Which Family Members Need A Background Check For International Adoption?

Fingerprinting for Adoptions /

Fingerprinting in the Adoption Process

Below we have provided fingerprinting information as well as Awarding Support Centers to make getting your clearance process faster and easier.

Fingerprinting for Domestic and International Adoption

Criminal record clearance through fingerprinting is required for every international adoption and in many domestic adoptions. Every bit regards international adoption, immigration regulations require that prospective adoptive parents and all boosted adult (eighteen years of age or older) members of the prospective adoptive parents' household provide fingerprints to USCIS for completion of FBI background checks

Fingerprinting Services Provided by USCIS to Applicants

USCIS requires applicants and petitioners for certain clearing benefits to be fingerprinted for the purpose of conducting FBI criminal background checks. To meliorate ensure both the quality and integrity of the process, USCIS processes fingerprint cards for immigration benefits merely if an authorized fingerprint site prepares them. Authorized fingerprint sites include USCIS offices, Application Support Centers (ASC'due south), and U.S. consular offices and military machine installations abroad. In general, USCIS schedules people to be fingerprinted at an authorized fingerprint site after an application or petition is filed. Delight check the instructions on your Clearing application or petition form to discover out if yous must be fingerprinted.

To make fingerprinting more convenient the USCIS has opened many freestanding fingerprint sites. USCIS at present employs a system where fingerprints are taken and submitted electronically to the FBI. By using electronic fingerprint technology, USCIS has significantly reduced processing times for criminal groundwork checks.

For more information nearly those immigration benefits that require fingerprinting and fingerprint procedures, delight meet below:

Fingerprint Instructions for All Immigration Benefits Applicants

Special Instructions for Form I-600 "Immigrant Petition for Orphan (Adoption)" and Course I-600A "Accelerate Processing; Immigrant Petition for Orphan (Adoption)"

Special Instructions for Grade I-817 "Application for Family Unity Benefits under the Family Unity Plan" or Course I-821 "Application for Temporary Protected Status"

Application Back up Centers (ASCs): Hither you lot can find information on the ASC nearest to you lot, its hours, and directions on how to get there.

Important:

FBI fingerprint checks are valid for fifteen (15) months.
An approved Course I-600 or I-800 is valid for eighteen (18) months. During those eighteen months, a Grade I-600 or I-800 must be filed. A Course I-600 or I-800 may not exist approved without current FBI fingerprint records for the prospective adoptive parent(s) and all developed members of the prospective adoptive parents' household. It may be necessary to provide fingerprints more than once in order to comply with Immigration regulations.
Fingerprinting Procedures in Adoption Applications on or later March 29, 1998, must comply with the post-obit instructions:
Submit $lxx for each prospective adoptive parent and for each adult member (18 years of age or older) of the household in addition to the orphan petition or advance processing awarding filing fee. For example, married prospective adoptive parents with ii additional adult members of the household must submit $280 ($seventy × four) forth with the $525 filing fee for total fees of $805. The total fees may be submitted in one check. This $70 fee covers the price for each person to be fingerprinted by USCIS. Do not submit completed fingerprint cards with the Orphan Petition or Advance Processing Application.
Prospective adoptive parents must suggest USCIS of all additional developed members of the household at the time of filing the orphan petition or application for advance processing. We require this information so that all persons requiring fingerprinting may be scheduled for an date. Failure to advise USCIS of additional adult members of the household may consequence in processing delays.
After receiving an Orphan Petition or Advance Processing Application, USCIS will transport appointment letters with the appointment and location for all prospective adoptive parents and boosted adult members of the household to be fingerprinted. Delight read the instructions in the appointment letters carefully, and take the letters with you to the USCIS fingerprint location for the fingerprint appointment.
Processing and adjudication of Orphan Petitions and Advance Processing Applications continues to be an USCIS priority. Therefore, to avoid processing and adjudication delays, USCIS will schedule fingerprint appointments for prospective adoptive parents and the developed members of their households on an accelerated schedule.
Prospective adoptive parents residing abroad (and adult members of the household) are also required to exist fingerprinted, notwithstanding, they are exempt from the $70 USCIS fingerprinting fee. Prospective adoptive parents residing abroad (and developed members of the household) must have their fingerprint cards prepared by USCIS, past a United states consular officeholder at a United States Embassy or consulate abroad, or at a The states military installation abroad. While those prospective adoptive parents will non be charged the $70 fingerprinting fee, Country Department consular officers and United States armed forces offices are authorized to charge a fee for this service. These completed fingerprint cards must exist submitted with the Orphan Petition or Advance Processing Application.

The USCIS process and fees are continually updated. Please contact the USCIS toll free number {1 (800) 375-5283 or for the TTY number call ane (800) 767-1833} for the most current information.