I-600A Instructions TOC (fee)

TABLE OF CHANGES – INSTRUCTIONS

Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition

OMB Number: 1615-0028

Date: 10/01/2016

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

Current Page Number and Section	Current Text	Proposed Text
Pages 9-10, What Is the Filing Fee?	[page 9] The filing fee for Form I-600A is $720. A biometric services fee of $85 is required for every applicant, spouse (if married), and any adult member of the household. For adult persons living abroad, see the Note for Applicants Residing Abroad below. NOTE: The filing fee and biometric services fee are not refundable, regardless of any action USCIS takes on this application. DO NOT MAIL CASH. You must submit all fees in the exact amount. Note for Applicants 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. [Page 10] 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 fees and the method of payment. To ensure you file your application properly, you must enclose a separate check or money order for each application 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 an application, their total fees would be $720 for Form I-600A 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-600A 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 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. How to Check If the Fees Are Correct The Form I-600A filing 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 9] The filing fee for Form I-600A is $775. A biometric services fee of $85 is required for every applicant, spouse (if married), and any adult member of the household. For adult persons living abroad, see the Note for Applicants Residing Abroad below. NOTE: The filing fee and biometric services fee are not refundable, regardless of any action USCIS takes on this application. DO NOT MAIL CASH. You must submit all fees in the exact amount. Note for Applicants 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. [Page 10] 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 fees and the method of payment. To ensure you file your application properly, you must enclose a separate check or money order for each application 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 an application, their total fees would be $775 for Form I-600A 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-600A filing fee 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; and 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 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 application and charge you a returned check fee. How To Check If the Fees Are Correct Form I-600A’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.
Page 12, Processing Information, What Should You Do After Locating or Identifying a Child or Children?	Once approved, a Form I-600A is valid for 18 months. When you have located and/or identified a child for adoption, you must also file a Form I-600 petition on the child’s behalf. You do not need to pay a new fee with your Form I-600 if you file it while your Form I-600A approval is still valid or your Form I-600A is still pending. If your new home study approves you for more than one child, you may file a Form I-600 for each of the additional children to the maximum number reflected in your Form I-600A approval notice. If the children are birth siblings, no additional filing fee is required. However, if the children are not birth siblings, an additional filing fee is required for each Form I-600 beyond the initial Form I-600 filing. You must submit a fee of $720 when filing a Form I-600. However, a fee is not required for Form I-600 if you filed Form I-600A for advance processing and it was approved (or an extension approved) within the previous 18 months, or is still pending. Form I-600 must be accompanied by all the evidence required by the instructions of that form, except when the evidence was provided previously with Form I-600A.	Once approved, a Form I-600A is valid for 18 months. When you have located and/or identified a child for adoption, you must also file a Form I-600 petition on the child’s behalf. You do not need to pay a new fee with your Form I-600 if you file it while your Form I-600A approval is still valid or your Form I-600A is still pending. If your new home study approves you for more than one child, you may file a Form I-600 for each of the additional children to the maximum number reflected in your Form I-600A approval notice. If the children are birth siblings, no additional filing fee is required. However, if the children are not birth siblings, an additional filing fee is required for each Form I-600 beyond the initial Form I-600 filing. You must submit a fee of $775 when filing a Form I-600. However, a fee is not required for Form I-600 if you filed Form I-600A for advance processing and it was approved (or an extension approved) within the previous 18 months, or is still pending. Form I-600 must be accompanied by all the evidence required by the instructions of that form, except when the evidence was provided previously with Form I-600A.

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