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Policy Manual
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Book outline for Policy Manual
  • Policy Manual
    • Search
    • Updates
    • Table of Contents
    • Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures
    • Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants
    • Volume 3 - Humanitarian Protection and Parole
    • Volume 4 - Refugees and Asylees
    • Volume 5 - Adoptions
      • Part A - Adoptions Overview
      • Part B - Adoptive Parent Suitability Determinations
      • Part C - Child Eligibility Determinations (Orphan)
      • Part D - Child Eligibility Determinations (Hague)
      • Part E - Family-Based Adoption Petitions
        • Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background
        • Chapter 2 - Eligibility
        • Chapter 3 - Hague Restrictions on Family-Based Petitions
        • Chapter 4 - Documentation and Evidence
        • Chapter 5 - Adjudication
        • Chapter 6 - Post-Adjudication Actions
    • Volume 6 - Immigrants
    • Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status
    • Volume 8 - Admissibility
    • Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief
    • Volume 10 - Employment Authorization
    • Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents
    • Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization
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  2. Policy Manual
  3. Volume 5 - Adoptions
  4. Part E - Family-Based Adoption Petitions
  5. Chapter 4 - Documentation and Evidence

Chapter 4 - Documentation and Evidence

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  • Guidance
  • Resources (9)
  • Appendices (0)
  • Updates (2)
  • History (0)

A. Filing

The petitioner must file the Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) with the proper fee, in accordance with the applicable form instructions.[1]

Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (Adam Walsh Act)

A petitioner who has been convicted of a specified offense against a minor is prohibited from filing a family-based petition[2] on behalf of any family-based beneficiary.[3]

B. Required Evidence

The petitioner must submit all required evidence[4] in accordance with the form instructions.[5]

The officer must carefully evaluate the evidence and adoption order to determine eligibility. The officer should be aware that evidence regarding an adopted child’s birth and parentage may vary with the circumstances and the jurisdiction. For example, some jurisdictions annotate birth certificates issued for adopted children to indicate the adoption, while others do not. Officers should consult on questions of foreign and state laws through appropriate USCIS channels, including with USCIS counsel.

Footnotes


[^ 1] For current information about filing locations, fees, and other information about how to file, see instructions for Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130). See 8 CFR 103.2.

[^ 2] This includes the Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130).

[^ 3] See Adam Walsh Act, Pub. L. 109-248 (PDF) (July 27, 2006). See INA 204(a)(1)(A)(i). See INA 204(a)(1)(B)(i). See INA 101(a)(15)(K). See Volume 6, Immigrants, Part C, Adam Walsh Act [6 USCIS-PM C].

[^ 4] See 8 CFR 103.2. See 8 CFR 204.2(d)(2)(vii) for information regarding primary evidence for an adopted child or son or daughter. See Matter of Cuello (PDF), 20 I&N Dec. 94 (BIA 1989) and Matter of Marquez (PDF), 20 I&N Dec. 160 (BIA 1990). See 8 CFR 204.1(g) for evidence to establish the petitioner’s status as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

[^ 5] See form instructions for Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130).

Resources

Legal Authorities

8 CFR 204.1 - General information about immediate relative and family-sponsored petitions

8 CFR 204.2 - Petitions for relatives, widows and widowers, and abused spouses and children

8 CFR 204.303 - Determination of habitual residence

INA 101(b)(1) - Definition of child

INA 101(b)(1)(E) - Definition of a child adoptee for family-based process

Forms

AR-11, Change of Address

G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative

I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

Other Materials

How to Use the USCIS Policy Manual Website (PDF, 2.99 MB)

Appendices

No appendices available at this time.

Updates

POLICY ALERT - Adoptions

November 19, 2021

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is publishing a volume in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding adoptions. This guidance incorporates basic requirements for the submission of adoption-based applications and petitions to USCIS.

Read More
Affected Sections

5 USCIS-PM - Volume 5 - Adoptions

Technical Update - Moving the Adjudicator’s Field Manual Content into the USCIS Policy Manual

May 21, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating and incorporating relevant Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) content into the USCIS Policy Manual. As that process is ongoing, USCIS has moved any remaining AFM content to its corresponding USCIS Policy Manual Part, in PDF format, until relevant AFM content has been properly incorporated into the USCIS Policy Manual. To the extent that a provision in the USCIS Policy Manual conflicts with remaining AFM content or Policy Memoranda, the updated information in the USCIS Policy Manual prevails. To find remaining AFM content, see the crosswalk (PDF, 350.49 KB) between the AFM and the Policy Manual.

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

3 USCIS-PM - Volume 3 - Humanitarian Protection and Parole

4 USCIS-PM - Volume 4 - Refugees and Asylees

5 USCIS-PM - Volume 5 - Adoptions

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

Version History

No historical versions available.

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