Form I-171H, which is needed for the preapproval of an orphan visa, is among the most common U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) forms you may be requested to notarize. It is needed when adopting a child from another country. The National Notary Association recommends that only experienced Notaries who customarily work with agencies with specialized knowledge of international adoptions notarize these forms, because a missing or incomplete document in the adoption dossier can jeopardize the adoption.
In addition, this form does not include notarial wording, so the signer, adoption agency or the attorney handling the process must provide wording or instruct you as to the type of notarization -- acknowledgment or jurat -- to perform. If signers ask you a question about the form or the process, direct them to the adoption agency or their attorney for answers.
