[sak9645]

U.S. immigration law does NOT permit the granting of an adoption visa to a child who turns 16 before the I-800 or I-600 (not the I-800A or I-600A) is filed.

The only exception is in the case of a child being adopted by people who have already adopted his/her biological sibling. In that case, an adoption visa may be granted if the child's I-600 or I-800 is filed before the child's eighteenth birthday.

There may be some specific rules pertinent to a child who is going to be very close to 16 when the I-600 or I-800 is filed, so please check with your agency and/or the USCIS.

It is important to be aware of laws regarding the granting of adoption visas, since you do not want to complete an adoption overseas, only to find that you have legal and ethical responsibility for the child, but cannot bring him/her to the U.S.

Sharon