Federal agency FOIA guide · Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Best starting point for many A-File and immigration-benefit records. USCIS offers an online FOIA process and electronic reading room.
Common request topics
a-fileimmigration filenaturalizationgreen cardvisa petitionuscis
Where to submit
Mail / email details in FOIAFiler
Email: Not listed in FOIAFiler data; use the official FOIA page.
Mail:
Use the agency’s current official submission instructions.
Related request recipes
Immigration A-File / benefit records
Immigration records are often split among USCIS, ICE, CBP, and EOIR. Start with the component most closely tied to the record.
How to make the request easier to process
- Describe the records, not just the question you want answered.
- Use a specific date range when possible.
- Name the office, event, case number, contract number, facility, or other locator if known.
- List useful record types such as emails, reports, memoranda, photographs, logs, contracts, or policy documents.
- For records about yourself, follow the agency’s identity-verification and Privacy Act instructions.
- Ask for reasonably segregable non-exempt portions if responsive records contain exempt material.
Build it
One agency or several?
If this agency is clearly the custodian, build one request. If the records may be split among several components, Request Bundles can generate a separate letter for each selected agency while keeping the core description consistent.