Form G-884: Filing Steps, Fees, and Common Mistakes

Form G-884, Request for the Return of Original Documents, is the form you file with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to get back original records you submitted with an immigration or citizenship application. Use it when USCIS is still holding an original you gave them voluntarily and you want it mailed back to you.

When You Need to File It

Not every case calls for this form. If the benefit application you filed specifically required originals, USCIS returns those to you automatically once processing is complete, and no separate request is needed.¹ Form G-884 is for situations where you voluntarily submitted originals to support your case and USCIS kept them.

You can file after your underlying application has been approved, denied, or withdrawn. You can also file if you submitted a document by mistake. The form only reaches physical originals sitting in a USCIS file. It won’t get you photocopies, and it doesn’t apply to records held by other agencies such as the State Department or U.S. Customs and Border Protection.² For copies of your USCIS file, the right form is G-639 (a FOIA/Privacy Act request), not G-884.³

What Documents Can Be Returned

Any original you submitted to establish eligibility for an immigration or citizenship benefit qualifies. Common examples are foreign birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, passports, and national identity documents. The request must come from either the person who submitted the document or the person the document belongs to.²

There is one warning worth reading before you file. The G-884 instructions tell you to check the instructions for the specific benefit form you originally filed, because some originals are destroyed after USCIS scans them into its digital systems.¹ If yours were scanned and discarded, no G-884 will produce them. That is the strongest reason to file sooner rather than later.

If several documents you want back all sit in the same person’s USCIS file, one G-884 covers them. For example, if your mother’s birth certificate and your parents’ marriage certificate are both in your mother’s file, a single form filed with your mother’s information handles both.¹ Documents spread across different people’s files need a separate form for each file.

How to Fill Out the Form

Download the current version free from the USCIS website and confirm the edition date printed at the bottom of each page (11/09/23 as of this writing).² The form is short but has to be precise enough for USCIS to locate the right file and the right paper inside it.

You’ll provide the full legal name of the person whose USCIS file holds the documents, that person’s Alien Registration Number (A-Number) if one exists, a description of each document, and the current mailing address where you want everything sent. Be specific when describing documents. Instead of “birth certificate,” write something like “birth certificate of Maria Garcia, issued in Mexico City.”¹

You must sign the form. USCIS will reject any unsigned G-884.² Photocopied, faxed, or scanned copies of your original handwritten signature are accepted for filing purposes.¹

What to Include With It

Copies of two forms of identification. Acceptable IDs include a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), driver’s license, state-issued ID, employment authorization document, naturalization or citizenship certificate, or a U.S. or foreign passport.²
A photocopy of the document you want returned, so USCIS can match it to the file.
A copy of your receipt notice (Form I-797) from the underlying application, which ties the request to the correct case.

Where to Send It

Which USCIS office receives the form depends on where your case stands. If your case is still pending, mail the form to the USCIS district office, suboffice, or service center currently processing it. If a final decision has already been issued, mail it to the office that took the last action on your case.² If you aren’t sure which office that is, your I-797 receipt notice or decision letter identifies it.

Notarize It or Show Up in Person

You have two ways to submit. If you mail the form, your signature must be notarized. Do not sign the G-884 until you are in front of the notary.²

If you’d rather skip the notary, submit the form in person at your local USCIS office during a scheduled appointment. Set one up at uscis.gov by selecting “Make an Appointment” and following the prompts.¹ Appearing before a USCIS official verifies your identity without notarization.

Filing Fee and Processing Time

The G-884 instructions direct you to Form G-1055, the USCIS fee schedule, for the current filing fee.¹ The schedule is posted at uscis.gov/g-1055. Verify the fee before you mail anything, since USCIS updates its fee structure periodically.

USCIS does not publish a specific processing timeframe for G-884 requests. The wait depends on the workload at the office handling your case and how easily your documents can be located in the file. If your file has been transferred to a federal records center, expect a longer wait than if the file is still active at a local office. When the request is approved, USCIS mails the originals to the address you listed on the form.

Common Mistakes That Get Requests Rejected

Most G-884 problems are preventable. File promptly after your case closes. Waiting years raises the chance your originals have already been scanned and discarded under USCIS file management practices.

Describe documents precisely. “Birth certificate” is vague when a file may contain certificates for multiple family members. Include the full name on the document, the issuing country, and any identifying details you have. A photocopy of the original attached to your request makes the search easier.

Send the form to the right office. USCIS won’t necessarily redirect a misrouted submission, so check your I-797 receipt notice or decision letter to confirm the address. And if you’re mailing rather than appearing in person, don’t skip the notarization. An unsigned or un-notarized mailed request gets rejected, and you’ll start over.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form G-884 Instructions – Request for the Return of Original Documents
2
USCIS. G-884 Request for the Return of Original Documents
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form G-639, Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request