Sample Letter to USCIS for Correction: Contents, Form, and Fee

A sample letter to USCIS for correction is a short cover statement you file alongside the appropriate USCIS form. It identifies you and your case, states precisely what is wrong on the document and what it should say, explains whether USCIS or you caused the error, and lists what you’re enclosing as proof and as the returned document. The letter does not replace a form. USCIS corrects documents through specific applications (I-90, I-765, N-565, I-102, I-131), and the letter travels with that filing to make the officer’s job faster.

What Your Correction Letter Should Contain

Every correction letter, whatever the document type, should give the reviewing officer six things in plain order.

Your full legal name as it should appear, your date of birth, and your A-number if you have one.
The receipt number for the application that produced the incorrect document, and the date USCIS issued the document.
The document type (Green Card, EAD, naturalization certificate, I-94, travel document) and the exact field that is wrong.
What the field currently says and what it should say. Quote the incorrect entry character-for-character, then give the correct version.
Whose error it was. If USCIS printed something different from what your application said, say so, and note that no fee is owed on that basis. If the error came from your original application or your information has since changed, say that instead.
A list of what you are enclosing: the form, the document containing the error (being returned), and the supporting evidence.

Keep the tone factual. You are not arguing a case; you are pointing an officer at a discrepancy and the proof that resolves it.

A Sample Layout You Can Adapt

The letter can be a single page. Something like this covers the ground:

[Your name and mailing address]
[Date]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
[Address from the form instructions for your filing]

Re: Request to correct [document type] — Receipt No. [XXX-XX-XXX-XXXXX]; A-No. [Axxx xxx xxx]

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to request correction of my [document type], issued on [date]. The document contains an error in the [field, e.g., “last name” or “date of birth”] field. It currently reads “[incorrect entry].” The correct entry is “[correct entry],” as shown on the enclosed [passport / birth certificate / court order / marriage certificate].

This error was caused by [USCIS / me]. [If USCIS: “My original application submitted on [date] listed the correct information, a copy of which is enclosed for reference. Because the error originated with USCIS, no filing fee is owed under the current fee schedule.”] [If your error or a change: “I am submitting the applicable filing fee with Form [number].”]

Enclosed with this letter:

Form [I-90 / I-765 / N-565 / I-102 / I-131], signed
The original [document type] containing the error
[Evidence documents, listed individually]
[Certified English translation(s), if any evidence is in another language]
[Fee payment: Form G-1450 or G-1650, if applicable]

Please contact me at [phone] or [email] if you need anything further.

Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Printed name]

Sign and date it. Keep a copy of everything you send.

Which Form Your Letter Must Accompany

USCIS has no standalone “correction request” form. Your letter goes with the form that matches the document, and on that form you select the filing category that says whether the error was USCIS’s, yours, or a change of information. Choosing the wrong category can get the filing rejected or force an unnecessary fee, so read the form instructions before you check a box.

Green Card (Permanent Resident Card): Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card.
Employment Authorization Document: Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. For an error you made, use filing category 1.b.
Naturalization or Citizenship Certificate: Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document.
Arrival/Departure Record (I-94): Form I-102, Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document.
Travel documents (advance parole, reentry permit, refugee travel document): Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents. Part 4 asks who caused the error.¹

Evidence to Send with the Letter

Return the USCIS document that contains the error, and attach proof of what the correct information should be. For a misspelled name or a legal name change, that means a passport, birth certificate, court order, marriage certificate, or divorce decree. For a wrong date of birth, a government-issued ID or birth certificate does the job.¹ If you are asserting a USCIS error, include a copy of the original application page that shows the correct information you submitted; that side-by-side is often the fastest way for an officer to see what happened.

Foreign-Language Documents Need Certified Translations

Any evidence in a language other than English must come with a full English translation. Federal regulations require the translator to certify that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from that language into English.² The translator doesn’t have to be licensed, but the signed certification statement has to be there. Skipping it can get the filing rejected.

Whether You Owe a Fee, and How to Say So in the Letter

The letter should state which side of the fee line you’re on, because it changes what USCIS expects to see in the envelope.

If USCIS caused the mistake, the filing fee is $0 across the correction-related forms, including I-90, I-765, N-565, I-102, and I-131.³ Say that in the letter and point to the original application as your proof that USCIS printed something different from what you submitted.

If the error came from your application or your information has since changed, you pay the standard filing fee. Form I-90, for example, is $465 on paper or $415 online under the March 2026 fee schedule; other forms carry different amounts, so check the USCIS fee calculator before you file.³ USCIS no longer accepts personal or cashier’s checks or money orders for paper filings unless a specific exemption applies. Pay by credit or debit card using Form G-1450, or from a U.S. bank account using Form G-1650.⁴ If you can’t afford the fee, Form I-912 lets you request a waiver based on receipt of a means-tested benefit, income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or documented financial hardship.⁵

When a Letter Isn’t the Fastest Path: the e-Request Tool

For a straightforward USCIS typo, you can often skip the mailed letter and flag the error online through the e-Request tool at egov.uscis.gov/e-request. You’ll need your receipt number, A-number if applicable, the specific item that’s wrong, the filing date, and your email. Entering the receipt number auto-populates the rest of your case data.⁶ For EAD errors caused by USCIS, the system has a dedicated “EAD Replacement due to USCIS Error” option.¹ USCIS may still tell you to file the formal application, in which case the letter and form go in the mail as planned.

After You Send the Letter

Track the case through the USCIS online case status tool at egov.uscis.gov, or through a USCIS online account, which shows the last five actions on your case.⁷ Processing times vary by form and by office, and USCIS publishes current estimates. If your case runs past the posted time without an update, file a case inquiry through the e-Request tool or call the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283.⁸

If the error is causing an emergency, such as an EAD you can’t use for work, imminent travel, or a humanitarian situation, you can request expedited processing. USCIS specifically recognizes an EAD with incorrect information that prevents you from working as a potential expedite basis when USCIS caused the error. Submit the request by calling the Contact Center, through the Emma virtual assistant, or by secure message from your USCIS online account, and be ready to send supporting evidence such as an employer letter, travel confirmation, or medical records. Without evidence, USCIS will write back asking for it.⁹

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigration Documents and How to Correct, Update, or Replace Them
2
eCFR. 8 CFR 103.2 – Submission and Adjudication of Benefit Requests
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule (Edition 03/01/26)
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-912, Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. e-Request – Typographic Error
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checking Your Case Status Online
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. e-Request – Self Service Tools
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Expedite Requests