Adoption Blessings Worldwide, Inc.

"Uniting children worldwide with their forever families."

The INS process is as follows:

• Obtain the following forms from Adoption Blessings Worldwide, or INS directly:

  If you do not have a specific child selected yet:

• I-600A (Salmon Form-one form per family)
• I-600 (Blue Form-one form per child you will be adopting-take to country with you)
• I-864 (White Form-one form per child you will be adopting-take to country with you)
• The filing fee for the I-600A is $545.00 cashier’s check (plus fingerprinting charges-see below) for one child or for one set of siblings. If you file an I-600A (salmon) you will have to file the I-600 (blue) form while you are in your program country. You do not have to pay a second fee for the I-600 (blue) form when you file it at the embassy while you are in your program country if you are only adopting one child. If you are adopting more than one child and they are unrelated children then the fee would be charged for each additional unrelated child. You would pay the additional INS charges while you are in your program country at the INS/Embassy office after your children have been adopted

If you already know which child you will be adopting:

• I-600 (Blue Form-one form per child you will be adopting)
• I-864 (White Form-one form per child you will be adopting)
• The filing fee for the I-600 is $545.00 casher’s check (plus fingerprinting charges-see below) for one child or for one set of siblings. If you are adopting more than one child and they are unrelated children then the fee would be charged for each additional unrelated child. You would all appropriate charges at the time you submit your I-600 form.
  
  FINGER PRINTING: $70.00 per person living in your household who is over 18 yrs old (cashiers check) to the INS office for your area.
  1. For a married couple with no one else living with them the fee would be $545.00 + $70.00 + $70.00 = $685
  2. For a single applicant w/ no one else living in household the fee would be $545.00 + $70.00 = $70.00 = $615
  3. For a married couple with one child over 18 and a mother-in-law living with them the fee would be $545.00 + $70.00 + $70.00 + $70.00 + $70.00 = $825)

• Salmon Form I-600A Instructions
  Fill out your I-600A (Salmon form) Block I using ink and printing or typing legibly. When you fill out the application only one parent will be the petitioner, and the petitioner must be a US citizen. Fill out the information in Block II based on the instructions provided to you by your program director or in your dossier guide or call the main office for assistance. Always list the number of children that you plan to adopt at least one more than the number you are planning to adopt since the INS approval can be utilized for 18 months and you may wish to adopt again (if you list more children than you adopt they do not hold you to this number J ).
   
• Blue Form I-600 Instructions
  If you already have a child identified that you will be adopting do not submit the advance application I-600A above; you will submit the I-600 (Blue form) instead. Fill out Block I using ink and printing or typing legibly. When you fill out the application only one parent will be the petitioner, and the petitioner must be a US citizen. Fill out the information in Block II based on the instructions provided to you by your program director or call the main office for assistance.
   
• Submit the completed I-600A or I-600 form along with the required fees $545.00 (cashiers check) for form processing and the appropriate fees for fingerprinting, and copies of the following documents:

  1. Proof of Citizenship (copies of birth certificates or see the directions on filing under proof of citizenship)
  2. Proof of Marriage of petitioner and spouse (copies of marriage certificate, & copies of any previous divorce decrees terminating previous marriages even if you are now single)
  3. An original notarized INS compliant* International Home Study (if the home study is not done yet you can send it when it is complete, just add a note that it will follow) *see INS instructions if not using Adoption Blessings Worldwide as your home study provider.

• When you receive notification from INS to have your fingerprints done follow the written instructions from INS, schedule and get them done as quickly as possible.
   
• If you did not submit your Home Study with your original application you will need to submit it as soon as it is available to the same INS office where you filed your I-600A or I-600 application. INS approval can take several months so don’t delay getting the home study to them once it is ready. To check on the status of your application you can call the INS 800 number.
   
• You will receive an I-171H approval form from INS in the mail (it is also sent by cable to your country of choice listed on your application). Please fax Adoption Blessings Worldwide a copy of your I-171H INS approval form as soon as you receive it (ABW Fax: 478-477-0722 attn: client records).
   
• Follow the instructions from your program director for how and when to fill out the I-600 (Blue form) and the I-864 (White form). You will need a copy of the last three years’ income tax returns to be filed with the I-864 form (you will need one set for each child being adopted).
   
• INS is a government agency and Adoption Blessings Worldwide has no control over when, if, or how they process your application. We will do our best to help you with questions about how to fill out the INS forms and where to file them however we are unable to assist you in getting your forms expedited or found if they are lost. If you have a serious problem with the INS and they are unable or unwilling to help you, you can contact your State Senator’s office and request that they assist you in resolving any major issues with INS.
   
• Your INS Form I-171H approval is good for 18 months from the date of Completion of Advance Processing, which is listed in the upper right hand corner of the form. Once the 18 months have expired you will have to re-file another I600/I600A form, re-pay the filing fee, and get re-approved to be eligible to adopt an overseas orphan. If your approval expires while you are in the process adopting you cannot get it extended you have to re-file.

  
  

Thank you to the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse for the following information.

Immigration and Naturalization Service 
(INS) Field Offices (9/00)

INS has many kinds of field offices located throughout the United States and the world. Understanding what each kind of office does should help you determine which field office(s) are most relevant to your needs. The INS Web site http://www.ins.usdoj.gov  provides the most current information, links to Field Offices, and downloadable forms. INS can also be contacted through the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283.

District Offices: There are 33 INS District Offices in the United States-and three more District Offices overseas. Each District Office, headed by a District Director, has a specified service area that may include part of a State, an entire State, or many States. District Offices are where most INS field staff are located. District Offices are responsible for providing certain immigration services and benefits to people resident in their service area, and for enforcing immigration laws in that jurisdiction. Certain applications are filed directly with District Offices, many kinds of interviews are conducted at these Offices, and INS staff is available to answer questions, provide forms, etc.

Sub Offices: Some INS District Offices also have Sub Offices that serve a portion of the District's jurisdiction. A Sub Office, headed by an Officer-in-Charge, provides many services and enforcement functions. Their locations are determined, in part, to increase convenience to INS' customers.

Service Centers: Several years ago, INS' Service Centers were established to handle the mail, file, data entry, and adjudication of most applications for immigration services and benefits. Those applications should be mailed to INS Service Centers-Service Centers are not staffed to receive walk-in applications or questions. There are four Service Centers that cover the United States:

• California Service Center includes the following States: California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, and the Territory of Guam.
  Web site: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/california/aboutus.htm
• Nebraska Service Center includes the following States: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
  Web site: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/nebraska/aboutus.htm
• Texas Service Center includes the following States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
  Web site: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/texas/aboutus.htm
• Vermont Service Center includes the following States: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
  Web site: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/fieldoffices/vermont/index.htm

Application Support Centers: Some INS applications, such as the Application for Naturalization or the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, require the INS to conduct a FBI fingerprint background check on the applicant. Most applicants that require a background check will be scheduled to appear at a specific Application Support Center (ASC) or Designated Law Enforcement Agency (DLEA) for fingerprinting. The ASC list gives the addresses and hours of operation for all ASCs and DLEAs by State. It can be found at the INS Web site http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/finger/asc.htm

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