Factsheet, Page 5
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U.S. IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES FOR ORPHANS
The Petition
Adoptive and prospective adoptive parents must obtain approval of a Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative (Form I-600) from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (U.S. CIS) before they can apply for an immigrant visa on behalf of an orphan. The adjudication of such petitions can be very time-consuming and parents are encouraged to begin the process well in advance.
A prospective adoptive parent may file Form I-600A Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) office having jurisdiction over their place of residence. This form allows the most time-consuming part of the process to be completed in advance, even before the parent has located a child to adopt. In addition, a parent who obtains an approved I-600A may file an I-600 in person at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.
Documentary Requirements for the I-600A
- Completed Form I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition);
- Fingerprints of each prospective adoptive parent on Form FD-258;
- Proof of the prospective petitioner’s United States citizenship;
- Proof of the marriage of the prospective petitioner and spouse, if applicable;
- Proof of termination of any prior marriages of the prospective petitioner and spouse or unmarried prospective petitioner, if applicable;
- A “home study” completed by the appropriate State organization with a favorable recommendation;
- Proof that the pre-adoption requirements, if any, of the state of the orphan’s proposed residence have been met, if the orphan is to be adopted in the United States; and
- Filing fee of U.S. $525.00
The I-600 is filed at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania after an adoptive parent has legal custody of a child. If an I-600A has already been approved, there is no fee. However, if parents are adopting two or more biologically unrelated children, there will be a $525.00 fee for the second child.
Documentary Requirements for the I-600
- Completed Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative;
- Proof of the orphan’s age;
- Death certificate(s) of the orphan’s parent(s), if applicable;
- Proof of orphan status (for example, evidence of abandonment, or proof that the orphan’s sole or surviving parent cannot give the orphan proper care and has, in writing, forever or irrevocably released the orphan for emigration and adoption);
- A final decree of adoption, if the orphan has been adopted abroad.
If not submitted previously in an I-600A, the documents listed above in the I-600A section must also be provided with the I-600 (in this case, the I-600 must be filed with the CIS office with jurisdiction over the prospective parent’s residence, rather than the Embassy in Bucharest).
Detailed information about filing these forms can be found on the U.S. CIS web site at http://uscis.gov. U.S. citizens who have adopted or hope to adopt a child from Moldova should request, at the time they file these forms, that U.S. CIS notify the U.S. Embassy in Romania as soon as the form is approved. Upon receipt of such notification, the Embassy will contact the adopting parent(s) and provide additional instructions on the immigration process. U.S. consular officers may not begin processing an orphan adoption case until they have received formal notification of approval from a CIS office in the U.S.
The Orphan Investigation
One part of the petition process which CIS cannot complete in advance is the "orphan investigation." An orphan investigation Form I-604 Report on Overseas Orphan Investigation is required in all orphan adoption cases - even if an I-600 has already been approved - and serves to verify that the child is an orphan as defined by U.S. immigration law. A consular officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moldova will conduct this investigation.
In order to be prepared for your I-604 interview at the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau, adoptive parents must have their U.S. passport and the following documentation and the corresponding English language translations:
- A certified copy of the child''s original Moldovan birth certificate;
- The child''s new birth certificate;
- The letter of recommendation on the adoption from the MAC;
- The approval letter from the judge (a.k.a. the adoption decree);
- The child''s Moldovan medical report;
- Proof that the child has been abandoned by his/her birth parents, or that the child otherwise fits the definition of orphan; and
- A statement from the orphanage that the child has not been visited by anyone, including known or suspected relatives, for at least the last six months.
This I-604 adoption interview with a Consular Officer is an important part of the international adoption process. It is an opportunity for a Consular officer in Moldova to see the locally generated documentation on each adoption, to review the information with the prospective adopting parents, and to send advance information to the American Embassy in Bucharest, Romania. If there is a problem with an adoption, the consular officer in Moldova will be able to discuss it with the prospective adopting parents and try to find a solution to the problem BEFORE the prospective adopting parents and their new child travel to Bucharest for the child''s immigrant visa interview.
After the I-604 interview at Embassy Chisinau (which can last anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour), the prospective adopting parents and their newly adopted child proceed to the American Embassy in Bucharest, Romania. All immigration processing for Moldovan orphans is completed in Bucharest. We strongly recommend you to make an appointment for an immigrant visa interview with the Immigrant Visa Section at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest before you traveling to Romania. Tel: +40 21 210 4042.
Planning Your Trip Home
Adoption of a child from Moldova requires an extra step, since you must have an I-604 INTERVIEW AT EMBASSY CHISINAU AND an IMMIGRANT VISA INTERVIEW AT EMBASSY BUCHAREST. Because we understand this, we try very hard to accommodate your travel schedules. Embassy Chisinau is open Monday through Friday from 09.00 to 18.00. Please call us and we will schedule an appointment for your I-604 interview in advance.
Once the I-604 investigation is complete, the adoptive child and parents must travel to Bucharest, Romania, to apply for an immigrant visa for the United States. In general, applying for the immigrant visa involves submission of DS-230 application forms, evidence that the I-600 and/or I-600A have been approved and a review of information obtained during the I-604 investigation about the orphan’s status. Consular officers will also ensure that the child has a valid passport for travel to the United States, a satisfactory medical exam from a panel physician, and evidence of financial support (apart from that provided with the I-600A or I-600). Please visit the Web site for the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest for more information on immigrant visa application procedures at www.usembassy.ro.
Credits: U.S. Department of State
