A FOIA request is how you ask the government for a copy of your own immigration file. It lets you know exactly what you filed, what was decided and why, find your A-Number, or prepare a new case with your full history. This guide explains what to ask USCIS for, how to do it and how to follow the request until the answer is ready.
What FOIA is and what your file contains
FOIA is the Freedom of Information Act, the law that requires federal agencies to hand over their records when someone asks, with exceptions. When you ask for your own file, the Privacy Act applies too, giving you a right to your personal records.
Your USCIS file, the A-File (alien file), gathers everything the agency has on you: applications filed, notices, decisions and their reasons, interview notes, evidence you submitted, entry records, photos and fingerprints. An A-File can also hold documents from other agencies (CBP, ICE, the Department of State), sometimes with parts redacted.
What it is good for:
- Knowing what is in your history before filing a new application (asylum, adjustment, citizenship).
- Recovering your A-Number or the receipt number of an old case.
- Seeing the reasons for a past decision and the notes from an interview.
- Giving your lawyer or representative the complete file.
How to file the request with USCIS
There are two routes, and neither costs anything in most cases:
- Online, with your USCIS account (my.uscis.gov). It is the fastest route: you create an account, choose "FOIA request", say what you want (your full A-File or specific documents), verify your identity and sign electronically. When the answer is ready, you download the documents from the same account.
- By mail or fax, with Form G-639 (uscis.gov/g-639). The form is optional (a letter with the same details works), but it keeps you from forgetting anything: your name and other names used, date and place of birth, A-Number, a description of what you are asking for, and your signature under penalty of perjury, which replaces notarization. If you are asking for someone else's file, you need their signed authorization.
On either route it pays to be specific: "my complete A-File" is the most common request; "the decision and the notes from my asylum interview in year X" narrows the search and can speed it up.
How long it takes
USCIS sorts every request into a track:
| Track | What for | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Track 1 | Simple requests, few documents | Weeks to a few months |
| Track 2 | Complex requests, such as a full A-File | Several months |
| Track 3 | People in removal proceedings with a scheduled hearing | Priority over the others |
USCIS posts the current average time for each track on its site. The statutory deadline (20 working days) is almost never met for full files; counting on several months is realistic.
How to follow your request
When it receives the request, USCIS assigns a control number, shown on the acknowledgment letter or email. It starts with the letters NRC (from the National Records Center) or ends in REQ for online requests. With that number you can follow the progress:
- Free and with no account, in MigraConnect's FOIA lookup: you will see each step completed.
- In your USCIS account, if you filed online.
- On USCIS's FOIA status page, with the control number.
The steps you will see:
- Received: USCIS logged your request and assigned the control number.
- In process: they are locating the files, reviewing them and redacting what the law exempts.
- Completed: the answer is ready. If you filed online, you download the documents from your account; otherwise they arrive on a disc or by mail.
MigraConnect is the only service that notifies you at every step of your FOIA request: add your control number in the app and, with MigraConnect+, you get an alert on your phone with each new step.
When the answer arrives
The answer comes with a letter explaining how many pages were released, how many were withheld and under which exemption (other people's information, investigative techniques, internal deliberations, for example). If you think something you are entitled to was withheld, you can appeal in writing within the deadline on the letter, usually 90 days.
If your file includes documents from other agencies, USCIS may refer that part to the originating agency, which answers separately. Which agency keeps what, and how to ask them directly, in Which agency to ask for your immigration file.
Common questions
Does requesting my file affect my case?
No. It is a right, not an immigration filing, and it is not noted on your case and does not delay it.
Does it cost anything?
The first 100 pages and the first two hours of search are free; in practice, most personal requests pay nothing. USCIS warns you before charging if the file is very large.
Can I ask USCIS for my immigration court file?
No. The court file (hearing recordings, documents filed with the judge) is kept by EOIR, and you request it from EOIR with its own FOIA request.
How do I know when it is ready?
Check your control number in the FOIA lookup or get an alert with MigraConnect+.
Need additional help? Contact USCIS at 1-800-375-5283.