The Freedom of Information Act requires that USCIS acknowledge your your request within 20 business days from the date received. You will receive an acknowledgement letter from USCIS that contains a control number and an estimate on the processing time. However, if you have not provided sufficient information to process the request, USCIS may respond with a request for additional information. The time it takes to deliver your requested document(s) largely depends on the difficulty of your request. While most simple requests can be addressed within 4-8 weeks, more complex requests may take several months.

Typically the subject of the records search must consent before USCIS can provide the information to the requester. However, in cases when the subject is no longer alive, the requester can provide proof of death in the form of a death certificate, obituary, funeral memorial or photograph of a headstone.

When you file Form G-639, you should not send any money.

However, when you file, you are also consenting to pay a maximum of $25. In many cases people pay nothing to have their requests process.