How to Make a USCIS FOIA Request for Your Immigration Records
Find out how to request your immigration records from USCIS using the Freedom of Information Act. Understand who can file, what records are available, how to file online, and how to avoid common mistakes.
What Is a USCIS FOIA Request?
A USCIS FOIA request is a formal request to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for access to immigration records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) — a U.S. law that gives people the right to request records held by federal government agencies.
When you make an immigration FOIA request with USCIS, you are typically asking for your alien file, also called an A-file. An A-file is the collection of documents DHS maintains about a foreign-born individual. It may include visa applications, adjustment of status filings, correspondence with agencies, enforcement records, and supporting documents like birth certificates submitted with past applications.
Immigration attorneys routinely request A-files before advising clients, because the file gives a complete picture of a person's immigration history, including records the person may not remember filing or may never have seen. Sometimes, people use a USCIS FOIA request for genealogy research, since immigration records can go back many decades.
USCIS previously used Form G-639, Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request, as the paper form for making these requests. As of January 22, 2026, USCIS requires FOIA and Privacy Act requests to be submitted online. Form G-639 is no longer how you submit a request, but the form still has a role: the USCIS public liaison has confirmed that Form G-639 and Form G-28 can be uploaded inside the online system as documents that verify identity and show consent. If you have seen references to Form G-639 elsewhere, the process described on this page is the current, correct way to make a USCIS FOIA request.
Who Can File a USCIS FOIA Request
Both U.S. citizens and non-citizens may make a USCIS FOIA request. You may request:
- Request your own immigration records from USCIS
- Request immigration records for another person, with that person's written consent
- Request records for a minor child if you are the parent or legal guardian
- Request records for a deceased individual, with proof of death
- Correct or amend your own records through a Privacy Act request
When a FOIA Request Is Not the Right Option
A USCIS FOIA request gives you access to records USCIS already has on file. It is not the right tool for every situation. Do not file a FOIA request if:
- You want to check the status of a pending application. Instead, call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 or check your case status online at uscis.gov.
- You need consular notification of a visa petition approval. Instead, use Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition.
- You need original documents returned. Instead, use Form G-884, Request for Return of Original Documents.
- You want naturalization records from before September 27, 1906. Instead, write the clerk of court where the naturalization took place.
- You want USCIS manifest arrival records from before December 1982. Instead, contact the National Archives.
- You need proof of status for Social Security, Selective Service, or similar purposes. An immigration FOIA request is not the right tool for this.
Filing the wrong form can cause unnecessary delays. Make sure your records request is supported before submitting.
How to File a USCIS FOIA Request Online
As of January 22, 2026, USCIS requires FOIA and Privacy Act requests to be submitted online. Online filing is now the standard method for nearly everyone.
To file your immigration FOIA request:
- Create a USCIS online account at myaccount.uscis.gov if you don't already have one. If you are an attorney or representative requesting records for someone else, you need your own account.
- Go to first.uscis.gov — USCIS's online FOIA request system.
- Complete your request online. The system guides you through the required information and flags missing details before you submit.
- Submit. USCIS receives your request immediately — no mail delay, no scanning.
- Check your status online using your FOIA control number. USCIS will email you when records are ready to download.
Paper Filing Is Still Available If You Cannot File Online
The rule that made online filing mandatory keeps one exception open: people who lack internet access, including people who are incarcerated, may still file on paper by mail. Ask first rather than simply mailing a request. Contact the USCIS FOIA public liaison at [email protected] and explain that you cannot submit electronically. The USCIS public liaison has said that any wording showing you are unable to make the request online is acceptable, including a cover letter or a note on Form G-639.
Once the liaison confirms, paper requests go to:
National Records Center (NRC)
FOIA/PA Office
P.O. Box 648010
Lee's Summit, MO 64064-8010
Contact information for every DHS FOIA office is on the DHS FOIA contact page.
What to Include in Your USCIS FOIA Request
The single most important thing you can do to speed up your immigration FOIA request is to be specific about the records you need. USCIS can process a targeted request for one document or a narrow category of records much faster than a broad request for an entire A-file.
Before you submit, gather identifying information about the Subject of Record — the person whose records you are requesting. If you are requesting your own records, you are the Subject of Record. If you are requesting on behalf of someone else, that other person is the Subject of Record. The online system requires:
- Your own name and email address as the requestor
- What records you are requesting
- Whether the Subject of Record has upcoming immigration court proceedings
- Full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth of the Subject of Record
The system also asks for information it does not require, including an alien registration number (A-number), the names of parents, and other family members who may appear in the records. Fill in what you know is accurate. Immigration practitioners have reported that USCIS denied requests during 2025 because optional information did not match what was already in the A-file, including small differences in names, dates, and A-numbers. Being specific about the records you want helps your request. Volunteering extra personal details you are unsure about can work against it.
USCIS Verifies Consent Directly With the Subject of Record
The Subject of Record must consent to the release of their records, and the online system handles this in one of two ways.
The first way is automatic. Immediately after you submit, USCIS contacts the Subject of Record directly and asks a series of verification questions in English. You provide one contact method for them — either an email address or a mobile phone number for texts, not both. The questions cover country of birth and date of birth, and the person confirms under penalty of perjury that the information you submitted is correct. They then type their name as it appeared in the original request and choose to approve the request, deny it, or return it to the requestor. Nothing moves forward until they approve.
Because the questions arrive immediately and are written in English, it helps to submit the request while you are with the Subject of Record, so you can talk through the questions together as they come in.
The second way is to upload a document. A signed statement of consent and verification of identity works, and so does a notarized statement. Form G-639 and Form G-28 can serve this purpose as uploads.
If the Subject of Record is a minor, a parent or legal guardian may consent on their behalf, along with proof of the relationship such as a birth certificate or court order of guardianship. If the Subject of Record is deceased, proof of death must be included.
Immigration FOIA Request Fees
USCIS does not charge a filing fee for submitting an online FOIA request. However, under DHS FOIA regulations, USCIS may charge limited processing fees for search, review, or duplication costs in certain cases.
For most noncommercial requesters, the first two hours of search time and the first 100 pages of copies are provided at no charge, and fees under $14 are typically waived. By submitting a USCIS FOIA request, the requester is generally considered willing to pay up to $25 in applicable fees unless a lower limit is specified. Most people pay no fee at all.
USCIS FOIA Request Processing Time
Federal law gives agencies 20 business days to respond to a FOIA request, and a federal court order in a 2019 case brought by the American Immigration Council requires USCIS to meet that deadline and report on its compliance. In practice, many requests take considerably longer.
USCIS does not publish a fixed processing time for FOIA requests. Timelines range from a few weeks to several months depending on the complexity of the request and current workload.
USCIS uses a three-track processing system based on request complexity:
- Track 1 — Simple requests: A request for one or a few specific documents. Generally processed fastest.
- Track 2 — Complex requests: Requests for a complete A-file, requests from news media, or requests that imply most of a file (for example, "all documents related to my asylum application"). These take longer.
- Track 3 — Expedited processing: Available when you have a scheduled immigration court hearing or other documented extraordinary circumstances. You must include supporting documentation to qualify.
USCIS will email you with a FOIA control number after your request is received. Use it to check your case status online at first.uscis.gov.
USCIS FOIA requests have grown in volume in recent years, which means wait times may be longer than the initial acknowledgment timeline suggests.
USCIS FOIA Request FAQs
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