NYHOMESTUDY BLOG

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) wants to ensure that prospective adoptive parents are aware of the new rules for intercountry adoptions from China that go into effect on May 1, 2007.

The China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) officially notified the U.S. Embassy in Beijing on December 21, 2006 of the new rules and their effective date.

The rules will significantly impact and limit parents interested in adopting a child from China. Some of the new requirements relate to age, marital status, length of marriage, health and financial status. The CCAA has indicated they will process cases under the current rules as long as the dossier is submitted before May 1, 2007.

Since any family who filed an Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition (Form I-600A) before December 21, 2006 were unaware of the CCAA’s new requirements, USCIS stands ready to assist these prospective adoptive parents. USCIS offices will exercise discretion to expedite adjudication of any

Form I-600A filed before December 21, 2006.

USCIS offices will also allow prospective adoptive parents to file a new Form I-600A, with the appropriate filing fee, if their current approval
notice (Forms I-171H or I-797C) expires before May 1, 2007. The agency will work to expedite adjudication of those applications in order to meet the May 1 deadline.