TABLE OF CHANGES – INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions for Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition
OMB Number: 1615-0028
09/06/2022
Reason for Revision: FeeRule NPRM Project Phase: OMB Review
Legend for Proposed Text:
Expires 12/31/2021 Edition Date 12/21/2019 |
Current Page Number and Section |
Current Text |
Proposed Text |
Pages 2-5, General Instructions |
[Page 2]
General Instructions
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Filing Fee. Each application must be accompanied by the appropriate filing fee and biometric services fee (if applicable). (See the What Is the Filing Fee section of these Instructions.)
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[Page 2]
General Instructions
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Filing Fee. See USCIS Form G-1055, Fee Schedule, available at www.uscis.gov/g-1055, for all information on filing fees.
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Page 5, Form I-600A/I-600 Supplements |
[Page 5]
Form I-600A/I-600 Supplements
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If you want to give consent for USCIS to disclose information about your case to your primary adoption service provider, home study preparer, or any other individual or entity (other than your attorney or accredited representative), you should complete Form I-600A/I-600, Supplement 2. You are not required to give this consent in order to file Form I-600A.
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[Page 5]
Form I-600A/I-600 Supplements
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If you want to give consent for USCIS to disclose information about your case to your primary adoption service provider, home study preparer, or any other individual or entity (other than your attorney or accredited representative), you should complete Form I-600A/I-600, Supplement 2. You are not required to give this consent in order to file Form I-600A.
Form I-600A/I-600, Supplement 3, Request for Action on Approved Form I-600A/I-600
You must file Form I-600A/I-600, Supplement 3 if you would like to request action, such as:
Once you file Form I-600, you are not required to keep any underlying Form I-600A approval valid, but you may do so if you wish.
If your Form I-600A approval is still valid, you must use Form I-600A/I-600, Supplement 3, regardless of whether you have filed Form I-600, to request any of the following:
A. A first extension of your Form I-600A;
B. A second or subsequent extension of your Form I-600A;
C. A new approval notice based on a significant change or change in the number of children or characteristics (such as age, gender, and/or special needs) of the child or children you intend to adopt after your Form I-600A or Form I-600 was approved;
D. A first change to a new non-Hague Adoption Convention country;
E. A second or subsequent change to a new non-Hague Adoption Convention country; or
F. A duplicate approval notice.
You must submit an updated home study if there are any changes or if you are requesting an extension.
Your Form I-600A approval notice indicates the date your approval expires. If you are filing Supplement 3 to obtain an extension of your approved Form I-600A, you must do so before your approval expires, but no more than 90 days before its expiration.
NOTE: You may not use Supplement 3 to extend eligibility to process your case as a Hague Adoption Convention transition case beyond your first extension. Generally, you may not use Supplement 3 to increase the number of children you wish to adopt from a transition country. However, unless prohibited by the new Convention country, USCIS will permit prospective adoptive parent(s) to request an updated Form I-600A approval notice to increase the number of children they are approved to adopt as a transition case only to pursue the adoption of a birth sibling, provided the birth sibling(s) is (are) identified and the Form I-600 petition is filed before the Form I-600A approval expires. You may not use Supplement 3 to change to a transition country if you have already designated a country. See the adoption-related pages on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/adoption for information on filing limitations in transition cases
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Pages 5-8, Initial Evidence |
[Page 5]
Initial Evidence
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3. Change in marital status. If your change in marital status occurs:
A. While your Form I-600A application is pending, you must submit a new Form I-600A that reflects your changed marital status and an updated home study. No new application fee is required, but you must pay any new required biometric services fees; or
B. After your Form I-600A application has been approved, USCIS will automatically revoke an approved Form I-600A if you are an unmarried applicant who marries or if you are married and your current marriage ends. Therefore, you must either:
(1) Submit an updated home study and a new Form I-600A that reflects your changed marital status (you must pay the application fee and any required biometric services fees); or
(2) Wait until you are ready to file your Form I-600 petition. File your Form I-600 petition together with Form I-600A supporting documents. USCIS will make a new suitability and eligibility determination as part of your Form I-600 petition filing. (You must pay the petition fee and any required biometric services fees.) For more information about such concurrent filings, see the filing instructions for Form I-600 on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/I-600.
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4. Change of residence, including a change in the child's proposed residence. If you move to a new state in the United States, you must meet any pre-adoption requirements of that new state if a child is coming to the United States for adoption.
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How to File Updates to Your Home Study
If you need to file an updated home study, you must always submit a signed written request and include a copy of the home study that is being updated, including all prior updates (if applicable). 1. If you need to submit a home study update while your Form I-600A is pending, submit your updated home study to the USCIS office with jurisdiction over your Form I-600A.
2. If you need to submit a home study update after USCIS has approved your Form I-600A and while it remains valid, submit your updated home study to the USCIS office with jurisdiction over your Form I-600A.
3. If you need to submit a home study update, but you did not file Form I-600A, submit your updated home study to the USCIS office with jurisdiction over your Form I-600.
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[Page 5]
Initial Evidence
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3. Change in marital status. If your change in marital status occurs:
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If your marital status changes before you complete the intercountry adoption process, you must submit a new Form I-600A or Form I-600 combination filing with an updated home study. You may not use Form I-600A/I-600, Supplement 3.
4. Change of residence, including a change in the child's proposed residence. If you move to a new state in the United States, you must meet any pre-adoption requirements of that new state if a child is coming to the United States for adoption.
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How to File Updates to Your Home Study
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The location for filing an update to your home study and the items you must include will depend on where you are in the adoption process.
You must submit a Form I-600A/I-600 Supplement 3 with your updated home study unless your Form I-600A or Form I-600 combination filing is pending. If your Form I-600A or Form I-600 combination filing is pending, submit your updated home study to the office reviewing your case; no Form I-600A/I-600 Supplement 3 is required. USCIS will review your updated home study to determine your suitability and eligibility.
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Page 9, WARNING
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[Page 9]
WARNING
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3. Fail to disclose, as required by 8 CFR 204.311, each and every prior adoption home study, whether completed or not, including those that did not favorably recommend you, your spouse, or any adult member of your household for adoption or custodial care.
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[Page 9]
WARNING
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3. Fail to disclose, as required by 8 CFR 204.311, each and every prior adoption home study, whether completed or not, including those that did not favorably recommend you, your spouse, or any adult member of your household for adoption or custodial care.
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Pages 9-10, What Is the Filing Fee? |
[Page 9]
What Is the Filing Fee?
The filing fee for Form I-600A is $775.
There are no filing fees for the Form I-600A/I-600 Supplement 1 or Supplement 2.
[Page 10]
A biometric services fee of $85 is required for every applicant, any spouse (if married), and any adult member of the household. For adult persons living abroad, USCIS will inform you if you need to pay a USCIS biometric services fee.
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 amounts.
Payments by Checks or Money Orders
If you are filing through the USCIS Lockbox, you must submit a separate check or money order for any required filings and biometric services fees. For example, if you are a married couple residing with one adult member of your household, you must submit two checks or money orders: one check or money order for the Form I-600A filing fee, and a separate check or money order for an amount that covers all three biometric fees (for you, your spouse, and the adult member of your household).
If you are filing abroad, contact the nearest USCIS international office or U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate for instructions on fees and methods of payment.
Use the following guidelines when you prepare your checks or money orders for the Form I-600A filing fee and biometric services fees:
1. 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
2. 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.”
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.
Payments by Credit Card
If you are filing your application at a USCIS Lockbox facility, you can pay your filing fee and biometric services fee using a credit card. Please see Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, at www.uscis.gov/G-1450 for more information.
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.
1. Visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov, select “FORMS,” and select Form I-600A to check the appropriate fee; or
2. Visit the USCIS Contact Center at www.uscis.gov/contactcenter to get answers to your questions and connect with a live USCIS representative. The USCIS Contact Center provides information in English and Spanish. For TTY (deaf or hard of hearing) call: 1-800-767-1833.
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Page 11, Where To File? |
[Page 11]
Where To File?
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[Page 11]
Where To File?
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Pages 11-12, What Should You Do After Locating Or Identifying a Child or Children? |
[Page 11]
What Should You Do After Locating Or Identifying a Child or Children?
Once approved, 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 for the child. You generally must file Form I-600 before the child turns 16 years of age, unless an exception applies.
If USCIS finds you suitable and eligible to adopt more than one child, you may file Form I-600 for each child up to the maximum number reflected in your Form I-600A approval notice. See the Form I-600 Instructions for more information on child eligibility.
[Page 12]
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 expired or will expire before USCIS adjudicates your Form I-600. See the adoption-related pages on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov/adoption for more information about requesting the additional biometric services appointment.
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[Page 11]
What Should You Do After Locating Or Identifying a Child or Children?
Once approved, Form I-600A is valid for 15 months. When you have located and/or identified a child for adoption, you must also file a Form I-600 for the child. You generally must file Form I-600 before the child turns 16 years of age, unless an exception applies. See the Form I-600 Instructions for more information on child eligibility.
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Page 12, USCIS Forms and Information |
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USCIS Forms and Information
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USCIS Forms and Information
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Page 13, Paperwork Reduction Act |
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Paperwork Reduction Act
An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information collection, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information, unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering the required documentation and information, completing the application, preparing statements, attaching necessary documentation, and submitting the application. The collection of biometrics is estimated to require 1 hour and 10 minutes. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, 5900 Capital Gateway Drive, Mail Stop #2140, Camp Springs, MD 20588-0009; OMB No. 1615-0028. Do not mail your completed Form I-600A to this address.
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[Page 13]
Paperwork Reduction Act
An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information collection, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information, unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at 49 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering the required documentation and information, completing the application, preparing statements, attaching necessary documentation, and submitting the application. The collection of biometrics is estimated to require 1 hour and 10 minutes. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, 5900 Capital Gateway Drive, Mail Stop #2140, Camp Springs, MD 20588-0009; OMB No. 1615-0028. Do not mail your completed Form I-600A to this address.
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| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | I-600A |
| Author | Mulvihill, Timothy R |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2023-08-26 |