How USCIS and IRCC relationship DNA testing works when the petitioner is in Michigan — embassy coordination, AABB-accredited lab requirements, and statewide mobile collection.
When U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a U.S. embassy, or a consulate cannot verify a claimed parent-child relationship from the documents in a petition, it may suggest DNA testing as supporting evidence. Immigration DNA testing follows a different path than an ordinary paternity test: the petitioner and the beneficiary are usually in different countries, and the entire process must be arranged through an AABB-accredited laboratory rather than by the family.
This guide explains how the process works for petitioners living in Michigan, and where NorthStar Lab Services fits in as the local collection and coordination provider.
When USCIS Requests DNA Testing
DNA testing is generally suggested, not ordered. It typically comes up when:
- A birth certificate is unavailable, was registered long after birth, or is issued by a country with limited civil registration
- Names, dates, or spellings are inconsistent across documents
- A consular officer issues a Request for Evidence or a suggestion letter during an immigrant visa interview
- The relationship is claimed for an I-130, I-129F, I-600/I-600A, or a refugee or asylee follow-to-join petition
Because testing is voluntary, the petitioner pays for it and arranges it. USCIS will not accept a result the family collected on its own, and it will not accept a home DNA kit.
Step 1 — The Test Is Arranged Through an AABB-Accredited Laboratory
USCIS and the U.S. Department of State accept relationship DNA results only from laboratories accredited by AABB for relationship testing. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) applies an equivalent standard for Canadian cases.
The accredited laboratory — not the petitioner — is responsible for contacting the embassy or consulate, shipping the collection kit overseas, and returning the sealed report directly to the government. That direct lab-to-government chain is what makes the result acceptable.
NorthStar Lab Services coordinates immigration cases with an AABB-accredited partner laboratory and handles the U.S.-side collection. The signed report is issued on the partner laboratory's letterhead.
Step 2 — The Michigan Petitioner Is Collected Locally
The U.S.-based petitioner (or other tested relative) provides a buccal swab at a supervised, in-person appointment with photo identification verified and a signed chain-of-custody file completed. There are no at-home kits for immigration cases.
NorthStar collects Michigan petitioners either at the Saginaw collection site or by mobile appointment anywhere in Michigan — useful for petitioners in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, Traverse City, and the Upper Peninsula who would otherwise drive several hours. Mobile collection can also be arranged at a hospital, nursing facility, or correctional facility when a participant cannot travel.
Step 3 — The Overseas Beneficiary Is Collected at the Embassy or Consulate
The laboratory ships a sealed kit to the designated U.S. embassy, consulate, or an approved panel physician in the beneficiary's country. The embassy schedules the beneficiary's appointment and collects the sample under its own supervision.
Petitioners should expect this to be the longest part of the timeline. Embassy appointment availability, local courier service, and customs clearance vary widely by post, so the overseas leg often takes several weeks even when the U.S. collection is complete within days.
Step 4 — Results Go Directly to the Government
Once both samples reach the laboratory, testing is typically completed within a few business days. The laboratory then sends the official report directly to the requesting embassy, consulate, or USCIS office.
The petitioner normally receives a copy of the report for their own records, but the copy the family holds is not the version the government relies on. Immigration officers act on the report they receive directly from the accredited laboratory.
What Michigan Petitioners Should Prepare
- The USCIS, consular, or IRCC letter suggesting DNA testing, including any case or receipt number
- The full name, date of birth, and current country and city of the overseas beneficiary
- The embassy, consulate, or panel physician named in the letter
- Government-issued photo identification for each U.S. participant, and a birth certificate for any minor
- A preferred collection location — Saginaw or a mobile appointment address in Michigan
This article is general information about the immigration DNA testing process, not legal advice. Questions about a specific petition should go to a licensed immigration attorney or accredited representative.
NorthStar coordinates immigration DNA testing with an AABB-accredited partner laboratory, handles embassy communication, and collects Michigan petitioners in Saginaw or by mobile appointment statewide.