Eligibility to Adopt
A first step is to file an application with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Your application will consist of a USCIS form, a home study, an application fee, and other supporting documents. The form you use depends on the foreign country from which you would like to adopt. To know which form to file, you will need to know if your adoption is subject to the Hague Adoption Convention (view list). For a Convention country, file Form I-800A. (A Convention country is a party to the Hague Adoption Convention.) For a country not party to the Hague Adoption Convention, use Form I-600A.
Form I-800A - Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country
Form I-600A - Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition
Forms I-800A and I-600A allow prospective adoptive parents to demonstrate that they are eligible to adopt and capable of providing proper care to a child. They ask for relevant information about you and, if you are married, your spouse. They request supporting documentation, such as proof of citizenship and proof of marital status (if applicable). If there are any additional adult members residing in your household other than you and your spouse, you will also be required to submit a supplemental form about those individuals.
For Hague Convention Adoptions If you wish to adopt a child from a Hague Adoption Convention country, you must begin the adoption process by filing Form I-800A. Do not accept any adoption placement before USCIS has approved Form I-800A. During this time, you must also refrain from any contact with parents, legal custodians, or other individual or entity responsible for the care of the child who may be eligible for adoption.
For Non-Hague Convention Adoptions If you wish to adopt a child from a country not party to the Hague Adoption Convention, you may choose to file the Form I-600A before identifying a child for adoption. You may also file the Form I-600 with USCIS in cases where the child is known and you are traveling to the country where the child is located. Either way, the child must remain in the foreign country where he or she is located until processing is complete. USCIS evaluates your suitability and eligibility to be adoptive parents. If the application is approved, USCIS will send you written notification.
For Form I-800A, the period of approval is 15 months from the date that USCIS was notified of your fingerprint record check results. You are entitled to request one extension of this approval with no additional fee and second extension of the approval with a fee.
Form I-600A approval lasts 18 months. For more information on extending the validity of an I-600A, see the USCIS website.
A first step is to file an application with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Your application will consist of a USCIS form, a home study, an application fee, and other supporting documents. The form you use depends on the foreign country from which you would like to adopt. To know which form to file, you will need to know if your adoption is subject to the Hague Adoption Convention (view list). For a Convention country, file Form I-800A. (A Convention country is a party to the Hague Adoption Convention.) For a country not party to the Hague Adoption Convention, use Form I-600A.
Form I-800A - Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country
Form I-600A - Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition
Forms I-800A and I-600A allow prospective adoptive parents to demonstrate that they are eligible to adopt and capable of providing proper care to a child. They ask for relevant information about you and, if you are married, your spouse. They request supporting documentation, such as proof of citizenship and proof of marital status (if applicable). If there are any additional adult members residing in your household other than you and your spouse, you will also be required to submit a supplemental form about those individuals.
For Hague Convention Adoptions If you wish to adopt a child from a Hague Adoption Convention country, you must begin the adoption process by filing Form I-800A. Do not accept any adoption placement before USCIS has approved Form I-800A. During this time, you must also refrain from any contact with parents, legal custodians, or other individual or entity responsible for the care of the child who may be eligible for adoption.
For Non-Hague Convention Adoptions If you wish to adopt a child from a country not party to the Hague Adoption Convention, you may choose to file the Form I-600A before identifying a child for adoption. You may also file the Form I-600 with USCIS in cases where the child is known and you are traveling to the country where the child is located. Either way, the child must remain in the foreign country where he or she is located until processing is complete. USCIS evaluates your suitability and eligibility to be adoptive parents. If the application is approved, USCIS will send you written notification.
For Form I-800A, the period of approval is 15 months from the date that USCIS was notified of your fingerprint record check results. You are entitled to request one extension of this approval with no additional fee and second extension of the approval with a fee.
Form I-600A approval lasts 18 months. For more information on extending the validity of an I-600A, see the USCIS website.