Immigration Form (I-600A) for International Adoption

The U. S. Immigration Service requires in an international adoption that a child will legally leave their birth country, and also enter the US legally too. There is one very important form that you'll need to begin your international adoption process for your chosen child and without it you will not be able to adopt; the (I-600A). Your international adoption agency can help you fill out the forms, or answer questions that you're unclear about. Remember, the quicker that you fill out the forms to the specifications that are required by the U. S. Immigration Service, will cut down on time delays for having your adoptee in your home.

The (I -600A) is the first document that you'll need to get filled out, and returned to your international adoption agency. Adoption agencies usually have a copy of it your in adoption package, but you can download it, and print it out from the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Service online at www.uscis.gov. This document deals with information regarding either yourself, and or your spouse. By the standards of the U. S. Immigration Services you'll need to fulfill 3 primary requirements.

• Both you and or your spouse must be a U. S. citizen.
• You must be 25 years of age.
• If married one of you must be 25 years of age.

The form that you're processing is a pre step before you fill out others forms, such as the (I-171H) and the (I-600). It's is called an Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition. This form will remain valid for you and your spouse for only 18 months, so make sure you are ready to go full steam with the adoption paperwork process for adopting your international baby or child. You'll also have to be fingerprinted, and this includes all that are over 18 years old that live in your household.

You'll need to include other documents in your (I-600A) too. Here are some examples of things you may be asked to include with your (I-600A):

• Birth Certificate. If you're a naturalized citizen of the U.S., or your immigration papers will work. Also, you can use an up to date U. S. passport for verification of your citizenship. A qualified

• Baptismal certificate will stand in its place also.

• Marriage certificates, both past and current, along with any divorce decrees, or death certificates will be necessary for the application.

• Completed international adoption home study by your adoption agency.

Many people don't realize that you cannot file this form on the Internet. It has to be mailed with your other adoption packet of information. You will have to pay a processing fee for it, and this amount you will pay can be included with your international adoption agency fees, or to the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.

If you need to write the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Service you can contact them at:

Office of Communications Web Unit
20 Massachusetts Av. NW
Room 4026
Washington, D. C. 20529

You can call the National Service Center toll free too at:
1-800-375-5283

Don't be intimidated by the process. It's set up for not only your protection, but for your potential adoptees protection too. Nothing would be more heartbreaking than to adopt a child then have it torn from your arms after you have grown to love him or her. It's the first step that will lead you to the child that you've always wanted.