you are filing multiple petitions for children who are birth siblings). If you did not file Form I-600A, and instead are requesting a suitability and eligibility determination as part of your Form I-600 petition filing, then you must enclose a separate check or money order for each petition requiring filing and/or biometric services fees. For example, if a married couple residing in the United States with one adult member of their household files such a petition, the total fees would be $720 for Form I-600 and a separate check or money order for $255 ($85 x 3 adults living in the household) for biometrics. NOTE: USCIS will provide one additional biometric services appointment at no charge to you, your spouse (if married), and/or any adult member of your household, if the 15-month biometric services validity period has or will expire before the final adjudication of your Form I-600 petition. See the adoption-related pages on the USCIS Web site at www.uscis.gov/adoption for more information about requesting the additional biometric services appointment. Use the following guidelines when you prepare your checks or money orders for the Form I-600 filing and biometric services fees: The checks or money orders must be drawn on a bank or other financial institution located in the United States and must be payable in U.S. currency. Make the checks or money orders payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security. NOTE: Spell out U.S. Department of Homeland Security; do not use the initials “USDHS” or “DHS.” Notice to Those Making Payment by Check If you send us a check, USCIS will convert it into an electronic funds transfer (EFT). This means we will copy your check and use the account information on it to electronically debit your account for the amount of the check. The debit from your account will usually take 24 hours, and your bank will show it on your regular account statement. You will not receive your original check back. We will destroy your original check, but will keep a copy of it. If the EFT cannot be processed for technical reasons, you authorize us to process the copy in place of your original check. If USCIS cannot complete the EFT because of insufficient funds, we may try to make the transfer up to two times. [page 12] How to Check If the Fees Are Correct The Form I-600 filing fee and biometric services fees listed above are current as of the edition date in the lower left corner of this page. However, because USCIS fees change periodically, you can verify that the fees are correct by following one of the steps below: Visit the USCIS Web site at www.uscis.gov, select “FORMS” and check the appropriate fee; or Call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 and ask for fee information. For TTY (deaf or hard of hearing) call: 1-800-767-1833. If you live outside the United States, contact the nearest USCIS international office, U.S. Embassy, or U.S. Consulate for instructions on fees and the method of payment.	[page 11] The filing fee for Form I-600 is $775 for each petition, unless the children are birth siblings. A biometric services fee of $85 is required for every petitioner, spouse (if married), and any adult member of the household, unless you filed Form I-600A and you, your spouse, and any adult members of your household are within the 15-month biometric services validity period. For adult persons living abroad, see the Note for Petitioners Residing Abroad below. NOTE: The filing fee and biometric services fee are not refundable, regardless of any action USCIS takes on this petition. DO NOT MAIL CASH. You must submit all fees in the exact amount. Note for Petitioners Residing Abroad: You, your spouse (if married), and each adult member of your household MUST provide biometrics: USCIS will inform a person residing abroad if he or she must pay a USCIS biometric services fee. The U.S. Department of State or U.S. military installations abroad may also charge biometric services fees. Contact the nearest USCIS international office, U.S. Embassy, or U.S. Consulate for instructions on fess and the method of payment. NOTE: No fee is required for this petition if you filed Form I-600A, and: It was approved (or an extension was approved) within the previous 18 months; or Is still pending; and This is the first Form I-600 you have filed based on your valid Form I-600A (or you are filing multiple petitions for children who are birth siblings). If you did not file Form I-600A, and instead are requesting a suitability and eligibility determination as part of your Form I-600 petition filing, then you must enclose a separate check or money order for each petition requiring filing and/or biometric services fees. For example, if a married couple residing in the United States with one adult member of their household files such a petition, the total fees would be $775 for Form I-600 and a separate check or money order for $255 ($85 x 3 adults living in the household) for biometrics. NOTE: USCIS will provide one additional biometric services appointment at no charge to you, your spouse (if married), and/or any adult member of your household, if the 15-month biometric services validity period has or will expire before the final adjudication of your Form I-600 petition. See the adoption-related pages on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/adoption for more information about requesting the additional biometric services appointment. Use the following guidelines when you prepare your checks or money orders for the Form I-600 filing and biometric services fees: The checks or money orders must be drawn on a bank or other financial institution located in the United States and must be payable in U.S. currency. Make the checks or money orders payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security. NOTE: Spell out U.S. Department of Homeland Security; do not use the initials “USDHS” or “DHS.” Notice to Those Making Payment by Check. If you send us a check, USCIS will convert it into an electronic funds transfer (EFT). This means we will copy your check and use the account information on it to electronically debit your account for the amount of the check. The debit from your account will usually take 24 hours and your bank will show it on your regular account statement. You will not receive your original check back. We will destroy your original check, but will keep a copy of it. If USCIS cannot process the EFT for technical reasons, you authorize us to process the copy in place of your original check. If your check is returned as unpayable, USCIS will re-submit the payment to the financial institution one time.  If the check is returned as unpayable a second time, we will reject your petition and charge you a returned check fee. [page 12] How To Check If the Fees Are Correct Form I-600’s filing fee and biometric services fee are current as of the edition date in the lower left corner of this page. However, because USCIS fees change periodically, you can verify that the fees are correct by following one of the steps below. Visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov, select “FORMS,” and check the appropriate fee; or Call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 and ask for fee information. For TTY (deaf or hard of hearing) call: 1-800-767-1833. If you live outside the United States, contact the nearest USCIS international office, U.S. Embassy, or U.S. Consulate for instructions on fees and the method of payment.

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