Regular Mail:
USCIS
P.O. Box 660087
Dallas, TX 75266
Express Mail and Courier Service deliveries:
USCIS
ATTN: Hague
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business,
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067
E-Notification: If you want to receive an e-mail and/or text message that your Form I-800 has been accepted at a USCIS Lockbox facility, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance and clip it to the first page of your application. Form G-1145 can be downloaded through the link above.
Instructions for a Hague Convention Birth Siblings between Age 16 and 18
The International Adoption Simplification Act of 2010, Public Law 111-287, amended section 101(b)(1)(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow the birth sibling of an adopted child to qualify as a Hague Convention adoptee after the birth sibling’s 16th birthday, but prior to the birth sibling’s 18th birthday. After November 30, 2010, a Form I-800 may be filed, in accordance with form filing instructions, if:
The child is from a country Party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation with Respect to Intercountry Adoption
The child is the birth sibling of another foreign national child who has immigrated or will immigrate based on adoption by the same adoptive parents
The Form I-800 is filed before the expiration of the notice of approval or extension of the I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, and before the child’s 18th birthday
No additional filing fee for a Form I-800 is required when filing for children who are birth siblings.
You must have an approved, valid Form I-800A, prior to filing Form I-800. If the approval of the Form I-800A (including any extensions) has expired or you never filed a Form I-800A, you will need to file a Form I-800A, with fee, in accordance with the Form I-800A instructions.
Special Instructions for a Sibling Child who Turned 18 on or after April 1, 2008
The International Adoption Simplification Act of 2010, (Section 4(b)) also allows a U.S. citizen to file a visa petition for a child who meets the following requirements:
The child is from a country that is a Party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation with Respect to Intercountry Adoption
The child turned 18 on or after April 1, 2008
The petitioner has adopted or will adopt the child
The child is the birth sibling of another foreign national child who has immigrated or will immigrate to the U.S. based on adoption by the same adoptive parents
Form I-800 is properly filed by the petitioner on or before November 30, 2012
You must have an approved, valid Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, prior to filing Form I-800. If the approval of the Form I-800A (including any extensions) has expired or you never filed a Form I-800A, you will need to file a Form I-800A, with fee, in accordance with the Form I-800A instructions.
When completing the Form I-800 under these special instructions for an older birth sibling, you should write “N/A” in response to questions 9 through 17, inclusive. No additional filing fee for a Form I-800 is required when filing for children who are birth siblings. You must submit the following supporting documents with Form I-800:
- Birth certificates for each sibling or other evidence that they are birth siblings
- Evidence that the younger birth sibling either already has immigrated or will immigrate to the United States as your adopted child, orphan or Convention adoptee
- A copy of the adoption decree for the older birth sibling you are filing for, if you have already adopted them. If you have not already adopted the older birth sibling, information about the pre-adoption requirements under the law of the State where you will adopt, to show that you will be able to adopt the older birth sibling in that State, despite the fact that they are already over 18
This page can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/i-800
