Apply by mail

1. To Get an Affidavit of Heirship, the applicant has to approach the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Service (Department of Homeland Security) link
2. The applicant has to get the application form from the office.
3. The applicant has to fill in all the necessary details in the application form. (Incomplete applications are not accepted)
4. Make sure that the applicant has attached all the necessary documents that are mentioned in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
5. The applicant has to attach the photocopies of the required documents along with the application form while submitting.
6. Submit all the essential documents along with the completed application form to the USCIS mailing address.
7. The mailing address is mentioned in the “Office Locations & Contacts” section of this page.
8. The fee for this procedure has to be paid as per the authority’s request.
9. After receiving the application, the concerned authority will check the submitted application and document set. If all are in place, the application will be accepted.
10. Once the process gets completed, the applicant gets a notification through mail or email.
11. The applicant has to visit the office to complete further formalities.
12. The processing time for getting an Affidavit of Heirship takes up to 4 weeks or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

• Application form
• If the Decedent left a will, attach a certified copy of the will.
• Death certificate
• Court order

U.S Citizenship and Immigration Service (Department of Homeland Security)
National Benefits Center
Attn: Adoptions
Department of Homeland Security
PO Box 25920
Overland Park, KS 66225
Email nbc.adoptions@uscis.dhs.gov
Call - 877-424-8374
Contact link
District office finder link

• Any family person of the deceased who intends to Get an Affidavit of Heirship is eligible to make this application.

• The fee for this procedure has to be paid as per the authority’s request.

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

• The processing time for getting an Affidavit of Heirship takes up to 4 weeks or as per the timeline advised by the respective department authority.

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external 
websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

• Applicants must complete the application form before submitting it. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Applicants must provide genuine information while applying for this procedure.

• Affiant Name
• Address
• City
• ZIP Code
• Mailing address
• Mobile number
• Decedent’s information
• Decedent’s will
• Decedent’s name

• An Affidavit of Heirship is a legal document used in some states to establish the legal heirs of a person who dies without a will. The laws surrounding heirship, intestacy, and probate can be complicated and confusing to navigate, especially while mourning the loss of a loved one.

• Heirship is the legal right to receive money, property, or possessions from a person who has died intestate. The word “intestate” means that the deceased person, who is often called the decedent, died without a will detailing who their representative or executor is or how that person is to distribute their assets. In these situations, state intestacy laws determine who has priority to be appointed executor and to whom to distribute the decedent’s property.

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

Place some external links which might help.

• Heirs are usually children, descendants, or other close or sometimes distant relatives of the decedent. Spouses are not typically classified as legal heirs since they are entitled to receive property under marital or community property laws.