Immigration Records: FOIA Requests, A-Files, and What They Contain

An immigration file can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act, and for most people the request that matters is for the A-file — the master record kept under a person's A-number. USCIS accepts these requests on Form G-639 or by letter containing the same information, and it processes them in tracks rather than in a single queue. The request is a records request; it is not an application for a benefit and it does not affect a pending case.

The first decision is which agency to ask. Immigration records are scattered across several of them, and asking the wrong one produces a polite no-records response rather than a redirection.

Which agency holds which record

Each agency runs its own FOIA program with its own submission system. FOIA.gov is the central starting point: it lists every agency's FOIA office, links to the online request portals, and explains the statutory framework that applies to all of them.

Note: Very old records leave the agency altogether. A-files for people born long enough ago are transferred to the National Archives, and requests for those go to the archive rather than to USCIS.

What is actually in an A-file

The file is cumulative. It gathers what the government received and what it created, sometimes over decades, and it is often the only complete account of a person's immigration history when their own paperwork has been lost.

• Every application and petition filed by or for the person, with the supporting documents attached at the time.
• Notices the agency issued, including receipt notices, requests for evidence, approvals and denials.
• Officer notes and worksheets from interviews, sometimes including the officer's assessment of credibility.
• Sworn statements, affidavits and records of any interaction with enforcement officers.
• Records of entries and departures, prior visa applications, and identity documents submitted along the way.
• Results of background and fingerprint checks, usually in summary rather than raw form.

That content is why the request is so often the first step in fixing something. A denial that made no sense, a date nobody can reconstruct, an old entry a person barely remembers — these are usually answerable only from the file. Where the goal is to reopen a decision, the file is the evidence base, and our explainer on motions to reopen or reconsider covers what has to be shown once it arrives.

Making a request that is not rejected

1. Identify the subject precisely. Full name including any other names used, date and place of birth, and the A-number if known. Without identifiers the agency cannot locate the file.
2. Prove who is asking. A person requesting their own record verifies identity by sworn declaration or notarised signature. A request for someone else's record needs that person's written consent, or proof of death, or the request is limited to what can be released to any member of the public.
3. Describe the records wanted. "The complete A-file" is a legitimate description. Narrower descriptions are processed faster; broader ones can be pushed into a slower track.
4. Choose the right agency and system. USCIS runs an online request and delivery system; other agencies have their own portals, all indexed on FOIA.gov.
5. Keep the confirmation. The tracking number is what makes any later status query or appeal possible.

Tracks, timing, and expedited handling

USCIS sorts requests by complexity rather than treating them all alike. Simple requests move in one track, complex or voluminous requests in another, and a separate track exists for people who are in proceedings before an immigration judge — the request is prioritized because the record is needed for a hearing that has a date on it.

FOIA sets a statutory period for an agency to respond, and agencies frequently exceed it when volume is high. This publication does not estimate how long a particular request will take; the agency's own FOIA page carries the current status information and any reported backlog. What matters practically is that a hearing date can move a request into the priority track, and that the request should say so, with the notice attached.

Practical step: Ask for the record before it is urgent. People preparing an application, checking an old entry, or trying to reconstruct a history they were too young to remember are better served by requesting early. Anyone in proceedings before an immigration judge, especially where an appeal may follow, should read our guide to appealing to the Board of Immigration Appeals alongside the request, since the deadlines there are short and unforgiving. Where the file is being pulled because a case went wrong, some people ask immigration services for individuals to review the released pages, because the significance of an officer's note is not always obvious to the person it describes.

Why pages come back blacked out

Redactions are not a sign of hostility. FOIA contains exemptions, and an agency applying one must cite it on the page. In immigration files the recurring ones protect law enforcement techniques, sources and ongoing investigations; the privacy of third parties named in the file; and internal deliberative material such as draft assessments.

The Privacy Act runs alongside FOIA for records about oneself, and requests are usually processed under both, which can produce more material than either alone. The recordkeeping and disclosure framework specific to immigration benefit records sits in 8 C.F.R. Part 103.

Watch out: If the response says no records exist, check the identifiers before concluding the file is empty. A misspelled name, a wrong A-number, or a birth date recorded differently by the agency will produce that answer even when the file is large. Requests can be refiled with corrected details.

An adverse response can be appealed administratively within the agency, and the appeal must generally be filed within a set period stated in the response letter itself. If the administrative appeal fails, FOIA allows a suit in federal district court.

Common questions

Will requesting my file draw attention to me or restart a case?

A FOIA request is handled by a records office, not by the officers who decide benefit applications, and making one is a statutory right available to anyone. It does not reopen a closed matter or change the handling of a pending one. What it can do is reveal facts the requester had forgotten or never knew, which is a reason to read the file carefully rather than a reason to avoid asking.

Can I get the file of a relative who has died?

Yes, with proof of death, and the privacy interests that would otherwise limit release are reduced. A death certificate or an equivalent official record is the usual proof. This is a common request for family history research and for probate and citizenship questions, where a parent's or grandparent's naturalisation record answers something no living person can. Older files may have moved to the National Archives.

What is the difference between an A-file and a case file?

The A-file is the person-level master record built around the A-number, spanning every interaction over time. A case file is the working record for a single application. Requesting the A-file usually captures more, but where the interest is one specific decision, naming that application and its receipt number gets a faster and more focused response.

Do I need an A-number to file the request?

It helps enormously but is not always essential. Name, date of birth, place of birth, and any receipt numbers can be enough for the agency to locate a record, particularly where the person has filed something in the past. Where nothing is known, the response may come back with no records found, and refiling with additional identifiers is the practical remedy.

When the file arrives

Read it in order and index it before drawing conclusions. Note the dates on notices against the addresses on file, because non-delivery of a notice is a recurring theme in files that went wrong; our guide to address-change duties while a case is pending explains the obligation that sits behind those entries.

Flag anything factually wrong, anything you do not recognize, and every page with a redaction code. Then check the current form edition and instructions on the USCIS forms pages if a follow-up filing is needed, and the Policy Manual for how the agency treats the issue the file has revealed. If material is missing, the appeal route stated in the response letter is the mechanism — not a second identical request.