Earlier this week, USCIS announced that it had published new versions
of two immigration forms: Form I-600, the Petition to Classify Orphan
as an Immediate Relative and Form I-600A, the Application for Advance
Processing of Orphan Petition. The new date at the bottom of both of
these forms is 12/30/09; after 60 days, previous versions of the forms
will not be accepted.
From April 1, 2010 to June 2, 2010, USCIS will continue to accept
previous forms. However, after June 2, 2010, USCIS will only accept the
current versions of the forms. Petitions using older forms will be
rejected by USCIS. The rejected form, supporting evidence and filing
fees will be returned to the petitioner, along with a copy of the
current version of the form.
U.S. residents wishing to adopt a child from an international location
should continue to submit Forms I-600 and I-600A, along with all
supporting documentation and filing fees to the USCIS Dallas Lockbox
for initial processing.
U.S. residents living abroad may also submit their forms and
documentation to the USCIS Dallas Lockbox. Alternatively, they may file
their Form I-600A at the overseas USCIS office that has jurisdiction
over their overseas location of residence. They may file their Form
I-600 at the overseas U.S. Embassy, consulate or office with
jurisdiction to accept the petition; however, they must already have an
approved and valid Form I-600A and must be physically present at the
time of filing in the country of the adoptive child.
