Guide
How to Request Your USCIS Immigration Records (Form G-639)
How to request USCIS immigration records with a FOIA request — what to ask for, who can request, timing, and why a single certified document is often better than a full A-file.
Quick answer
Request them from USCIS with a Freedom of Information / Privacy Act request (Form G-639 or USCIS’s online FOIA system). There’s no filing fee, but processing often takes months. Before filing, confirm exactly which document the foreign authority needs — a single certified record is usually faster and more useful than an entire A-file.
On this page
What you can request
Your A-file (alien file) holds your immigration history: applications, petitions, notices and supporting documents. You can request your own records, or someone else’s with their written consent (or proof of death for a deceased person).
Step by step
Pin down the requirement
Ask the foreign authority which record they need. A full A-file is often overkill.
File the FOIA request
Use USCIS’s online FOIA system or Form G-639. Include your full name, date of birth, A-number if you have one, and a precise description of the records.
Track the request
USCIS assigns a control number and a processing track; complex requests take longer.
Ask about certification
A plain FOIA release — loose, redacted copies — usually can’t be apostilled. Ask us how to get the record in a certified form.
The mistake that costs the most time
When you’ll need it abroad
- Proving lawful status history for a foreign residency application
- Citizenship-by-descent claims that depend on a parent's immigration timeline
- Benefit or pension claims abroad where status history matters
- Legal proceedings overseas that require immigration records
Troubleshooting
The release is heavily redacted
Redactions protect third parties and law-enforcement information. If a key page is unusable, ask about an appeal or a narrower, certified record.
It's taking many months
Check the processing track; narrowing the request can move it faster.
You need a deceased relative's file
Include proof of death with the request.
The foreign authority rejects the FOIA copy
Ask for the specific certified document they need instead of the whole file.
Next: getting it apostilled
Once you have the document, it needs authentication before a foreign authority will accept it. See how to apostille it. Our price is $299 per document for Hague Convention countries and $399 for non-Hague countries including embassy legalization, with government fees included.
Frequently asked questions
Does a FOIA request cost anything?
USCIS doesn't charge a filing fee for FOIA requests in most cases.
Can a FOIA release be apostilled?
Usually not as a plain release. The Department of State authenticates a recognized federal certification, so ask how to obtain the record in certified form.
Can I request my parent's records?
With their written consent, or with proof of death if they've passed away.
What's my A-number?
Your Alien Registration Number appears on green cards, work permits and most USCIS notices.
Can I get records for someone else?
Yes, with their written, notarized consent — or proof of death.
Sources: U.S. Department of State — Authenticate Your Document · Hague Conference — Apostille Section · USCIS FOIA requests. Federal Apostille USA is a private service, not a government agency.
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