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

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

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-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, because it must be revised with a new fee calculation.

What to Know About Sending Us Your Form I-600A

Please keep in mind the following information about Form I-600A 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 accept only 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-600A (PDF, 637.57 KB) and instructions (PDF, 478.31 KB), and supplements 1, 2, and 3, dated 04/01/24.  Do not file the 04/01/24 edition of Form I-600A 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 who plan to adopt an orphan from a non-Hague Convention country use this form to request that USCIS determine their suitability and eligibility as prospective adoptive parents.

Forms and Document Downloads

Form Details

Edition Date

12/21/19. E. We will also accept the 12/21/19 edition. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.

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.

Where to File

See the Form I-600A filing instructions for information on where to file.

Filing Fee
$775.

However, there is no filing fee for Form I-600A/I-600 Supplement 1 or Form I-600A/I-600 Supplement 2.

If you live in the United States, a biometric services fee of $85 per individual is required for the applicant, their spouse, and each adult member of the household. If you reside abroad, we will inform you if you must pay a USCIS biometric services fee.

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.

Checklist of Required Initial Evidence (for informational purposes only)

Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-600A. 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 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 all prior marriages (if applicable);
  • Proof you have complied with pre-adoption requirements in the state of the child’s proposed residence (if applicable); and
  • A home study with original signature(s). (You have one year from the date you file your Form I-600A to submit this.)
Form Filing Tips

Filing Tips for Form I-600A

Complete all sections of the form. We will reject the form if these fields are missing:

  • Part 1 – Information About You (Applicant)
    • Family Name
    • U.S. Mailing Address
  • Part 5 – Applicant’s Statement, Certification, Duty of Disclosure, and Signature
    • Applicant’s Signature
  • Part 6– Your Spouse’s Statement, Certification, Duty of Disclosure, and Signature
    • Spouse’s Signature

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.

Special Instructions

If you do not submit a home study with original signature(s) with your Form I-600A, you must do so within one year of filing 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-600A Instructions  (PDF, 378.9 KB)for more details.

E-Notification: If you want to receive an email or text message confirming 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.