Change of Country
You may request a change of country at any time.
While Form I-600A, Form I-600 (combination filing), or Form I-800A Is Pending
While Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative (combination filing), or Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, is pending:
- You must notify the USCIS National Benefits Center (NBC) in writing to request a change of country.
- There is no fee for a change of country before the initial approval of Form I-600A, Form I-600, or Form I-800A. You can find the filing fee for Form I-600A, Form I-600, and Form I-800A by visiting our Fee Schedule page.
- You must submit an updated home study specifying the new country or countries you are recommended to adopt from.
After Approval of Form I-600A or Form I-800A
- There is no limit to the number of change of country requests that you may submit.
- There is no fee for your first or second change of country request.
- For a Form I-600A case:
- For your first or second change of country request, you must submit the request using Form I-600A/I-600, Supplement 3, Request for Action on Approved Form I-600A/I-600
- For any subsequent change of country request, you must submit Form I-600A/I-600, Supplement 3, Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition, with fee. You can find the filing fee for Form I-600A/I-600, Supplement 3 by visiting our Fee Schedule page.
- You must update your home study for any change of country request (first or subsequent).
- For a Form I-800A case:
- Request a change of country using Form I-800A, Supplement 3.
- You must update your home study.
- There is a filing fee for third and subsequent change of country requests. You can find the filing fee for Form I-800A, Supplement 3 by visiting our Fee Schedule page.
Change from Orphan to Hague Country, or from Hague to Orphan Country
If you filed Form I-600A and you now wish to pursue an adoption from a country that is party to the Hague Adoption Convention, you must file Form I-800A with fee. Likewise, if you filed Form I-800A and wish to pursue an adoption from a non-Hague country, you must file Form I-600A or Form I-600 concurrent (or combination) filing with fee
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