To file a FOIA request for your immigration records, figure out which federal agency holds the file you want, gather your identifying information, and submit the request through that agency’s online portal. As of January 22, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security and its component agencies no longer accept FOIA requests by mail, fax, or email — everything goes through web portals.1Homeland Security. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Your right to the records comes from 5 U.S.C. § 552, and when you request records about yourself, the Privacy Act of 1974 gives you additional access and correction rights that FOIA alone does not.
Figure Out Which Agency Has Your Records
Immigration records are scattered across four agencies, and you may need to file separate requests with more than one to see the full picture.
USCIS holds your A-File, the master dossier on your immigration history. An A-File can contain visa applications, photographs, naturalization documents, correspondence with agencies, and copies of identification documents.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Files Numbered Below 8 Million USCIS also holds records tied to benefit applications like green cards and naturalization.
CBP holds border crossing data, inspection records, and enforcement lookouts captured at ports of entry, stored in the TECS system.3Homeland Security. DHS/CBP/PIA-021 TECS System: Platform ICE holds enforcement and detention records.
Immigration court records are handled separately by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. If you are a party to a case or an authorized representative, you do not need FOIA at all for these — you can request your Record of Proceeding directly from the immigration court where your last hearing was scheduled, by email, mail, or in person. FOIA is only needed for closed cases (particularly those with audio predating 2011) or when the requester is a third party.4Executive Office for Immigration Review. Request a Record of Proceeding (ROP)
What to Gather Before You File
For USCIS, the reference form is G-639 (Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request).5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form G-639 – Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request You no longer mail it in, but it shows what the portal will ask you for. Every agency wants the same core information:
- Your full legal name, plus any previous names, aliases, or maiden names.
- Your date and country of birth.
- Your Alien Registration Number — the letter “A” followed by eight or nine digits, assigned when you first entered the immigration system. If you do not know your A-Number, provide your Social Security number or other identifying information instead.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrant Fee Payment: Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID
- A specific description of the records you want — type of record, date ranges, and purpose.
Because you are requesting records about yourself, you have to verify your identity. That means either a notarized signature or a signed declaration under penalty of perjury. If an attorney or accredited representative is filing for you, they need your written consent and typically a signed Form G-28.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative
One useful point: even though FOIA is technically a different law from the Privacy Act, you do not have to cite the right one. Agencies process your request under whichever law gives you greater access.8Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. Guide to FOIA and the Privacy Act
How to Submit Online
For USCIS records, create an account at first.uscis.gov and file through the FIRST (Freedom of Information Act Immigration Records System) portal. FIRST lets you track your request’s status, get email notifications when files are ready, and download records from a phone, tablet, or computer.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Request Records through the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act Even if your original applications were on paper, the FOIA response comes back electronically.
For CBP records, submit through CBP’s SecureRelease portal or through foia.gov.10U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) – CBP For ICE records, use ICE’s SecureRelease portal and include a Certification of Identity form.11Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) – ICE For EOIR court records not available through the direct ROP process, use the EOIR FOIA Public Access Link.12Executive Office for Immigration Review. Executive Office for Immigration Review FOIA Public Access Link
Older guides that list mailing addresses for the USCIS National Records Center, CBP’s K Street office, or ICE’s 12th Street office are out of date. Those channels closed on January 22, 2026.
Will You Have to Pay Anything?
There is no upfront fee to submit a FOIA request.13FOIA.gov. Freedom of Information Act: Frequently Asked Questions Fees only kick in if search or copying costs exceed free thresholds. For individuals requesting their own records, DHS gives the first two hours of search time and the first 100 pages of duplication free of charge, and there are no review fees.14eCFR. 6 CFR 5.11 – Fees Most first-party requests never generate a bill.
How Long It Takes and How to Get Priority
The statutory deadline is 20 working days after the correct component of the agency receives your request, and the clock has to start no later than 10 days after any part of the agency first receives it.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 552 – Public Information The agency can pause the clock once to ask clarifying questions or resolve fee issues.
Actual processing times run longer. USCIS has faced FOIA backlogs significant enough that a federal court ordered the agency to meet statutory deadlines and eliminate backlogs for A-File requests. Realistically, expect a few weeks for a straightforward request and several months for a complex file.
If you have a hearing before an immigration judge coming up, USCIS will prioritize your request when you submit a copy of your Notice to Appear, Order to Show Cause, or similar hearing notice with your request.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Request Records through the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act Attach the notice on the front end; do not wait for the agency to place you in the standard queue.
What the Redactions Mean
The records you receive will often have blacked-out sections. Agencies can only redact under one of nine specific FOIA exemptions, and in immigration files two show up far more than the rest:
- Exemption 6 protects personal privacy — the names, addresses, and identifying details of other people mentioned in your file when disclosure would be an unwarranted invasion of their privacy.
- Exemption 7(C) protects identifying information compiled for law enforcement purposes, including officers, witnesses, and others connected to enforcement actions.16Homeland Security. FOIA Exemptions
The agency has to tell you which exemption justifies each redaction. A response that just says “withheld” without citing an exemption is itself a basis for appeal. You are also entitled to all reasonably segregable portions of a record; the agency cannot withhold a whole document because one paragraph is exempt.
If You’re Denied, You Can Appeal
You have the right to appeal if the agency denies your request in whole or in part, withholds records under an exemption you disagree with, fails to find records you believe exist, or denies a fee waiver. The statute guarantees at least 90 days from the date of the adverse decision to file.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 552 – Public Information The appeal goes to a different, higher-level official within the same agency for independent review.17FOIA.gov. Glossary
Reference your original tracking number, identify the date you received the denial, and state clearly that you are appealing. If you can explain why a cited exemption does not apply or why the search was inadequate, say so. The agency has 20 working days to decide. If the denial is upheld, the response has to inform you of your right to seek judicial review in federal court.
Two alternatives worth knowing about. You can contact the agency’s FOIA Public Liaison or the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), a federal FOIA ombudsman that mediates disputes without litigation. And if the agency simply never responds — missing the 20-day deadline and ignoring follow-ups — you may have grounds to sue in federal district court without finishing the appeal process, under what is known as constructive exhaustion of administrative remedies.
Fixing Errors After You Get Your Records
Read through what you receive. Immigration files sometimes contain misspelled names, wrong entry dates, incorrect visa classifications, or outdated addresses, and any of those can derail a future benefit application.
Under the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, you can ask the agency in writing to amend any record about you that is inaccurate, irrelevant, outdated, or incomplete. The agency has to acknowledge your amendment request within 10 working days and then either correct the record or explain in writing why it refuses. If refused, you can request a higher-level review, which has to be completed within 30 working days. Even if the agency ultimately denies the amendment, you can file a statement of disagreement that becomes a permanent part of your record and has to be shared whenever the disputed record is disclosed to another entity.18Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 552a – Records Maintained on Individuals
To start an amendment request, describe the specific record, the information you want changed, and why the current entry is wrong. Attach supporting documentation — a corrected birth certificate, a passport page, or other official records that show the accurate information. Concrete evidence moves corrections faster.