A. Section of Law and Regulation Relating to Orphan
Petitions
Return to Table of Contents
A. Section of Law and Regulation Relating to Orphan
Petitions
B. Forms Used in Orphan Cases
C. Precedent Decisions
D. 1. US District INS Offices
D. 2. Other US INS Offices
D. 3. Foreign INS Offices
The following citations may be of interest to adoptive and prospective adoptive parents who want an in-depth knowledge of orphan petitions, adoption agencies, or voluntary agencies and attorneys who represent adoptive and prospective adoptive parents.
101(b)(1)(F) (8 U.S.C. 1101(b)(1)(F); 204(a), (b), and (d) (8 U.S.C. 1154(a), (b), and (d); and 205 (8 U.S.C. 1155).
8 CFR 204.1 (b); 204.2(a), (d), (e), (f), and (j); and 205.
Return to Top of Section
FORM FD-258 (Applicant) - For Fingerprints of Adoptive or Prospective Adoptive Parent(s)
FORM I-171 - Notice of Approval of Relative Immigrant Visa Petition (sent to petitioning parent when I-600 orphan petition is approved)
FORM I-171H - Notice of Favorable Concerning Determination Application for Advanced Processing of Orphan Petition
FORM I-600 - Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
FORM I-600A- Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition
FORM I-604 - Request for and Report on Overseas Orphan Investigation (internal form used by INS and consular officers)
FORM N-402 - Application to File Petition for Naturalization in Behalf of Child
FORM N-600 - Application for Certificate of Citizenship
FORM N-643 - Application for Certificate of Citizenship in Behalf of an Adopted Child
Return to Top of Section
Precedent decisions are published decisions which are binding on Service officers.That means that the officers' decisions must be consistent with them.
The following are summaries of important precedent decisions about orphan petitions which may be of interest to adoptive and prospective adoptive parents. The complete decisions are available in public reading rooms of Service offices.
The decisions are published in Administrative Decisions Under Immigration and Nationality Laws of the United States. The first number in the citation "10 I&N Dec. 761" refers to the volume number. The second number refers to the page number.
The employment record, financial status, military record, and arrest and conviction record of the petitioner are items properly considered about ability to care for an orphan.
All preadoption requirements of the state of intended residence of the orphan must be met. The petitioner's financial status, work record, receipt of welfare, and current number of dependents are items properly considered about ability to care for an orphan.
Although children born of an adulterous relationship of the mother may be considered to have two legal parents, where the husband has refused to acknowledge paternity or accept responsibility for their care, the mother is unable to care for them, and the children have been cast from the family and placed with a social agency, the children are considered to have been abandoned.
The results of the guidance, supervision, and care of another child raised by the petitioner and spouse are properly considered about ability to care for an orphan.
A foreign orphan who is in the United States and has been adopted in the United States is not eligible to benefit from an orphan petition.
Return to Top of Section
ANCHORIDGE, AK 99513 New Federal Building 701 C. St, Room D229
ATLANTA, GA 30303 Fed. Annex Bldg 77 Forsyth St. SW
BALTIMORE, MD 21201
E.A. Garmatz Bldg
101 W. Lombard
BOSTON, MA 02203
J.F.K. Fed Bldg.
Government Center
BUFFALO, NY 14202
68 Court St.
CHICAGO, IL 60604
Dirksen Fed. Ofc. Bldg.
219 S. Dearborn St.
CLEVELAND, OH 44199
Anthony J. Celebreeze
Fed Bldg, Rm 1917
1240 E. 9th St.
DALLAS, TX 75242
Rm 6A21, Fed. Bldg
1100 Commerce St
DENVER, CO 80294-1799
1787 Federal Bldg
333 Mt. Elliot St
EL PASO, TX 79984
511 E. San Antonio
Rm 151
HARLINGEN, TX 78550
2102 Teege Ave
HELENA, MT 59626-()()36
Fed Bldg, Rm 512
301 S. Park
Drawer 10036
HONOLULU, HI 96809
P.O. Box 461
SQS Ala Moana Blvd.
HOUSTON, TX 77060
509 No. Belt
KANSAS CITY, MO 64153
9747 No Conant Ave.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90012
300 N. Los Angeles St.
MIAMI, FL 33138
7880 Biscayne Blvd.
NEWARK, NJ 07102
Federal Bldg.
970 Broad Street
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113
Postal Service Bldg.
701 Loyola Avenue
NEW YORK, NY 10278
26 Federal Plaza
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103
1600 Callowhill Street
PHOENIX, AZ 85025
Federal Building
230 N First Avenue
PORTLAND, ME 04103
739 Warren Avenue
PORTLAND, OR 92709
Federal Office. Bldg.
511 N.W. Broadway
ST. PAUL, MN 55101
923 New P.O. Bldg.
180 E. Kellogg Blvd.
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78206
Federal Building
727 E. Durango
Suite A301
SAN DIEGO, CA 92188
880 Front Street
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111
Appraisers Building
630 Sansome Street
SAN JUAN, PR 00936
GPO Box 5068
SEATTLE, WA 98134
815 Airport Way, So.
WASHINGTON, DC
4420 N. Fairfax Dr.
Arlington, VA 22203
Return to Top of Section
AGANA, GU 96910
801 Pacific News Bldg.
238 O'Hara Street
ALBANY, NY 12207
U.S. Post Office & Courthouse
Rm. 220, 445 Broadway
ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87103
Federal Building
Rm. 1114, Box 567
517 Gold Avenue, S.W.
CHARLESTON, SC 28210
Federal Building
RM 110, 334 Meeting Street
CHARLOTTE, NC 29403
6 Woodlawn Green
Suite 138
CHARLOTTE AMALIE,
ST. THOMAS, VI 00801
Federal Building
P. O. Box 629
CHRISTIANSTED
ST. CROIX, VI 00850
P. O. Box 1270 Kingshill
CINCINNATI, OH 45201
U. S. Post Office and Courthouse
100 East 5th Street
P.O. Box 537
FRESNO, CA 93721
U.S. Courthouse
Federal Building, Rm 1308
1130 O Street
HARTFORD, CT 06103-3060
Ribicoff Federal Building
450 Main Street
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46204
Rm. 148
46 East Ohio Street
JACKSONVILLE, FL 32201
400 W. Bay St., Room G-18
P.O. Box 35029
LAS VEGAS, NV 89101
Federal Building
U.S. Courthouse
300 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Rm 104
LOUISVILLE, KY 40202
RM. 601, U. S. Courthouse Bldg.
West 6th & Broadway
MEMPHIS, TN 38103
814 Federal Bldg.
167 North Main Street
MILWAUKEE, WI 53202
RM. 186, Federal Building
517 East Wisconsin Avenue
NORFOLK, VA 23510
Norfolk Federal Building
RM. 439, 200 Granby Mall
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73102
4149 Rloh Line Blvd.
Suite 300
PITTSBURGH, PA 15222
2130 Federal Building
1000 Liberty Avenue
PROVIDENCE, RI 02903
Federal Building
U.S. Post Office
Exchange Terrace
RENO, NV 89502- 1321
712 Mill Street
ST. ALBANS, VT 05478
Federal Building
P.O. Box 328
ST. LOUIS, MO 63101
Rm . 100
210 North Tucker Blvd.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84101
210 West 4OO South Street
SAN JOSE, CA 95113
RM. 1150
280 South First Street
SPOKANE, WA 99201
691 U. S. Courthouse Building
TAMPA, FL 33609
5509 Gray Street
Suite 113
TUCSON, AZ 85701-1386
Federal Building
300 W. Congress, FB-37
Return to Top of Section
ATHENS, GREECE
U.S. Immigralion and Naturalization Scrvice
c/o American Embassy
APO 09253
BANGKOK, THAILAND
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o Amorican Embassy, Box 12
APO San Francisco. CA 96346-0001
CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Consulate General
P.O. Box 10545
El Paso, TX 79995-0545
FRANKFURT, GERMANY
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Consulate General
Box 12
APO NY 09213
GUADALAJARA, JAL, MEXICO
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
Box 3088-Guadalajara
Laredo, TX 78044
HONG KONG, BR1TISH CROWN COLONY
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Consulate General
Box 30
FPO San Francisco, CA 96659-0002
KENYA
c/o American Embassy
Narobi
Box 12
APO NY 09675
LONDON, ENGLAND
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Embassy
Box 6
FPO NY 09509
MANILA, PHILIPPINES
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Embassy
APO San Francisco, CA 96528
MEXICO ClTY, MEXICO
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Embassy
P.O. Box 3087, Rm. 118
Laredo, TX 78044
MONTERREY, N..L, MEXICO
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Consulate General
P.O. Box 3098
Laredo, TX 78041
NEW DELHI, INDIA
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Embassy
Washington, D.C. 20520-9000
PANAMA CITY, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Embassy
APO Miami. FL 34002
ROME, ITALY
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Embassy
APO NY 09794-0007
SEOUL, KOREA
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Embassy
APO San Francisco, CA 96301
SINGAPORE, REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Embassy
FPO San Francisco. CA 96699-001
TIJUANA, MEXICO
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Consulate General
P. O. Box 1358
San Ysidro, CA 92073-1358
VIENNA, AUSTRIA
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
c/o American Consulate General
APO NY 09108
Return to Top of Section
Return to Table of Contents