Invitation Letter

Introduction 

Beginning on March 30, 2009, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will assume responsibility from the Department of State for adjudicating any Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, filed within the Russian Federation.

In preparation for this change and to minimize the possibility of any delay while in Russia, USCIS recommends prospective adoptive parents and adoption service providers review the following list of questions and answers.

Questions and Answers

Q.   Where do I file Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, after adopting an orphan in Russia?

A. You must file your Form I-600 with the USCIS Moscow Field Office located at the United States (U.S.) Embassy in Moscow at Novinsky Bulvar 19/23.    The nearest subway stations are "Barrikadnaya" and "Krasnopresnenskaya."  Parking is not readily available.

Q.   How can I contact the USCIS Moscow Field Office?

A.   The USCIS Moscow Field Office can be reached by:

• Email:   Please send adoption-related inquiries to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  All other inquires should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
• Phone:   For general inquiries in Russian or English, please call (7-495) 728-5550 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.  If you are calling from the United States, please dial 011 first.
• Fax:   Please send faxes to (7-495) 728-5083.
• Walk-in:   The USCIS Moscow Field Office is open for public inquiries only Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Note: The USCIS Moscow Field Office is closed on American and Russian holidays.

Q.   What documents must I submit with my Form I-600?

A.   When you file Form I-600   in Russia, you will be submitting your documents at one window for two different departments: USCIS and the U.S. Department of State Consular Section.   USCIS has authority for adjudicating the I-600 petition, and the Consular Section has authority for issuing the child’s immigrant visa after petition has been approved. 

You should bring all of the documents listed below, including those required by the U.S. Department of State, to your appointment and be prepared to submit a photocopy (unless otherwise noted).   All foreign language documents must be accompanied by a certified English translation.   USCIS may at any time require that you submit the original document for review.  You do not need to have the photocopies notarized.

1.  Form I-600 (Pages: 1, 2) completed, personally signed and dated by the adoptive parent or both parents if married (a power of attorney does not authorize one spouse to sign on behalf of the other spouse for USCIS purposes).

2. The child’s Russian passport, with a photocopy of the biographical page.

3.  The child's birth certificate (i.e., the one with the birth parents listed) or other evidence of identity and age if a birth certificate is not available.

4. The child’s amended birth certificate (i.e., the one which indicates the names of the U.S. citizen adoptive parents).

5.  The adoption certificate.

6.  The adoption decree issued by the local court.

7.  Information regarding the resolution of the birth parents' rights: e.g., death certificates; certificates confirming that the listed parents were not legally registered; letters of relinquishment; court decrees removing parental rights, etc.

8.  A letter from the Ministry of Education indicating that the child has spent the required amount of time listed on the Federal Data Bank and has been released for adoption by foreigners.

9.  A letter from each orphanage or hospital in which the child has resided. This letter should include the dates of the child's stay in the institution, any information as to whether the child was visited, and a statement of no objection to the adoption by the orphanage.

In addition to the documents listed above, the Department of State Consular Section requires certain documents to process the child’s immigrant visa.   Please see their Web site http://moscow.usembassy.gov for more information and any updates.   As noted above, you should submit these documents when you are filing the I-600 petition with USCIS:

1.  Passport(s) of adoptive parent(s), with a photocopy of the information page of each passport.

2.  The medical form in a sealed envelope from a Panel Physician.  See the “Immigrant Visa” section on http://moscow.usembassy.gov for a list of eligible physicians and their contact information.

3.  Form DS-230 (Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4) - Application for Immigrant Visa. This form should be completed from the perspective of the adopted child. Please do not sign this form until asked to do so by a Consular Officer.

4.  Immunization Affidavit.

5.  Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, and last 3 years of 1040 tax returns (only required if one of the parents was not presented at the court hearing or if parents reside outside the U.S.).   If you are adopting more than one child, you must submit a separate I-864 for each child.

6.Two color photos of the child (5 cm by 5 cm).

Source