I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
ALERT: On Jan. 31, 2024, we published a final rule in the Federal Register that adjusts the fees required for most immigration applications and petitions. The new fees will be effective April 1, 2024.
Applications and petitions postmarked on or after April 1, 2024, must include the new fees or we will not accept them.
There will be no grace period for filing the new version of Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, because it must be revised with a new fee calculation.
What to Know About Sending Us Your Form I-600
Please keep in mind the following information about Form I-600 editions:
- We will accept the 12/21/19 E and the 12/21/19 edition of this form if it is postmarked before April 1, 2024;
- We will not accept the 12/21/19 E and the 12/21/19 edition of this form if it is postmarked on or after April 1, 2024; and
- We will only accept the 04/01/24 edition of this form if it is postmarked on or after April 1, 2024.
Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.
On March 1, 2024, we published a preview version of Form I-600 (PDF, 721.97 KB) and instructions (PDF, 662.13 KB), dated 04/01/24. Do not file the 04/01/24 edition of Form I-600 before April 1, 2024. We will only accept the 04/01/24 edition of this form if it is postmarked on or after April 1, 2024.
U.S. citizens use this form to request that USCIS classify an orphan as an immediate relative. The U.S. citizen adoptive parent or legal custodian files the petition to finalize the immigration process of a child who is not habitually resident in a Hague Convention country.
Form Details
Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.
If you complete and print this form to mail it, make sure that the form edition date and page numbers are visible at the bottom of all pages and that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are missing or are from a different form edition, we may reject your form.
If you need help downloading and printing forms, read our instructions.
See the Form I-600 filing instructions for information on where to file.
A fee of $775 may be required. See below for more information on applicable fees.
However, there is no filing fee for Form I-600A/I-600 Supplement 1 or Form I-600A/I-600 Supplement 2.)
A biometric services fee of $85 per individual is required for the petitioner, their spouse, and each adult member of the household, unless previous fingerprint clearances are still valid or the individuals are eligible for a one-time, no-fee re-fingerprinting. For more information on fingerprint validity, see our Background Checks page. If you reside abroad, we will inform you if you must pay a USCIS biometric services fee.
Fees depend on if you have filed Form I-600A and how many children you will be adopting. The below table outlines when fees are required.
| If your Form I-600A: | And you petition for: | Then a fee is: |
|---|---|---|
| Has been approved or is pending | One child or birth siblings | Not required* |
| Has been approved or is pending | Two or more children who are not birth siblings | Required for each additional child. There are no fees for the first child. |
| Has not been filed | One child or birth siblings | Required for one child. There are no fees for additional birth siblings.* |
| Has not been filed | Two or more children who are not birth siblings | Required for each child |
*If you are adopting multiple sibling groups, you will pay additional fees for the second or subsequent sibling group.
You may pay the fee with a money order, personal check, cashier’s check or pay by credit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing and biometric service fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request. Use our Fee Calculator to help determine your fee.
Pay each filing fee separately. We are transitioning to electronically processing immigration benefit requests, which requires us to use multiple systems to process your package. Because of this, you must pay each filing fee separately for any form you submit. We may reject your entire package if you submit a single, combined payment for multiple forms.
Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-600. It is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your form. Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations.
If you submit any documents (copies or original documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language to English.
Did you provide the following?
- Proof of your Form I-600A approval (if applicable);
- Proof of the child’s age and identity;
- Evidence the child is an orphan as defined in INA section 101(b)(1)(F) and 8 CFR 204.3(b);
- Copies of the death certificates of child’s prior legal parents (if applicable);
- Certified copy of adoption or custody decree and certified translation; and
- Proof you have complied with pre-adoption requirements in the state of the child’s proposed residence (if applicable).
If you are filing concurrently because you did not file Form I-600A and instead are requesting a suitability and eligibility determination as part of your Form I-600 filing , did you also provide the following?
- Proof of your U.S. citizenship;
- Proof of your spouse’s name, identity, and citizenship, if not a resident of the United States (if applicable);
- A copy of your marriage certificate (if applicable);
- Proof you and your spouse terminated any previous marriages (if applicable); and
- A home study with original signature(s).
You must submit Form I-864 (or Form I-864EZ) with your visa application to the U.S. Department of State if your child will not automatically acquire U.S. citizenship under INA section 320 after being admitted into the United States. You must submit Form I-864W (instead of Form I-864 or Form I-864EZ) if your child will automatically acquire U.S. citizenship under INA section 320 after being admitted into the United States.
Filing Tips for Form I-600
Complete all sections of the form. We will reject the form if these items are missing:
- Part 1 – Information About You (Petitioner)
- Family Name
- U.S. Mailing Address
- Part 6 – Petitioner’s Statement, Certification, Duty of Disclosure, and Signature
- Petitioner’s Signature
- Part 7 – Your Spouse’s Statement, Certification, Duty of Disclosure, and Signature
- Spouse’s Signature
- If you do not submit all 17 pages of your application
Filing Tips: Go to our Tips for Filing Forms by Mail page for information on how to help ensure we will accept your application.
Don’t forget to sign your form. We will reject any unsigned form.
You must submit a home study with original signature(s) with your Form I-600 if you did not previously submit one with your Form I-600A. Please visit our pages on Suitability and Home Study Information and the Universal Accreditation Act (UAA) for more information.
You must complete Form I-600A/Form I-600, Supplement 1, Listing of Adult Member of the Household (PDF, 427.27 KB), for each adult member of your household. You do not need to complete one for yourself or your spouse (if married).
You may submit Form I-600A/Form I-600, Supplement 2, Consent to Disclose Information (PDF, 275.95 KB), if you want to allow us 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). We generally may not disclose information to other people, such as your adoption service provider, without your consent.
Please see the Form I-600 Instructions (PDF, 605.97 KB) for more details.
Taiwan and Ethiopia Adoptions: For information on differences in these countries’ processes, please see the corresponding links in the Related Links section.
E-Notification: If you want to receive an email or text message that we have accepted your Form I-600 at a USCIS lockbox, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance and clip it to the first page of your application package.
