USCIS Records (A-File)

What USCIS keeps

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) keeps the A-file of almost everyone who has had an immigration case. It holds your applications and petitions, the photos and documents you sent, interview notes, notices and decisions. The file often also includes documents from the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and from other agencies, such as detention or removal records sent by ICE.

Who needs it

It’s requested mostly by people about to apply for a green card or citizenship who want to review what they said before; people who lost their copies; and people whose case was prepared by a notario or someone else and who don’t know what was sent in their name.

How to request it

USCIS takes requests online through its FIRST system, from a USCIS online account. USCIS says the online route is faster than mailing Form G-639 or a letter, and the records are downloaded in the same account. Requesting someone else’s records requires that person’s signed consent.

Fees: don’t send payment with the request. By requesting records you agree to pay up to $25 if there are costs, and Privacy Act requests for your own records aren’t charged search or processing fees, so most people pay nothing.

Time: it varies and is often months. With the FOIA control number in your receipt you can check the status online. If you have a scheduled immigration court hearing, USCIS prioritizes your request when you include proof, such as the Notice to Appear (I-862) or the hearing notice.

Why request it before a new case

The questions on green card and citizenship forms are compared with your file. If a new answer doesn’t match what you said before — about entries, marriages, children, arrests or jobs — the officer will notice. Reviewing the file before you apply lets you explain or correct things in time.