You request your immigration file from USCIS through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or Privacy Act request, and USCIS says to make it online. An alert on its page says: "Effective January 22, 2026, all Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)/Privacy requests for USCIS records should be submitted online. To ensure timely processing, you must make your FOIA request online at first.uscis.gov after creating a USCIS account." You can ask for your own records, or for someone else's with their written permission. Asking for the specific documents you need is faster than asking for a whole file.
What FOIA and the Privacy Act give you
FOIA and the Privacy Act are the laws people use to ask a federal agency for its records. On its records page, USCIS lists what you can ask for: your own immigration records, another person's records if you have their written permission, and "agency policies, data, communications, and other records." This article is about the first one, your own file.
You may have seen the term A-File. The USCIS page refers to A-Files but does not define the term, so this article does not define it either. Our glossary has a plain-English entry if you want one.
Where to make the request
USCIS runs an online system at first.uscis.gov. The page says you make your FOIA request there after creating a USCIS account, and that "Online submission is generally the only acceptable method for submitting a request." If you do not have an account yet, you create one first. The page adds that you can receive online responses even if you did not file for immigration benefits online, if you have a representative (who can request your records through their own USCIS online account), or if you previously requested your records by mail, email, or fax. Our guide to adding a paper-filed case to an online account shows how the account side works.
What to ask for
USCIS gives direct advice on this point: "Try to request only the specific documents you need." Its page says requests for precise records are processed faster than requests for a whole file. It also says that large portions of an A-File, and non-A-File records, "require more time compared to specific documents."
A practical way to use that advice is to decide what you actually need the file for. If you need one notice, one decision, or one set of exam results, name it. If you need everything, expect a longer request. USCIS does not give a processing time on this page, so this article does not give one.
One request per person
USCIS says that for more than one person, "you must submit a separate request for each person's record." A family cannot bundle everyone into one request: USCIS says it will "reject single requests that cover multiple people" and tell you to resubmit them separately.
If you have an immigration court hearing
If you want an A-File as soon as possible because you have a scheduled hearing with an immigration judge, the USCIS page lists this as a case where it will "prioritize your request to deliver it faster." You must include a copy of one document sent to you by the Department of Homeland Security or Department of Justice: Form I-862, Notice to Appear; Form I-122, Order to Show Cause; Form I-863, Notice of Referral to Immigration Judge; or a written notice of continuation of a future scheduled hearing. If you are in this situation, an immigration attorney is the right person to ask about timing.
What happens after you submit
- If USCIS cannot proceed. USCIS says it will "notify you as quickly as possible" if it lacks the records or the request was made incorrectly.
- When your files are ready. USCIS says: "We will email you to check your account when your files are ready to download." The page says online responses can be downloaded or printed.
- Checking status. USCIS says you can check the status of a pending request online, whether you made it online or another way, and that you will need the FOIA control number included in your receipt message.
- If you disagree with the result. USCIS says: "If you are dissatisfied with our decision on your request, you may file an administrative appeal." The page also mentions that the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) offers mediation.
Records USCIS does not hold
Some records you may want sit with other agencies. The USCIS page lists these examples:
| Agency | Records the USCIS page lists |
|---|---|
| U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) | Records of apprehension, detention, deportation, entry, exit, expedited removal, background investigations, or inspections; Form I-94 records; travel industry reservation data such as a passenger name record; voluntary return records |
| U.S. Department of State | Applications from U.S. citizens for U.S. passports; visa requests from aliens to enter the United States |
| U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) | Bond obligor requests; medical records while someone was detained by ICE; Student and Exchange Visitor Information affecting those previously or currently in F-1, F-3, J-1, M-1, and I-20 status |
For each of these, the USCIS page tells you to contact the agency named.
Other points from the page
The page also tells you to confirm USCIS has not already posted the records you need in the USCIS Electronic Reading Room, and to read the whole page first so you request records the right way from the right agency. For records more than 100 years old, it says to request them through the USCIS Genealogy Program. For accessible records under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, it says to email the USCIS FOIA Program with the subject line "FOIA Disability Accommodations," your name, a phone number, and your FOIA control number.
What this page does not say
The USCIS page does not state a fee for a FOIA request, does not describe separate processing tracks, and does not describe an identity-verification form. So this article makes no statement about any of those. If you need to know about cost, identity steps, or timing for your own request, read the live USCIS page and the instructions inside the FIRST system.
Common questions
Can I request my own file online?
Yes, and online is how USCIS says to do it. Its alert says all FOIA and Privacy Act requests for USCIS records should be submitted online, effective January 22, 2026, at first.uscis.gov after creating a USCIS account.
Can I request someone else's file?
The USCIS page lists someone else's immigration records as something you can request "if you have their written permission." USCIS says you must submit a separate request for each person's record.
Is it faster to ask for specific documents?
USCIS says to try to request only the specific documents you need, and that requests for precise records are processed faster than requests for a whole file.
Does USCIS hold my I-94 or visa application records?
The USCIS page tells you to contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection for Form I-94 records, and the Department of State for applications from U.S. citizens for U.S. passports and visa requests from aliens to enter the United States.
What if I disagree with the result?
USCIS says: "If you are dissatisfied with our decision on your request, you may file an administrative appeal," and that instructions are in the final determination letter. It also says the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) offers mediation between FOIA requestors and federal agencies.
Official sources
GreenLight is not affiliated with USCIS or the U.S. government. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.