FOIAFiler Request Library
How to Request an Immigration A-File or USCIS Records
USCIS is the usual starting point for many A-File and immigration-benefit records. Depending on what happened in your case, ICE, CBP, or EOIR may hold additional records that USCIS does not.
Likely records custodian
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) ↗Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ↗Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ↗Department of Homeland Security
Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) ↗Department of Justice
Starter request language
My complete immigration record/A-File and associated records concerning [application, petition, proceeding, or event], including correspondence, notices, adjudication records, and system records.
Make the request easier to process
- Ask for the complete A-File if that is genuinely what you need, or identify the specific application, petition, interview, or adjudication.
- Include A-Number, receipt numbers, and case identifiers when available.
- Use first-party identity verification for your own file.
- If you need immigration-court records, check EOIR separately.
Watch for this: A single immigration matter can generate records at multiple DHS and DOJ components. One FOIA request does not automatically search every agency.
Search before filing
Check the agency’s reading room and FOIA.gov’s government-wide search first. If the records are already public, you can avoid a new request entirely.