China Renewal Guidelines I-600a Process

China Renewal Guidelines I-600a Process

Packet Outline Understanding the Process o Important Terminology & Immigration Contact Information o Determining the Appropriate Immigration Application Steps Gathering Renewal Packet Details o Updating Home Study o I-600A Application Link and I-600a Template Update Process and Tips o Updating the Fingerprints Apart from the I-600a Renewal o First Time Free Extension Renewal o Grandfathered Extension/Renewal of the I-171h/797 o Grandfathered Free Extension/Renewal of the I-171h/797 o Mailing Instructions

Important Terminology and Contact Information I-600A: Application submitted to USCIS/National Benefits Center in order to receive I-171H or a 797 This application is used by families who have a current I-171H/797 I-171H or 797: Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition (same document different title by state) Approval of I-600A application Valid for 18 months USCIS Fingerprints: Necessary requirement for completion of I-600A application Valid for 15 months with an I-600A approval Expiration dates noted on I-171H/797 or supplemental paperwork with I-171H NBC: The National Benefits Center (NBC) coordinates the adoption paperwork for all I-600a and I-800a adoption cases. Previously, families would submit paperwork to local immigration offices in their state, and the transition to NBC took place on July 1, 2010. Contacting NBC- Phone- Immigration officers are readily available by phone to answer your paperwork questions. They can be reached by dialing 877.424.8374 Email- NBC.Adoptions@DHS.gov

Determining the Appropriate Immigration Application Steps for I-600a Families are eligible for the following renewals under the I-600a process: One-time free extension of fingerprints and I-600a form Paid Grandfathered extension of I-600a form (with paid fingerprints) Free Grandfathered I-600a extension and free fingerprints **Each immigration approval form is valid for 18 months and fingerprints are valid for 15 months** Do I need to renew my fingerprints before they expire? When can I renew my USCIS fingerprints? Families can allow their USCIS fingerprints to expire and renew later with the immigration form renewal. This is allowable by USCIS. Families can also choose to renew their USCIS fingerprints prior to their immigration form renewal. USCIS fingerprints are valid for 15 months, while the I-600a approval form is valid for 18 months. Families should reference Updating Fingerprints Apart from the I-600a if renewing their fingerprints prior to renewing their immigration form. Am I eligible for a free extension of my I-600a? Once you have submitted your original I-600a to USCIS at the time of dossier, your next renewal will be a free extension of your fingerprints and your I-600a form. Families will need to reference First-time Free Extension Renewal and Updating Home Study in order to complete their renewal steps. After I have taken my one time free extension, which form do I file next? Families who have taken their one time free extension, are still eligible to file for a paid Grandfathered I-600a extension and then 18 months later, can request a free Grandfathered extension/renewal. Families eligible for their paid Grandfathered extension should reference the sections Grandfathered Renewal, USCIS Application Link & I-600a Template, and Updating Home Study in order to complete their renewal. After I have completed my paid grandfathered extension, what steps for renewal do I follow? Families who have completed their paid grandfathered extension of the I-600a are eligible for a free Grandfathered extension of the I-600a. Families will need to reference the sections for Grandfathered Free Extension Renewal and Updating Home Study in order to complete their renewal steps. USCIS fingerprints for this renewal are also free. When do I submit the renewal applications? USICS does not accept fingerprint renewal requests prior to 60 days before expiration date. USCIS does not accept immigration renewal documentation any earlier than 90 days prior to the expiration of the I-171H/797.

Updating Home Study As part of the I-600A application process, families must submit an original notarized home study update along with their I-600a application or renewal paperwork. The home study update must be less than 6 months old at the time of submission. The home study update does NOT need to be certified and authenticated. Contacting Social Worker Families should contact their local social worker to find out their instructions for completing the home study update. Expirations on home studies vary across states, but USCIS/NBC requires that the home study be no more than 6 months old at the time it is submitted with immigration renewal paperwork. Beginning the Home Study/ Timelines for Completing the Home Study Families are encouraged to begin the home study process immediately as it often takes many weeks to complete background checks and other paperwork. Once a home study is complete it must be reviewed by social workers, family coordinators and oftentimes, Directors who work with many families. Due to these factors, families should anticipate at least two or more weeks for home studies to be reviewed and approved. Staff will always seek to review and approve reports as soon as possible, but timelines can vary based upon staff schedules, work load, and the number of other reports already waiting for review and approval. Sending Home Study to Family Coordinator for Review In order to review for common mistakes or errors that may occur in reports, Family Coordinators MUST review a copy of the home study update before it is finalized and mailed with I-600a paperwork to NBC/USCIS. This will help avoid errors which can cause delays in processing a family s immigration form. Families working with a non-awaa home study agency MUST send a finalized copy of the home study update by mail to our office. Families should communicate with their social worker to find out if their home study agency will be sending a copy or if the family is responsible for sending a copy of the report. All families must submit a notarized copy of their home study update, regardless of the home study office, if they have completed a concurrent adoption or have given birth, as a home study update must be submitted to the CCCWA to update them on the new child in the home.

USCIS Application Link and I-600aTemplate To complete form Link to I-600A application: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=abde5f56ff55d010vgn VCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=c88fd1eb6dc43210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD Scroll down the webpage and choose I-600A application and complete form. Link to Sample completed I-600A form: http://www.awaa.org/downloads/china/sample_i600a.pdf ***Please note that your personal application may differ slightly due to individual situations, such as previous adoptions or filings under the I-600a application, divorce history, criminal history, citizenship status, etc

Updating Fingerprints Apart from the I-600a Families in the Waiting Child Program MUST keep their fingerprints current at all times and must renew their USCIS fingerprints apart from the I-171h/797. All other families are allowed to let their USCIS fingerprints lapse and renew later with their I-171h/797 renewal as this allowed by USCIS and is generally the easiest way for a family to process their USCIS fingerprints and immigration renewal items. Families choosing to obtain fingerprints for the Waiting Children Program or those choosing to still renew apart from renewing their I-600a application must complete the following steps: Contact the National Benefits Center at 877.424.8374 or email at NBC.Adoptions@dhs.gov to request fingerprinting information. It is best to deal directly with your family s officer if you have been assigned an officer. If calling, ask to speak with your family s immigration officer (they will be able to look this up for you during the call). If emailing, you can mark the email to the attention of your officer s name. Request the most current processing instructions for what is needed when renewing the USCIS fingerprints alone Ask what documents must be submitted, any fees applicable, and what must be submitted in your cover letter Confirm mailing address based upon your family s fingerprint status Families Completing Fingerprinting Once re-fingerprinted, families will receive a stamped copy of the original I-171H/797 with updated fingerprint expiration dates OR will be mailed a new I-171H/797 with updated fingerprint expiration dates. The expiration of the I-171H/797 does not change with fingerprint renewal. A new I-171H/797 is issued only to indicate a new fingerprint expiration date. Fax or scan a copy of your fingerprint receipt or updated form to your Family Coordinator.

First-Time Free Extension Renewal Documents necessary when applying to renew the I-171H/797: 1) Photocopy of current I-171H/797C (I-600a approval notice) 2) A Notarized Original Copy of the Home Study Update with Home Study Agency s License Families should not submit a renewal request prior to submitting the home study update. Families MUST submit the home study update and the renewal request at the same time. Families should contact their Family Coordinator immediately to discuss this requirement if a home study update cannot be obtained before the immigration form expires. Families should contact their social worker to learn if the home study agency will send a notarized copy of the final home study update to USCIS or if the family is responsible for this step. Families must include a photocopy of their Home Study agency s license which can be obtained from their social worker 3) Cover Letter including: List of names, birthdates, and social security numbers of all individuals who will need to be fingerprinted. If you have already been re-fingerprinted, be sure to mention this in the letter. Persons 18 or older living in the home must also be fingerprinted. This includes children attending college, both in and out of state. Include a statement of eligibility for the free extension and acknowledgement that no payment as been included. Provide a list of the documents included with your package. 4) Mailing Information: Mailing instructions are located in the back of the renewal guidelines. Once a family s new immigration form is received from USCIS/NBC, a form called the Request for Action form will be sent to families. (this is a checkbox form) This form is sent as a reminder of documents that will be needed for the next renewal 18 months later. This form DOES NOT need to be submitted to USCIS/NBC. Fax or scan a copy of your updated I-171H/I-797 to your Family Coordinator as soon as it is received.

Grandfathered Renewal Documents necessary when applying to renew the I-171H/797: 1) Completed I-600A application 2) Photocopy of ID (driver s license or passport) 3) Photocopy of birth certificates 4) Photocopy of marriage license 5) Photocopy of divorce decree(s) if applicable 6) Photocopy of court disposition for any person in the home 18 or older with a criminal history, if applicable. 7) Photocopy of all previous I-600a approvals (I-171h/797) and a copy of your current immigration form (I-171h/797) 8) Photocopy of original home study 9) Penalty of Perjury Letter (signed by both parents) Please use the following statement to verify that your family is eligible to file a grandfathered I-600A application: o We, (husband & wife s name) are requesting the filing of a new I-600A which will be considered grandfathered under the new requirements. We have properly filed all of the documentation necessary as evidence that our application meets the requirements for grandfathering an application. We submit this statement signed under penalty of perjury attesting that a Form I-600 has not been filed for any identified child based upon this approval. Thank you for your attention to our grandfathered I-600A application. 10) Cover Letter (signed by both parents) including: List of names and social security numbers of all individuals who will need to be fingerprinted. If you have already been re-fingerprinted, be sure to mention this in the letter. Persons 18 or older living in the home must also be fingerprinted. This includes children attending college, both in and out of state. Payment amount that has been enclosed: $720 for I-600A filing fee $85 per person for re-fingerprinting fee These payments can be made by personal check, cashier s check or money order payable to the Department of Homeland Security Provide a list of the documents included with your application along with a reminder that this application is to renew the I-171H/797 11) A Notarized Original Copy of the Home Study Update (less than 6 months old) and Home Study Agency s License 12) Mailing Information Mailing instructions are located in the back of the renewal guidelines. Once a family s new immigration form is received from USCIS/NBC, a form called the Request for Action form will be sent to families. (this is a checkbox form) This form is sent as a reminder of documents needed for the next renewal 18 months later. This form DOES NOT need to be submitted to USCIS/NBC. Fax or scan a copy of your updated I-171H/I-797 to your Family Coordinator as soon as it is received.

Grandfathered Free Extension Renewal Documents necessary when applying to renew the I-171H/797C: 1) Photocopy of current I-171H/797C and all previous immigration forms (I-171h/797) 2) A Notarized Original Copy of a new Home Study Update (less than 6 months old) & Copy of Home Study Agency License. A photocopy of the original home study must also be included and sent to USCIS. Families should not submit a renewal request prior to submitting the home study update. Families MUST submit the home study update and the renewal request at the same time. Families who are unable to have a home study update completed before their immigration form expires, should contact their Family Coordinator immediately to discuss their next steps or other potential options Families should include a photocopy of their Home Study agency s license which can be obtained from their social worker Families should contact their social worker to learn if the home study agency will send a notarized copy of the final home study update to USCIS or if the family is responsible for this step. 3) Penalty of Perjury letter that states that your family is eligible to file a grandfathered I-600A application. Please use the following example: o We, (husband & wife s name) are requesting the filing of a new I-600A which will be considered grandfathered under the new requirements. We have properly filed all of the documentation necessary as evidence that our application meets the requirements for grandfathering an application. We submit this statement signed under penalty of perjury attesting that a Form I-600 has not been filed for any identified child based upon this approval. Thank you for your attention to our grandfathered I-600A application. 4) Cover Letter including: List of names and social security numbers of all individuals who will need to be fingerprinted. If you have already been re-fingerprinted, be sure to mention this in the letter. Persons 18 or older living in the home must also be fingerprinted. This includes children attending college, both in and out of state. Include a statement of eligibility for the free extension and acknowledgement that no payment as been included. Provide a list of the documents included with your package. 5) Mailing Information Mailing instructions are located in the back of the renewal guidelines. Once a family s new immigration form is received from USCIS/NBC, a form called the Request for Action form will be sent to families. (this is a checkbox form) This form is sent as a reminder of documents needed for the next renewal 18 months later. This form DOES NOT need to be submitted to USCIS/NBC. Fax or scan a copy of your updated I-171H/I-797 to your Family Coordinator as soon as it is received.

USCIS Mailing Instructions Sending Documents Without A Fee Families filing for an extension of their immigration form without a fee can mail their application/documents directly to NBC at the following address: If using U.S. Postal Service: National Benefits Center ATTN: Non-Hague Adoptions PO Box 8025 Lee s Summit, MO 64002 For Express mail or courier deliveries (UPS, FedEx, etc.): National Benefits Center ATTN: Non- Hague Adoptions 850 NW Chipman Road, Suite 5000 Lee s Summit, MO 64063 Sending Documents With A Fee Families filing for an extension of their fingerprints or immigration form with a fee must mail their application/documents directly to the lockbox location for processing: If using U.S. Postal Service: USCIS PO Box 660088 Dallas, TX 75266 For Express Mail or Courier deliveries (UPS, FedEx, etc.) USCIS ATTN: Adoption 2501 S. State Highway 121 Business, Suite 400 Lewisville, TX 75067 For questions regarding mailing your package to NBC, please contact an Immigration Officer at 877.424.8374