How to Fill Out and Submit Form G-639: Parts, Fees, and FIRST Portal

To fill out Form G-639, you identify what records you want, who the records are about, and how USCIS can verify your identity or your authority to receive someone else’s file. As of January 22, 2026, USCIS no longer accepts a mailed paper form: every Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act request goes through the FIRST portal at first.uscis.gov.¹ The online system asks for the same information the paper form did, so knowing the form’s four parts lets you move through the portal without stalling.

Decide What You’re Asking For Before You Start

Your answers on the form change depending on what you want. The three common scenarios:

Your entire A-File. The A-File is the master file the government keeps on a noncitizen’s whole immigration history, and it can hold visa documents, photographs, every application and petition you filed, agency correspondence, affidavits, and civil documents like foreign birth or marriage certificates.² Asking for the whole file gives the broadest picture but takes longer to process than a targeted request.³

Specific documents. Part 1 lets you check individual document types: your I-94 arrival/departure record, a particular petition such as an I-130 or I-140, an N-400 naturalization application, a passport copy, or apprehension records, among others.³ If you know exactly what you need, this route is much faster.

Someone else’s records. You’ll fill out Part 4 in addition to the rest of the form and you’ll need that person’s written consent, or, if they’ve died, proof of death.³

Form G-639 also covers requests for USCIS business, operational, or policy records. FOIA gives any person the right to request agency records, whether or not they have a personal stake in them.⁴

Part 1: Nature of Your Request

Select what you’re asking for: records from your own immigration file, records from someone else’s file, USCIS business or policy records, or an amendment to a record under the Privacy Act.³

Part 1 also asks whether you qualify for expedited processing. USCIS recognizes four grounds: an imminent threat to someone’s life or physical safety; an urgency to inform the public about actual or alleged government activity; the potential loss of substantial due process rights; and a matter of widespread and exceptional media interest.³ If one applies, you’ll justify it in Part 5. Most personal requests don’t qualify.

Part 2: Information About the Subject of Record

This is where USCIS locates the file. Provide the subject’s full legal name, any other names used (nicknames, aliases, maiden name), and the name used when entering the United States if different. Include the date of birth, country of birth, and a current mailing address.³

The single most useful identifier is the Alien Registration Number: seven, eight, or nine digits preceded by the letter “A,” assigned by the Department of Homeland Security to noncitizens.⁵ You’ll find it on prior approval notices, employment authorization cards, or green cards. If your A-Number has fewer than nine digits, add a zero after the “A” to pad it out.⁶ If you have a receipt number from a specific petition, include that too.

The form also asks for the names of the subject’s father and mother (including maiden name) and any family members who might appear in the requested records. That matters because A-Files often contain documents mentioning relatives, and USCIS will redact those names unless you provide consent for those individuals or show they are deceased.³ Listing them with consent gets you a fuller file.

Part 3: Certification, Consent, and How You Sign

You declare that the information is true and complete, and you consent to pay fees up to $25 for search and duplication costs.³

You have two ways to sign. Federal law lets you sign under penalty of perjury in place of a notarized signature.⁷ The alternative is a notarized signature, which means a trip to a notary public. Either satisfies USCIS. A knowingly false statement on the form is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.⁸

Part 4: Third-Party Requests and Deceased Subjects

If you’re requesting records for another living person, Part 4 collects your identifying information, your relationship to the subject, and the subject’s written consent. USCIS requires proof that the subject authorized you to receive their file.³ The subject can sign under penalty of perjury or before a notary.

If the subject has died, you don’t need consent, but you do need proof of death. Acceptable evidence includes a death certificate, an obituary, a photograph of a funeral memorial, a printout from the Social Security Death Index, or probate court documents. No proof of death is required if the person was born more than 100 years before the date you submit the request.³

Parents requesting records for a minor child should provide proof of the parent-child relationship, such as a birth certificate. A legal guardian who is not a biological parent should include the court order establishing guardianship.

Submitting Through the FIRST Portal

Online submission through first.uscis.gov is the only standard method USCIS accepts.¹ A few practical points:

Create a USCIS account at first.uscis.gov if you don’t already have one.
Check the Electronic Reading Room first. USCIS posts frequently requested policy documents and data sets there, and if what you need is already published you can skip the request entirely.
Request only the documents you actually need. A targeted request for a single form or notice processes far faster than a request for a complete A-File.
File one request per person. Family members each need their own separate request.¹
Upload supporting documents through the portal, including any signed consent form and proof of identity for third-party requests.

The system confirms receipt and assigns a FOIA control number you can use to track status online.¹ Questions about the online filing process go to FOIAPAQuestions@uscis.dhs.gov.

What You’ll Actually Pay

Most people requesting their own immigration records pay nothing. Under federal FOIA rules, non-commercial requesters aren’t charged for the first two hours of search time or the first 100 pages of duplication.⁹ A typical personal file falls well within those limits. Your consent on the form covers fees up to $25; anything higher requires your advance agreement.¹⁰

Commercial requests and very large record sets can run higher. You can ask for a fee waiver by explaining that releasing the records serves the public interest. If the waiver is denied, the agency will ask you to agree to a specific dollar amount before it continues processing.¹⁰

After You Submit

Federal law requires USCIS to decide whether to grant or deny a request within 20 business days of receiving it.⁴ In practice, USCIS sorts requests into simple and complex tracks. For fiscal year 2024, DHS reported average USCIS processing of 10 days for simple requests and 19 days for complex ones.¹¹ Complex requests involving hundreds of pages, multiple file locations, or consultations with other agencies can take longer during heavy volume.

When your records are ready, USCIS sends an email prompting you to log into your FIRST account and download the files.¹ You receive digital copies, not paper.

Using Form G-639 to Correct an Error

The same form handles corrections. If you receive your records and spot an inaccuracy such as a wrong date of entry, a misspelled name, or a document that belongs to someone else, select the option in Part 1 for an amendment or correction of a record under the Privacy Act.³ The Privacy Act requires federal agencies to keep accurate, relevant, and complete records and to allow individuals to seek corrections.¹²

Submit an amendment request through the same FIRST portal.¹ Be specific about what’s wrong and attach supporting evidence: a corrected birth certificate, a court order changing your name, or whatever proves the record is inaccurate. Vague requests slow the process and invite back-and-forth that can add weeks.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Request Records through the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act
2
National Archives. Alien Files (A-Files)
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Form G-639 – Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 552 – Public Information; Agency Rules, Opinions, Orders, Records, and Proceedings
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number/Alien Registration Number/Alien Number
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigrant Fee Payment – Tips on Finding Your A-Number and DOS Case ID
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 1746 – Unsworn Declarations Under Penalty of Perjury
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1001 – Statements or Entries Generally
9
FOIA.gov. Freedom of Information Act – Frequently Asked Questions
10
Department of Homeland Security. FOIA Fee Structure and Waivers
11
Department of Homeland Security. DHS FY24 FOIA Annual Report
12
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 552a – Records Maintained on Individuals