Filing a first time I-600A or I-600 application
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a new address for prospective adoptive parents to submit Form I 600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, and Form I 600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition. While the change takes affect immediately, applicants have a 30-day transition period before USCIS will return incorrectly filed petitions.
Applicants were previously required to file at a local USCIS field office. This new mailing system will allow USCIS to process applications more efficiently by eliminating duplicative work, and maximizing staff productivity. Affective immediately, applicants in the United States, who are filing to adopt an orphan, must submit Forms I 600 (if required to file in the U.S.) & form I 600A, and all supporting documents and fees to the following address:
Regular Mail:
USCIS
P.O. Box 299027
Lewisville, TX 75029
Express Mail or Courier Service Deliveries: (FedEx, UPS, etc.)
USCIS
ATTN: Hague
2501 S. State Hwy 121 Business, Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067
USCIS will forward incorrectly-filed Forms I-600A and I-600, application fees and supporting documents to the Lewisville, Texas facility for the 30 days, until Friday November 9, 2009.
Families filing a Hague I-800a/ I-800 Application
Effective immediately, U.S. citizens seeking to adopt a foreign child under the Hague Adoption Convention must submit Forms I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, and I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, and all related supplements, forms, and fees to the USCIS lockbox facility located in Lewisville, Texas for initial processing, using the following address:
Regular Mail:
USCIS
P.O. Box 299008
Lewisville, TX 75029
Express Mail & Courier Service Deliveries (FedEx, UPS, etc.)
USCIS
ATTN: Hague
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business, Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067
Previously, applicants were required to file these forms at the Chicago Lockbox facility. The Chicago Lockbox facility will forward any filings of Hague Adoption Convention forms to the Lewisville Lockbox facility for the first 30 days after the effective date of the change of filing location. USCIS will consider applications or petitions forwarded from the Chicago Lockbox facility or other USCIS offices properly filed when received at the new Lewisville, Texas Lockbox facility.
After the 30-day transition period, USCIS will return any incorrectly filed applications to the sender.
Families Filing an Extension of their I-800A or Filing the Supplement 3 Form
When filing to request a change on a previous approval or renewing a current I-800A approval, families must submit the I-800A Supplement 3 form to the new USCIS Dallas, TX lockbox facility.
Families Filing an I-600A Grandfathered Renewal or Free Extension
Families filing an I-600A free extension or a grandfathered renewal I-600A application will continue to file all applicable renewal documents with the local office which has jurisdiction over the family’s case. Families in this category will not send their renewal documents to the new Texas location.
Additional Information
Families can verify the instructions for their particular case by going to www.uscis.gov , clicking “Forms” and then “Adoption Forms” and reviewing the I-600A or I-800A instructions. These instructions have been updated and will provide complete details of how each form or renewal should be filed. Families are encouraged to check with their social worker prior to filing, to confirm if there are any exceptions in the state in which they live.
