I-600A Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition
Asks USCIS to decide in advance that a prospective adoptive parent is suitable and eligible, before a specific child is identified. It rests on a home study and background checks. Approval sets a window during which I-600 petitions can be filed.
- Fee
- $920, and $920 again if refiled after a change in marital status following approval; $0 if marital status changes while it is still pending. Supplement 3 extensions and country changes are $0 for the first and second and $455 for the third and later.
- Fee waiver
- Not available
- Who files
- U.S. citizens planning to adopt from a non-Convention country.
- Where to file
- By mail to the USCIS National Benefits Center.
- Processing time
- 3.8 months (FY 2026 national median through June 30, 2026)
Usually filed with
Part of these processes
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- Intercountry adoption from non-Convention countries has fallen steadily, and several source countries have suspended programmes entirely.
Official page. https://www.uscis.gov/i-600a. Download the form there, never from a third-party site; check the edition date and fee before filing.