I-600A

What is an I-600A you ask?

An I-600A is a form from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) allowing us to adopt a child internationally. The I-600A is valid for 18 months and ours is about to expire in June 2008.

Today I received the paperwork to start the application process all over again. I think that I'm a couple of steps ahead of the game because when we did our initial paper chase I got 4 copies of all the forms that needed to be notarized.

So we have to sent the following information off to our agency to be re-submitted to CIS:

1. Copy of our Favorable Determination (1-797C) - This is our fingerprint approval. We also have to bring this updated approval with us to China. (I'm sure we will be doing this again before we go.)

2. A signed letter requesting a one-time extension of the I-600A at no cost for this update.

3. 2 signed statements from Michael allowing discussion of our files and one saying that we will provide originals of all papers on request.

4. Copies (not originals) of both of our birth certificates.

5. Copy (not original) of our marriage certificate.

6. Original arrest document and a signed/notarized letter of apology. (Remember, Michael had that little incident with an open container in public back when he was 18!! This will haunt him for the rest of his life).

All these papers will go off to our agency and they will attach a copy of our updated home study to CIS and hopefully, we will get our re-approval with no problem.

So, being the organized person that I am, I have all these forms in Alison's life book and I should have all of these sent to the WHFC by the end of this week.

The good news is that the first re-fingerprinting and the first I-600A extension are at no cost to us...the next one we will have to pay for...

We are still coming to get you Alison...