If you’ve started the international adoption process, you’ve no doubt stared at the mound of paperwork and documentation required. Over the next few weeks we’re going to look at some pieces of the paperwork pie, why you need them and how they help ensure your safety and the safety of your child.
As you get started in your paperwork journey, you should have completed your homestudy and are now ready to complete the I800a or I600a forms.
As excited as you are to meet your child, it’s very important that you understand you may not make contact with the child you hope to adopt until AFTER this form is approved. If you are working with an adoption agency, you will not receive a referral for a child until after the form is approved .
Why do I need THIS form?
This form protects adopted children from being placed in inappropriate homes. This form also protects prospective parents from being matched with children who would not be a good fit for the home. It’s really all about you–where you live, who lives with you, what you’ve done in your past and what you are doing now.
What do I need to file this form?
You’ll need your USCIS adoption number, a copy of your homestudy, completion of any pre-adoption requirements for your home state, proof of your and your spouse’s U.S. citizenship or citizenship status (birth certificate, passport, etc) and proof of your marital status.
If you are adopting from a non-Hague Convention country, you will also need fingerprints for anyone over the age of 18 living in your home.
What’s the difference in the forms and which one do I need?
I-800A is used for Hague Adoption cases to confirm your family is suitable to adopt a child from a convention country.
I-600A is for non-Hague Adoption cases, meaning the country your child is in is not a Hague Accredited Convention Country.
After you’ve submitted these forms and documentations, you start the worst part of the journey–the waiting. I800A and I600A forms can take weeks or months to have approved . But at the end of this process, you’ll receive a referral which means you’ll be ready to tackle your next set of forms and really dream about the child you’ll hold in your arms very soon.