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is licensed to practice law or is otherwise permitted by U.S. federal regulation to provide you with legal advice

pertaining to immigration processes.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Eligibility for Using Form I-600A

You must be a U.S. citizen to file Form I-600A to establish suitability and eligibility to adopt a child from a non-

Hague Convention country.

NOTE: If you are married and your spouse lives in the United States, you must submit proof that your spouse is

living in the United States lawfully. Your spouse does not need to be a U.S. citizen. However, if residing in the

United States, your spouse must be a U.S. Citizen, a U.S. National, or a Lawful Permanent Resident, or have

another lawful immigration status.

If you are unmarried, you must be at least 24 years of age to file Form I-600A and at least 25 years of age to file Form

I-600 on behalf of a specific child.

Eligibility for Using Form I-600

You must be a U.S. citizen to file Form I-600 to classify a child from a non-Hague Convention country as an orphan

under section 101(b)(1)(F) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Specific age requirements apply and some children may not be eligible to be a beneficiary of Form I-600. For

example, you may not file Form I-600 on behalf of a child who is already in the United States, unless that child is in

parole status and has not been adopted in the United States. You must also file Form I-600 before the child reaches

16 years of age, unless one of the following exceptions applies:

A. Sibling Exception: You may file Form I-600 after the child's 16th birthday, but before the child's 18th birthday

only if the orphan is the birth sibling of another foreign national child who has immigrated (or will immigrate)

based on adoption by the same adoptive parent or parents; OR

B. Form I-600A Filed When a Child is 15 Years of Age: Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations at

8 CFR 204.3 do not directly address the relationship between the separate filing of Form I-600A and the statutory

requirement to file Form I-600 while the child is under 16 years of age (or under 18 years of age as permitted under

INA 101(b)(1)(F)(ii)). Consistent with the regulations governing Hague Convention adoption cases, USCIS will

deem the Form I-600A filing date to be the Form I-600 filing date provided both of these requirements are met:

(1) Form I-600A was filed after the child's 15th birthday, but before the child's 16th birthday (or, if applicable,

after the child's 17th birthday, but before the child's 18th birthday); AND

(2) Form I-600 is filed not more than 180 days after initial approval of Form I-600A.

NOTE: Even if you have not yet completed the adoption or obtained all of the required supporting documentation, you

MUST file Form I-600 before the child turns 16 (or 18 if exception A. applies) or, if exception B. applies, no more than

180 days after the initial approval of your Form I-600A so that the child does not age out.

See the Form I-600 instructions for a complete list of Form I-600 eligibility requirements.

General Instructions

USCIS provides forms free of charge through the USCIS website. In order to view, print, or fill out our forms, you should

use the latest version of Adobe Reader, which you can download for free at

Signature. Each application must be properly signed and filed. All signatures must be original. USCIS will not accept a

photocopy of a signed application or a stamped or typewritten name in place of a signature. A power of attorney is also

not sufficient for USCIS purposes. If you are under 14 years of age, your parent or legal guardian may sign the

application on your behalf. A legal guardian also may sign for a mentally incompetent person.

Form I-600A Instructions 12/23/16 N

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Instructions For Form I-600a - Application For Advance Processing Of An Orphan Petition Page 2