New York · est. 2013Saturday, September 5, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Forms

I-800 Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative

The adoption petition for a child from a country that is party to the Hague Adoption Convention. It follows an approved I-800A suitability determination and identifies the specific child. Convention rules require the match to be made through accredited channels before the petition is filed.

Fee
$920. $0 for the first I-800 filed during an approved I-800A period and for additional birth siblings; $920 for each additional non-birth sibling.
Fee waiver
Not available
Who files
U.S. citizens adopting from a Convention country.
Where to file
By mail to the USCIS National Benefits Center.
Processing time
1.6 months (FY 2026 national median through June 30, 2026)

Usually filed with

Part of these processes

What changed in 2025 and 2026

  • Convention adoption processing is fast at USCIS - a 1.6 month median in FY 2026 - but the foreign-country side is usually the bottleneck.

Official page. https://www.uscis.gov/i-800. Download the form there, never from a third-party site; check the edition date and fee before filing.