Thursday, January 31, 2019

Applicants Can Now Request Certificates of Citizenship Online!

Filing on line for Citizenship_jpg 2019
WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that applicants can now complete and file Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, and Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322 online.
“One of the major burdens to both benefit seekers and the agency’s adjudicators is the costly, time consuming, and cumbersome process of traditional paper filing,” said USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna. “This addition to our online capabilities is yet another positive advancement toward a more efficient and convenient filing experience for everyone involved.”
Applicants can file Form N-600 to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for themselves or their minor children if they:
  • Were born abroad and are claiming U.S. citizenship at birth through their parents; or
  • Automatically became a U.S. citizen after birth, but before they turned 18 years old.
Applicants can file Form N-600K if they regularly reside in a foreign country and want to claim U.S. citizenship based on their parents. Applicants must secure lawful admission to the U.S. to complete Form N-600K processing. Children of U.S. service members have separate requirements for naturalization under INA Section 322.
Forms N-600 and N-600K are part of the growing number of documents that USCIS has made available for easy and convenient online filing. This list includes:
  • Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card;
  • Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings;
  • Form N-400, Application for Naturalization; and
  • Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document.
To file a Form N-600 or N-600K online, an applicant must first create a USCIS online account. Through an online account, the applicant can securely and conveniently:
  • Complete Form N-600 or N-600K;
  • Submit accompanying evidence;
  • Upload passport-style photos;
  • Pay the filing fee;
  • Respond to USCIS requests for evidence;
  • Monitor the status of their application; and
  • Manage their contact information, including updating their address.
Attorneys and accredited representatives who have an online account can also file online for their clients and perform the above listed functions.
USCIS still accepts the latest paper version of Forms N-600 and N-600K. Because military service members do not pay a filing fee when submitting Form N-600 on their own behalf, they cannot currently file this application online.
USCIS is using innovation and technology to meet the needs of applicants, employees, and stakeholders. Regardless of the paper or electronic format of an application, USCIS is committed to ensuring a secure and efficient process for all applicants.
For more information on USCIS and our programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), and Facebook (/uscis).
See our Contact Us page for phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

Monday, January 28, 2019

FREE Webinar Tomorrow: Expectations in Adoption and Foster Care

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Often families enter foster care or adoption with unhealthy, unrealistic expectations that leave them feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and disappointed.
Join adoptive mom and Harmony Family Center’s Education and Training Coordinator at 8:30 PM EDT on Tuesday, January 29, for an hour long discussion of how trauma informed, developmentally sound expectations can create healthier relationships and promote healing in traumatized children.

Thursday, January 17, 2019

Check out this great resource from Creating a Family!

As we put the old year to rest and begin the new our thoughts turn to taxes. And if you have adopted recently your thoughts should be turning to how to maximize the Adoption Tax Credit 2018.
Adoption Tax Credit 2018
We asked Becky Wilmoth, Enrolled Agent and Adoption Tax Credit Specialist at Bills Tax Service, to provide an introductory guide to the Adoption Tax Credit 2018. If you need more detailed information, check out our one-hour online course, which provides specific information on all aspects of the Adoption Tax Credit 2018.

Hopscotch’s Ukraine Adoption Informational Webinar

Ukraine Webinar Info
Thu, Jan 17, 2019 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. 
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/917212477
You can also dial in using your phone. 
United States: +1 (646) 749-3112
Access Code: 917-212-477
First GoToMeeting? Let’s do a quick system check: 
https://link.gotomeeting.com/system-check

Monday, January 14, 2019

Gift of Adoption Fund: Families Should Apply Now.


Happy New Year! Help us achieve our New Year’s Resolution
Our New Year’s Resolution is to reach a record number of children and families with the Gift of Adoption. As much as we try to get the word out about our grant program, we often hear from families who struggled financially to complete an adoption but did not hear about our grants until after their adoption was finalized and it was too late to apply for a Gift of Adoption grant.
Please tell your clients about Gift of Adoption. Any U.S. citizen with an approved home study and a financial need is encouraged to apply.
We also invite you to include information about Gift of Adoption on your website, on your social media, on blogs, and in info packets given to clients. We can provide verbiage for your website and brochures or 1-pagers to include in info packets. Just reply to this email and let us know what we can provide.
Gift of Adoption – the Universal Granter
Did you know that Gift of Adoption relies solely on the home study to determine a family’s financial, physical, and emotional fitness to parent the child(ren) they are adopting?
Gift of Adoption does not consider ANY of the following when reviewing grant applications:
  • Number of children in the home
  • Religion
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Age
  • Race
  • Marital status
  • Fertility
  • Nationality
  • Child’s country of origin
Gift of Adoption is the oldest and largest provider of adoption assistance grants awarded without consideration of an applicant’s religion, marital status, sexual orientation, age, race, or nationality.
We want to help your clients complete their adoption journeys. Please encourage them to apply. The application process begins here: https://giftofadoption.org/apply-for-a-grant/

Thursday, January 10, 2019