US Citizenship

  We used the N600K path to naturalization for two of our children while we lived in the Marshall Islands.  This page was created to share our experience with other going through the same process.  Below are links to documentation, our naturalization time line, and all the posts that were shared on the blog.  Please don't hesitate to email me or leave a comment if you have any questions!

Helpful links to determine if your child qualifies for citizenship through the N600K:

-this website directs you to the INA legislation regarding citizenship for adopted children that reside outside the US that don't have US citizenship

-the specific sections in the INA that refer to adopted children and their qualification for citizenship


Our N600K naturalization time line:

May 2014: Mail in forms for Sky and Fire's naturalization
May 2014: Receive rejection letters for both because the N600K form I used was out of date.  Resubmit forms immediately.
July 10, 2014: Receive email notification that our cases have been accepted
November 2014: Request cases be transferred to Honolulu office; transfer approved
January 5, 2015: Receive notification of interview date through the mail
February 5, 2015: Interview day!  Citizenship is granted with no issues.


Blog posts that specifically relate to our N600K process:

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We're officially in-process for the kids' US citizenship! I was so excited to get these emails:



and to see this withdrawl from my bank account:
The kids' packets had been rejected once before because I had used the wrong versions of the N600K form. To other applicants: be sure to check your forms expiration date! Make sure it will be good through to the time USCIS receives your paperwork. We did received back all the supporting documentation that I'd sent but since it had been checked in it had a ribbon of printing along one edge. I wasn't able to get a clear answer on the phone about if I could resubmit all the same supporting documentation or if I had to provide new ones, so I went ahead and resubmitted the same papers again. Hopefully we'll know more soon.

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I decided to see if I could get an update on the kids' case status from the USCIS website and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to use and how much information is available. If you've received your case-receipt email or I-797 form, it will have a receipt number on it (Sky and Fire's started with NBC). All you have to do is go to USCIS.gov and click on "Check Your Case Status".




Enter the receipt number in the box and it will bring up your case status (one of ours is pictured below).




You can also check on processing times for cases like yours. Click on the drop-down boxes (as shown above) to select the type of case you're filing and where you requested your hearing and it will give you the average processing time for similar cases. It was great to find out that we're only looking at a 5-6 month wait, since that's the next time we'll probably be heading off-island. 

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Update: 12-6-14

  USCIS recently changed their website and below is a screen shot of the new results page:




Pros: You get to see the exact date that your case was received.
Cons: You no longer see the processing stage of your case.

I called USCIS to see exactly which local office would be handling our case, since the best option for us is Honolulu. After an hour-long hold, I was able to get our cases transferred to Honolulu and was told that they are currently processing cases submitted in May. For a timeline, that means that it will be another two months before they start working on Sky and Fire's cases. Cases usually take three months to process. Provided the kids are approved, we'll be sent an interview notice with a date about three months in the future. Put all that together and we can estimate that it will be another eight months before we'll be going to Honolulu for citizenship hearings.


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Update: 1-6-15

  We have the kids appointments for their US citizenship interviews!!!  I didn't know what to expect when I opened the envelops from USCIS yesterday but it certainly wasn't that.  As I said in my last update, we didn't expect to hear anything from USCIS for another five months and we estimated that it would be August before we had their interviews. 
  I'm a little worried that there may have been a misunderstanding over our status here and that might be what has caused our case to move so quickly.  When I was on the phone changing our interview location, I said that we worked for the military and that D had been in the Air Force.  I hope she doesn't think that D is still on active duty and that we're not taking someone elses place because of a misunderstanding.  We will apologize profusely when we get there if that is what happened but I'm not going to call USCIS to try to clear anything up and jeopardize this great processing time. 
  We received our notice of an interview by mail but I did check the USCIS website to see if there was any change to their case status' there and I didn't see anything different.  It still says when our cases were received and that they're pending. 
  Although our wallets wish that the appointments weren't happening until August (coming so soon after Water's adoption, Sky birthday, and Christmas) we're moving ahead with plans to spend a week in Honolulu.  We don't expect our applications for Sky and Fire's citizenship to be contested and we've been told that we can apply for their US passports the same day.  I can't believe this is actually happening.  I'm still a little shocked by it all.  Wish us luck!!!


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1-25-15

  We're heading off to Honolulu for Sky and Fire's USCIS interviews!  We don't anticipate any problems so hopefully my next post will be one celebrating two new Americans.  I don't know how much free time I"ll have so this might be a bit of a blogging break as well.  Wish us luck!!




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2-6-15
  I was so nervous about Sky and Fire's citizenship appointment!  I thought for sure they were going to want some paperwork I didn't have or ask question that we couldn't answer.  In the end, we had a harder time finding the building (500 Ala Moana Blvd not 300 where the passport office is!) than we did with the appointment.  We spent more time waiting that morning that we did doing anything official.  Once we found the right building, we checked in and waited.  The interview was less than 10 minutes long and then we went back to the waiting room to wait for their certificates of citizenship. 

The waiting starts out like this:

Eventually even a movie on the phone doesn't cut it


Maybe making faces for daddy's camera will pass the time





No ceremony, no oath, just a nice man in an office building confirming that Sky and Fire are now Americans




We celebrated with cupcakes and everything was right with the world!

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Citizenship for Earth through the N600 process

4-18-18

We're wading back into the citizenship process for this wild child!  We tried once before shortly after we moved to the US but were rejected because of missing paperwork.  At the time, I had a hard time finding the correct information about the process we needed to follow for him- Sky and Earth's process we pretty straight-forward but Earth's is little more convoluted.


  Here's how I believe it goes for a child born in a foreign country and adopted by US citizens while they reside outside the US, if they file for the child's citizenship after returning to America using the N-600 process:

1: You must have documented legal custody of the child for two years 
2: File both the I-130 to prove your legal relationship to the child and the I-485 to adjust their status to legal alien resident (if not already done)
3: Once those the child is accepted as a legal alien resident, you can file the N-600 requesting expedited naturalization

  I mailed in Earth's I-130 and I-485 on 4-18-18 and will continue to share our citizenship process through this path here.  I will also add this post to the US Citizenship page, where you can also find information about the N-600K citizenship process.

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An Update on Earth's Green Card and Citizenship Process:

  Earth's I-130 and I-485 were accepted for review in April of 2018.  In late May, we received an appointment notice to bring Earth in for fingerprinting.  We were able to do that in Tucson and the process went smoothly.  After that, we didn't hear anything until a large packet arrived in February of 2019.  In it were two RFEs- requests for evidence to support our green card request.

  We scrambled to assemble all the documentation they requested and hired a legal firm to review it with us.  We answered all their questions and tried to be both thorough and concise.  On April 16th, two large envelopes were mailed back to the USCIS.


  Just two months later, a slim envelope showed up in our mailbox.  I opened it on the street because it seemed innocuous and unimportant.  Silly me.


  USCIS rejected both our I-130 application and our I-485 application and in addition, they were threatening to deport our son.  Unsurprisingly, I freaked out.  D was calmer about the whole thing but still frightened that they could take our son.  We thought for sure that there had been a mistake- weren't Marshallese citizens allowed to come and go from the US under the Compact of Free Association?  Weren't they allowed to live in the US while they applied for a change of status from the visa waiver program to a green card?  The answer is yes but none of that applies to Earth.  We found out from the RMI Embassy in Washington, DC that we were caught in a loophole created by the 2003 amendments to the CoFA that are intended to prevent illegal adoptions:


  While I fully support ethics in adoption and have spoken out against unethical practices both in the US and in the Marshall Islands on this blog, I couldn't believe that no allowances had been made for legitimate situations like ours.  The Embassy put me in touch with the lawyer who helped draft this section of the amendments and while he sympathized with what we were going through, he was also amazed by it and said that he never imagined a situation like this.

  After a lot of phone calls with our lawyers, the embassy in Majuro, and USCIS, it became clear to D and I that the only solution was for Earth and I to return to the Marshall Islands.  While we hated having to split up the family, that would allow Earth to avoid having deportation proceedings started against him (which would prevent any future citizenship) and let us apply directly for naturalization through the N600k process.


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8-15-2019

After discovering the wonderful news that you can now file for naturalization through the N600k process online I raced to get started on it.  Unfortunately, power went out to the whole island just as I sat down that the computer.  It was out all night but I was able to finish and submit Earth's application on my lunch break today.


  Besides being able to file online, you can now request an appointment date when you file.  I entered December 1, 2019 so, theoretically, if we have Earth's interview on that day and he is approved for citizenship, we could be home by Christmas.  I'm trying not to get my hopes up but can't stop myself from imagining how wonderful that would be.

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December 5, 2019

If this picture looks the same as the one in the last update I did, that's because nothing except the date on the status page has changed.  I was able to call about a week ago and was told that Earth's case had been transferred to the Honolulu office on November 18th but that otherwise, they had no new information for me.
  The last time we went through this process, the kids' cases were transferred in November as well and we had interviews by early February.  Of course, that was five years ago and there's no guarantee that things will be the same this time but as always, I'm hopeful.

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January 9, 2020
   I checked Earth's case status today, like I do every day, and was somewhat surprised to see that it had been updated.  There was no new information on the main page or the document page but at least someone has bothered to make the date current.

  The current average processing time for this kind of case is 5 months and we're one week away from that.  Of course, we have no way of knowing how long any of this could take and no recourse if we feel that things are being dragged out.  Since this is my first time filing online, I also don't know if our interview notice will be listed on the document page of Earth's online file before I receive a paper copy here on Kwaj.  As always, I'll keep you posted if anything changes.

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March 3, 2020

 Things have been quiet here because there just hasn't been anything to report.  I checked Earth's case status today and while there was a date change, there was no new information.
  I also checked the USCIS average processing time page and saw that the processing time for Earth's case has gotten longer again.

  Since Earth's case was accepted on August 14th, we're about one week away from being 7 months in process, the current lower average for cases like this. Earth and I are very ready for his interview to be scheduled but I'm trying to be cautious about getting my hopes up because it could be quite a bit longer before we hear anything.
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March 20, 2020  N600K Update

 In light of the fact that USCIS has closed all it's field offices for the foreseeable future, it looks like this process might take longer than we'd ever imagined.  If I'm being honest, I really thought that Earth and I would be home by now, but instead, here we are, still in the Marshall Islands and buckling down for the long term.
  In an interesting twist, perhaps because the office personnel have more time to process cases now that they're not doing interviews, the average processing time has gone down drastically to 5.5 months and the date of inquiry has moved forward by a year.
  It's so ironic that we're overdue to hear about our case now and genuinely could get a decision any day but aren't able to actually have the interview.



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May 8, 2020  N600K Update


Another month and then some has passed with no change to Earth's case status.  We had been working with our senator's office to try to get some information on his case before USCIS suspended in-person services and recently heard back from the Honolulu office.  The information on the email indicated that the adjudicator had been preparing to schedule an interview but now everything is on hold and that Earth's case won't be considered for emergency processing since his application is for naturalization rather than citizenship.
  Obviously, this isn't the way we thought things would go but all we can do is work towards the fastest solution to getting back together as a family and that's what we're doing. 

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June 13, 2020  N600K Update



  If this screen capture looks the same as the one I posted last month, it's because it is.  No changes to report on this end and no updates from our Senator's office.  It's not a big surprise since this case isn't any kind of emergency and since it's a naturalization rather than immigration, it will probably at the bottom of USCIS's priority list.

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July 7, 2020  USCIS is Hedging Their Bets


In the last few weeks, the processing times for Earth's case has shot up to 47 months.  If I had to guess, they're anticipating not getting the funding from Congress to continue operating after August 3rd. 
  We've been in touch with our senator's office and have been told that Earth is in line for an interview but that there's no other information available.
  As always, we'll keep you posted

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January 15, 2021  N600K Interview


Look what came shortly before Christmas!

The email that I'd been waiting almost a year and a half for finally came.  All I could think after I read it was how different our lives would have been if the email had come a year ago but it didn't and here we are.  Unfortunately, as grateful as I was to finally have a scheduled interview with the travel restrictions in place right now there was no way Earth and I could go to Honolulu in time for an appointment in early February.  
One of the reasons I didn't post about this right after we received it was because I didn't know what rescheduling would look like.  I called the USCIS hotline day after I received the email and found that the system has changed and is now much more automated then before.  It used to be that you could find your way through the telephone prompts to reach an agent with higher level questions but now, even asking repeatedly for an agent and clearly stating what I needed help with led to my being hung up on multiple times after being told by the system that "I don't think we can help you now". The sixth time turned out to be the lucky one and I was able to reach an agent only to be told that because of the type of case, they weren't able to reschedule the interview in the computer and my only option was to mail a letter to the Honolulu field office requesting a new interview date. I sent one out by priority the very next day asking for a date in July or later but two weeks later, it still hasn't been received
We've been in contact with our senator's office since all this began in 2019 and as a precaution I reached out to my contact there again for help.  She tried emailing them directly using a line of communication that had previously been open to government officials only to be told that it was now closed. 
 It's beginning to feel pretty hopeless- we'd finally gotten the interview we wanted but can't get to it. As always, I'll keep you posted.

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October 30, 2021  The End of a Long Road


Earth is an American citizen!

We received our interview appointment in late December and there was just no way we could make all of the arrangements we would have needed to make to travel in a month so we reached out to our senator's office for help in rescheduling our appointment.  They were able to help us connect with the right person at the Honolulu office to get the appointment changed to July 16.

  We made our travel arrangements and held our breath that nothing would get in the way of the trip.  July came and Earth and I traveled to Honolulu.  I was just ready for everything to be over and while Earth was excited to be on a plane again, he hated being away from D and his brothers and sister.  The day of the appointment finally came and both Earth and I were up early.  It was wild to finally be doing what we had waited so long for.  The waiting room was the same and the wait was the same as when we visiting for Sky and Fire's citizenship I really hoped that the interview would be the same too, just a few questions and then back out again but it didn't turn out that way.  I don't know why I thought that they wouldn't have the paperwork from my failed attempt to  get Earth a green card but of course they did.  His file was two inches thick!  The interviewer asked me a lot of questions about how Earth joined our family and our relationship with his birth family, I suppose trying to clarify things from the earlier case.  Eventually she turned to Earth and asked him some questions.  When she asked him who I was he said, "Ms Amber" and I just about died!  I had to scramble to clarify that since I work at the Library, that's what all his preschool friends call me when they come for story time.  It thought for sure we were going to be in trouble, that she would accuse us of faking our case but she accepted my answers and moved on.  D's address was still listed as Tucson and she did ask about that but I was able to show her his employment contract and orders for Kwajalein and to confirm that we had sold the house and she accepted that.  I think the whole process took about an hour and half. 

  Once we were done with the interview, she asked us to return to the waiting room without saying whether or not Earth had passed.  We waited 40 minutes with no answer and I was just starting to convince myself of all the bad things when a young woman walked out with his certificate.  She apologized for the wait and explained that they've just recently switched to digitally printing the photos and were having trouble with the system.  We took our picture and then were free to go.  Earth and I stopped in a bathroom before leaving so he could change into his citizen shirt and and walk out showing everyone that he was a new American.

Since we were still technically in quarantine (we had special permission to leave the hotel for the interview) we celebrated with all the screen time Earth wanted and ordering McDonalds for dinner.   I'm beyond thankful that we've completed the process and that Earth is an American.  Now, we can always be together as a family and no one can question if we belong together.  I'm looking forward to putting all this behind us and moving on with whatever life holds for us. 

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My dear friends, thank you for traveling on this journey with us!  What a long and twisting road it's been since we started on this path seven years ago.  Now that our youngest child has received his American citizenship, I won't be updating this page any more but please feel free to leave your comments and questions here and I'll do my best to answer them.  


Comments

  1. Dear D and A,
    we've visited your website and thought if we could get in touch directly for a few basic questions about the Marshall Islands. Would you provide your email address for this purpose? We are a couple thinking of transferring there.
    Looking forward to hear from you
    Kind regards.
    Daniele

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hi Daniele, my email address can be found on my profile page: https://www.blogger.com/profile/03592227803635297874
      I'd love to hear from you and answer any questions I can about the Marshall Islands for you.

      Delete
  2. Your post brought tears of joy to my eyes! We are waiting for an interview appointment for my son and I have been googling N600K to try to find some (any!) similar stories. Thanks for encouraging me today!

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    1. I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the post and congratulations on getting so far in your naturalization process. It can be so confusing and there are so many unknowns- I hope you have your interview soon and that it's a complete success!

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  3. I was adopted from the Marshall Islands by us citizens in 1987. is the n600 all you had to file for your children? I spoke to a lawyer and he said since I was under 18 when the child citizenship act of 2000 was amended.

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    1. We filed the N600K for our kids, since we live outside the US. As I understand it- and PLEASE verify this with a lawyer!- if you're still a Marshallese citizen, you'll need to file for a change of status (I485) to move from the visa waiver status granted by the Compact of Free Association to legal residency. Once you've done that, you should -again verify this with a lawyer!- be able to file the N600 if you meet all the qualifications.
      Good luck!!

      Delete
  4. I was adopted from the Marshall Islands by us citizens in 1987. is the n600 all you had to file for your children? I spoke to a lawyer and he said since I was under 18 when the child citizenship act of 2000 was amended.

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  5. Thank you so much for writing this! Like a previous commenter, I am waiting to hear about my son's N600-K and find it so difficult to get information since we can't call the 1-800 number from here. I adopted him from Thailand through the local system here in New Zealand about three years ago. I hadn't known about the USCIS website status check function, so that was great. Although the have a different 'received' date on there to the one I got in the mail. I'm guessing it's lockbox vs. local office, though. Here's my real question to you:) I'd read it took 3 months to get an appointment, but wasn't sure if that meant 'appointment letter' or actual appointment day. If I've got this right from your post, you waited 6 months from application to appointment. Is that correct?

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    1. Yes, we got our appointment letter in early January and had the appointment just a few weeks later. I think part of the reason ours went so quickly is that we called to change our interview location to Honolulu, where they process fewer cases than other sites.
      There's no way for you call in? That makes things a bit harder for you guys :( Good luck and I hope things go quickly for you!

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  6. Hello!

    Thanks for such informative blog
    I am in process of applying for my kid's nationality through N600k
    I tried to get this information from your posts but am not sure if I understand it correctly, please can you let me know about how long did it take:

    1. between the date you sent the application and the date they got back to you with the interview schedule
    2. the time between the date your sent the application and the date you got the cetitficate of nationality
    thanks!

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    Replies
    1. We applied at the end of June and received the acceptance emails on July 11. The acceptance letters arrived a while later, since we only get mail twice a week. We received our notice of interview date on January 6th and had the interviews at the end of the month. For us, our total process time was about 6 months but I think part of that was because we asked for our case to be transferred to Honolulu, where they have a lighter case load.
      Good luck and please let me know if I can answer any more questions!
      (PS: when I get time, I'll be adding a timeline and more links to the page!)

      Delete
  7. I'm an expat considering adoption through this process - were you able to travel to the US with your kids before applying for their citizenship? I haven't been able to find a definitive answer. Thanks!

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    1. Hi there, American Expat. Sorry for the delayed response- our move back to the US has thrown everything out of whack. I don't recall any restrictions on travel in the instructions for the N600K. I'm not an expert but I would think you would just need to get the appropriate visa (if one is required for travel to the US) for your child, since they'll still be a foreign national.
      Did that answer your question? Good luck with your adoption process!

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  9. Hi, can i ask you something? I want to apply for my kids but i have to know if once they told you to go to US to finish everything, if they let you choose a date or if they give you for example 30 days to go. I would like to apply but i can only go to US between december and febraury and i dont know how to organize that. Thanks and sorry for my english

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    1. Hi Marcelo,
      I can only tell you about our process and the experience of some of our friends but we were all assigned dates and took the dates we were given. That being said, I would guess that you can always call the USCIS once you're assigned an interview date and ask to reschedule for a different date that works within your travel schedule. As I've said before, I'm not an immigration lawyer or any kind of expert, so you'll want to call USCIS to verify my answer.
      Good luck!

      Delete
  10. Thanks for documenting your journey. Our daughter's N600K appointment is on April 25. You said you applied the same day for your children's passports. How long did it take to actually get them? How many days do we need to stay in the U.S. in order to travel home with passport in hand?

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    1. Hi Becky,
      Because our children still had their Marshallese passports and could travel on them, we arranged to have their US passports mailed. I believe they arrived two weeks later.
      We did have to get an expedited passport for our second son after his adoption and I was able to pick that up two days after we applied. To help that process go smoothly, I had an appointment first thing the morning and I made sure to bring a copy of our travel itinerary, to prove that we needed the passport as quickly as possible.
      Good luck!

      Delete
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    ReplyDelete
  12. Great blog! Very I formative. Im sitting in Ireland waiting for interview date for my 3 children! 11 months since we filed so itching to get my date. 😊

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful to you. Isn't it hard to wait to hear back about something like that?! Here's hoping you get your interview soon :)

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  13. Great blog! Very I formative. Im sitting in Ireland waiting for interview date for my 3 children! 11 months since we filed so itching to get my date. 😊

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Claire, just saw your comment. Have you had your interview? I hope so and that it went well!

      Delete
  14. Hi there. I want to file the N600K form for m son through my dad who is also an american citizen and has actually lived there unlike me. So because I cammot show proof that i lived there, my dads lived there for 25 years so he can. My question is..the current form onbrhe USCIS website expires in 2018. But before 2018 itll be dofficult for me to travel to the US due to financial issues. Do you think the rules may change if i wait till after the this form expires?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good for you that you noticed the form's expiration date! I accidentally filed on an expired form the first time I did it and it set us back a month or so. I'm not an expert but I think that as long as the form is good when you file it, you'll be fine. I think you just need to submit it to USCIS before it expires and they release a new version.
      Good luck!

      Delete
  15. Thank you for this super informative blog. Really helpful. We have two fully adopted Ugandan children and their file is at our field office currently. One question I have been trying to get an answer to is should we wait and head to the states until after we get the ok from the field office and an appointment, or should we apply for their tourist visa and then go and then wait in the US? What did y'all do?
    Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Sorry for the delayed response, I just saw your comment now. Would you be moving back to the US or just visiting? If you're going to move back to the US, then there's a different process and you'll have to start over (like we did :( ). If you're just visiting the US and have a valid return ticket to Uganda, then you might be able to wait in the US. In my experience, USCIS is kind of picky about who uses the N600K process and they'll deny your application if you moved to the US during the process. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions (my address is in my profile).

      Delete
  16. We submitted our application in January. We received a notice that our cases had been received January 31 and we were given receipt numbers to track our children's cases online. Does this mean the applications were accepted? Or do you get a notice of being received first and then a later one of being accepted?

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    1. Hi Jillian, I'm glad you found our page and I hope it's helpful for you! If you got receipt numbers (like the ones I shared above for our cases) than yes, your cases were accepted and are being processed. Congratulations! Have you used the receipt numbers to check your case status online?

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  18. Hi, My Name is Rita and I would like to thank you for sharing your story about the N-600K application.
    I would like to ask you few question? Was the application processed by the NBC o by the Local Office? Or the Application was processed by both? If the USCIS needs more information, and send a RFE, who sends it? The NBC or the Local Office? I'm asking that because my application is pending since 5 months at the Local Office, without any kind of updating. Thank you so much for your answers and for your time. Have a good day.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Rita, thanks for stopping by. I hope sharing our process has helped you with yours. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by NBC- are you referring to a national USCIS office? If so, I believe that all applications are processed in a national office, at least initially. I would guess that if your application is at the local office after 5 months, than it's still under review. Have you tried calling? I had pretty good luck with that once I had receipt numbers for the kids applications. Good luck with your process! I hope you hear something soon.

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  19. Hi Thank you so much for sharing with us your experience. We went through the same n600k process and last month we received an interview letter. May I ask you how was the interview? Do the officers asks you questions? Thank you.

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    1. Hey Anonymous! I am going through the process right now. How long did it take you to go from filing the forms to the interview?

      I submitted our forms in November and am still waiting for a status change. I would like to know your experience as it is a bit recent!

      Delete
    2. Hi Anonymous, I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your comment- there was a bug that it's taken this long to get fixed. I'm sorry I wasn't able to share our previous experience with you and I hope you've had your interview and it went smoothly. Ours went very quickly and we were only asked to verify how long the kids had been in our legal custody. I had the feeling that it was more of a formality than anything else. Good luck on your process!

      Delete
  20. Good Day Madam, I am currently trying to file online and I was wanting to know if we have to file anything additional in order to get email notifications. Or do we just check our status on the uscis account website. Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Che, I did file the G-1145 form for email notification and did receive an email when my case was received but I haven't had any other communication from USCIS since then. I check my son's account daily but haven't seen any change since September. Good luck with your case!

      Delete
  21. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story!

    I have also filed n 600k for my son and daughter and wanted to ask you a few questions.
    we just got one interview date for my son still waiting on one for his sister ( even though both were filed on the exact same day and have consecutive receipt numbers =(


    my question is they didnt ask for any additional specific documentation to present at the interview in the appointment letter but I read on some blogs an I 94 is helpful( shows legal entry to the Us) did you use that form and if so can you briefly explain when you applied for it and where it got stamped t the airpor etc and share which documents you took to the interview.

    also you think there is a way the siblings can have interview dates close to one another as I will be travelling to the US all he way from the middle east


    thank you !

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    1. Hi Natalie, Congratulation on getting an interview date so quickly! If you don't mind my asking, what location did you apply to and how long was your wait time? As far as entry documents, they didn't ask for anything the last time but these days, I would come prepared with everything on hand. I'm sure you could call and ask about changing interview dates to schedule them together once you have both of them. Good luck with everything!

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  22. Hi amber, can u please give me an update on your pending case for earths n600k? I am curious to know if your requested date was accepted? I am about to apply for my kids and was wonder if they have accepted your date request.

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    1. Hi there, no, unfortunately, we didn't get the early December interview date we requested. Currently, processing time for the N600K is down to 5 months so I'm hopeful that I'll hear something soon. Thanks for stopping by and good luck on your citizenship process!

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  23. Hello Amber. It is wonderful that you have shared your experience with this process. My daughter's application has been accepted and just a few days ago checking my case status online I got this message " Case Is Being Actively Reviewed By USCIS
    As of January 22, 2020, we are actively reviewing your Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322, Receipt Number...."
    Did you see a message like this when you checked Earth's case status online? I filed by paper and have requested a September 10, 2020 interview date. Hopefully all will go well for both of us.
    Philip

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    1. Wow, no, I've never seen that message. That would make me pretty excited if I did! That's wonderful news and I hope you get the date you ask for and that everything continues to go smoothly for you. When did you submit your application and which office did you request for your interview?

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  24. Hello Amber.check this link https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do and enter your case number.
    Mine was received 31 December 2019. 5 months later than yours. I have requested the Newark,N.J office. In addition, the N600K processing times are now 5-17 months (rather 5-19) I think that avergae processing time is about 8-10 months so I am buliding my patience up!! The Newark office is probably busier than Honolulu.I will wait for your good news and hopefully I will follow afterwards.
    Take care and good luck to us all!!
    Philip

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  25. Hello!
    Thank you very much for sharing this. I'm currently trying to do this from Romania.
    The listed instructions for the translated documents are a bit unclear. Some people are telling me the documents need an apostille, and must be notarized, while others are saying that the translator simply needs to include a statement "certifying" the accuracy of the translations, as the USCIS document says. I know things may have changed since you applied, but can you tell me how you realized the translations of necessary documents?
    Many thanks!!
    Chuckk

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  26. Hey i think your interview would be scheduled.can you please update about your exp.

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  27. Hi can you pls udate whether a interview was scheduled for you or was it online?did you receive the certificate?after how many days did you get the mail(letter) from uscis after the updation about interview on uscis site and after how many days did they schedule the interview.

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  28. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  29. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  30. Hi, when you opened an online account for the kids, did you have to make TWO separate accounts using different email adds? When I read the USCIS statement of One account for all your needs, I thought I'd be able to use one email for both my children. But after entering the receipt of my eldest, the site says I can't add another person's file case.

    I sent a message a few days ago but they haven't replied to my query yet.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'm so sorry, I was having trouble with the commenting system on the blog and yours got lost. That's a good question! I can tell you that I didn't make separate accounts for the three cases we've had. Have you tried filing for your second child without entering the first receipt number? I do know that those numbers are distinct to each case. I hope I was helpful! Good luck!

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  31. Hi. I posted a question about n-600k but I don’t see it… hmmm

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  32. I’m a US Citizen living in Brazil. I adopted a child here. After we finalized the adoption, I tried the process that I used with my biological daughter to get his US citizenship. I was shocked when the US consulate simply told me he was not eligible for citizenship. Through my own Internet search, I found the N- 600 K form, which I believe is his path to citizenship, since we have no intention of living in the United States at the moment. My question is, do we need a lawyer? The form seems so “simple.“ If you do recommend having a lawyer, can you recommend one? Otherwise, I’m simply choosing a law firm randomly on the Internet. I don’t know anyone else in my situation and would appreciate any help or advice!! thank you

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    1. I'm so sorry, I was having trouble with the commenting system on the blog and yours got lost. No, we didn't use a lawyer for any of our cases. I always thought that the N600K paperwork was very straightforward- we simply provided the documentation they were looking for and filed, first with paper and now online. We did provide extra information to prove our family connection, things like school enrollment records and family pictures. Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you and good luck!

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  33. Hi! I’m an American living in Brazil and adopted a son here. If I understand correctly, N-600k is the process I need to go through to get his US citizenship. My question is : do I need a lawyer? The form looks so “simple”. If you do recommend having a lawyer, can you recommend one? Otherwise I am just getting a random law firm off the internet…. I am a bit lost. The US consulate here did not even inform me that my son had a path to citizenship. When I tried to get citizenship through the channels I used for my biological daughter, I was simply informed he was not eligible. Seeing your blog has been wonderful!!! Hopefully everything worked out for your kids!

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  34. Congratulations Amber!! I am glad that your journey finally cam to happy end!!

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