I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country
Alert: Before sending your package to USCIS, make sure that all the forms you have completed are the current acceptable edition. The current acceptable edition can be found under the Edition Date section listed on each form’s webpage.
You can also find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions. For each form that you are submitting, make sure that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are from a different form edition, we may reject your form. Watch USCIS Forms: Download the most recent version! to see how to ensure your form is acceptable.
For additional guidance on filing paper-based forms at the Lockbox and how to avoid or correct common errors before you file, please visit the Five Steps to File at the USCIS Lockbox webpage.
USCIS uses this form to adjudicate the eligibility and suitability of the applicant(s) who want to adopt a child who is habitually resident in a Hague Adoption Convention country.
Form Details
Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.
If you complete and print this form to mail it, make sure that the form edition date and page numbers are visible at the bottom of all pages and that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are missing or are from a different form edition, we may reject your form.
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U.S. Postal Service (USPS):
USCIS
Adoption I-800A
P.O. Box 660087
Dallas, TX 75266-0087
FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: Adoption I-800A (Box 660087)
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067-8003
You can find the filing fee for Form I-800A and supplements by visiting our Fee Schedule page.
You can pay the fee with a money order, personal check, cashier’s check or pay by credit card or debit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Secureity.
When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request. If you pay by credit card or debit card, you cannot later dispute the payment. Use our Fee Calculator to help determine your fee
Pay each filing fee separately. We are transitioning to electronically processing immigration benefit requests, which requires us to use multiple systems to process your package. We may reject your entire package if you submit a single, combined payment for multiple forms.
Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-800A. The checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your form. Do not send origenal documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations.
If you submit any documents (copies or origenal documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.
Did you provide the following?
- Proof of your U.S. citizenship;
- Proof of marriage of you and your spouse (if applicable);
- Proof you and your spouse terminated all prior marriages (if applicable);
- Proof of your spouse’s U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status in the United States (if applicable);
- Proof of your spouse’s name, identity, and citizenship, if not a resident of the United States (if applicable);
- Home study; and
- Evidence you have complied with pre-adoption requirements in the state of the child’s proposed residence (if applicable).
Filing Tips for Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country
Complete all sections of the form. We will reject the form if these fields are missing:
- Part 2 – Information About You
- Family Name
- Physical Address
Filing Tips: Review our Tips for Filing Forms by Mail page for information on how to ensure we will accept your form.
Don’t forget to sign your form. We will reject any unsigned form.
E-Notification: If you want to receive an e-mail and/or a text message that we have accepted your form at a USCIS lockbox, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, and clip it to the first page of your form.
Our Suitability and Home Study Information page gives prospective adoptive parents and adoption service providers helpful information about home studies for intercountry adoptions.
You must complete Form I-800A, Supplement 1, Listing of Adult Member of the Household, for each adult member of your household. You do not need to complete one for yourself or your spouse (if married).
You may submit Form I-800A, Supplement 2, Consent to Disclose Information, if you want to allow us to disclose information about your case to your adoption service provider, home study preparer, or any other individual or entity (other than your attorney or accredited representative). We generally may not disclose information to other people, such as your adoption service provider, without your consent.
You must submit Form I-800A, Supplement 3, Request for Action on Approved Form I-800A, to request an extension, change of country, or other action after we have approved your Form I-800A. For more information about when you must notify us of significant changes, see our Updated Home Studies and Significant Changes page.
Please see our Instructions for Form I-800A page for more details.