Here are some tips for filing your applications with USCIS.

-File your I600A application as soon as you can. As I said earlier, you may or may not need to wait until your homestudy is complete and you should have a good idea of where you are adopting from, what agency you are using, how many children you are adopting, etc. before you can file. Since some offices take up to several months to process the I600A and since many adoption programs require you have it in hand before submitting your paperwork overseas, you do not want to end up waiting on this any longer than necessary. So, file asap.

-If possible, submit your applications in person. Again, this varies greatly, but some offices allow you to submit your application in person, and many give an immediate finger print appointment at that time (sometimes even for that same day). In person you at least know it got there ok and can ask about time frames, ask for a contact person and number, etc. You can check on the USCIS website to see if your office accepts applications in person or prefers them to be mailed.

-Send everything you send to USCIS by either FedEx, UPS or certified mail, so that you can track and know if/when it is received.

-Send everything in as few envelopes as possible, and whenever possible send things all together. This reduces the risk of things being misplaced. It is not uncommon for things to be “lost”. For the same reason, use a paperclip to ensure your check and documents stay together.

-Send everything with large letters (on the outer envelope) saying, “Attention: Orphan Unit”. The USCIS offices handle a variety of immigration issues and get a large volume of mail. You don’t want your stuff sitting around for extra days or weeks just to get to the right desk.

-Send a cover letter with everything. I always include a cover letter with our names, address, phone number, a list of what is enclosed and basic details about our adoption process.

-Keep track of dates. You should know when things were mailed/received so you can keep track of how long you have waited.

-For your fingerprints, start a few weeks before and make sure your hands are well-moisturized. Very dry hands are difficult to fingerprint, and if the USCIS machine won’t register your prints, you have to come back and try it again another day. Corn-huskers lotion is often recommended for this purpose. Also, I have heard of several people not being able to be fingerprinted because of cuts on their fingers, so be careful with your hands when you are close to your fingerprint time.

-Read all of the documents over quickly. The forms can be confusing in their wording, and it is important for timely processing that they are filled out correctly. If you are unsure about how to answer a question, check with your social worker or adoption agency. Don’t leave anything blank unless your social worker or agency rep tells you to. Make sure you include everything that is required. Incomplete applications have often "sat" for some time without any attention.

If you have any tips to add, please leave a comment!