Change in processing I-600 in Russia

We received notice from the US Embassy in Moscow that they will be changing their processing procedures for the I-600 approval. The task of approval has been the responsibility of the USCIS but had been passed on to the State Department employees stationed at the embassies. The USCIS will be reassuming this responsibility as of April 1, 2009 in Moscow. What this means to families presenting their adopted children for final approval and requesting visas to bring their children home is that they will have an additional step than those prior. We hope this will not mean delays but it could possibly lengthen your final trip. What families need to be aware of is that there will be more scrutiny of the medical issues, ages, gender, and number of chilldren matching their home study approval. If they do not match a home study update will be required and a new I-171H given by their local USCIS. We are currently working on procedures to streamline this process.