I've started the process of obtaining Hana's Certificate of Citizenship. See, she's a citizen...but the proof for show is this certificate. There are some advantages of having this piece of paper, and they are outlined quite well on various Internet sites. Nonetheless, I want Hana to have every scrap of paper possible to prove she's here legally...for college...for jobs...for work...for travel...
SO...
I went on the USCIS website and downloaded the N600 application/instructions and completed the PDF file without much ado. There was a question as to whether or not I should use the N643 instead...but apparently that form is no longer. So the N600 is the correct form (according to the USCIS rep that answered the phone).
Gathering more pieces of paper*:
Copy of the Ethiopian birth certificate
Copy of the new American birth certificate (obtained after the American readoption)
Copy of our (hubby and me) marriage certificate
Copy of our (hubby and me) birth certificates
Copy of our (hubby and me) passport copies
Copy of our (hubby and me) deed to the house to prove that we actually live here
Copy of the Final Adoption Decree - issued by the American courts
Copy of Hana's permanent resident card
Copy of Hana's Ethiopian Passport
Copy of the American entry visa on the Ethiopian passport
2 - 2x2 inch passport photos of Hana (with the child's name and alien registration number in the center of the back of each photo. I went with her name that's on the green card)
*you don't have to resubmit all of these documents as they can "send your prior file with these documents from one USCIS office to another" if you want to wait for that to happen. That sounds like a big mess to me...so I just resubmitted all the forms (afterall, they are just copies).
There were a few questions that weren't quite clear, but the USCIS woman said that the adoption decree covered all the information that I found unclear (such as proof of citizenship, proof of legitimization, proof of custody). I mean, how do I 'prove' legitimization...and what does that mean anyway?!
The person that signs the form must be the original petitioner of the I600 (remember that form?)
A check or money order for $420.
Mail/Fedex to your local USCIS office...
...and wait and see what happens.
Supposedly, sometimes they'll have you come down for an interview to show the original documents and such.
I'll let you know.
***
Time for the (final) 1 year post-placement report to be done by the social worker...so, I'm organizing that too...
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