FOIA / Immigration records
Your USCIS file, requested properly
A Freedom of Information Act request is how you get a copy of everything USCIS holds about you: every form filed, every notice and decision, and the notes behind them. Legal Prep prepares the request so it comes back complete, and then goes through the file with you before your next filing.
Free guides for these forms
All guidesWhen to request your file before filing anything
Every new petition or application is judged against what USCIS already has on record. If a previous preparer filed something you never saw, if an old application was denied for a reason you were never told, if you were ever placed in proceedings, or if your name or date of birth was written differently years ago, the new filing will meet that history whether or not you know it. Requesting the file first turns a surprise at the interview into a fact you planned for.
What we prepare
- 01The request itself, online through the USCIS FOIA system or on Form G-639 by mail, with the records described precisely so the response is complete rather than partial
- 02The identity verification USCIS requires before it releases a file: a declaration under penalty of perjury, or a notarized signature
- 03Written consent when the records belong to a family member you are petitioning for
- 04The request for expedited handling, with the supporting proof, when you have a scheduled immigration court hearing
- 05Companion requests to other agencies when your history calls for them: Customs and Border Protection for entries and I-94 history, the immigration courts for hearing records, the Department of State for visa applications made abroad
- 06A page-by-page review of the file once it arrives, and a plain-language summary of what it means for your next filing
How it works
- 01
Identify what to ask for
We go over your history and decide whether you need the whole A-file, specific documents, or records from more than one agency.
- 02
Prepare and submit
We draft the request, the identity declaration and any consent, and submit it online or by mail with Form G-639.
- 03
Track the request
USCIS assigns a control number and a processing track. We watch the status and follow up if the request stalls.
- 04
Read the file together
When the records arrive we go through them with you, flag anything that affects your next filing, and plan the filing around it.
Cost and timing
A FOIA request has no filing fee. What you can be charged is the cost of producing the records, and a personal request comes with an allowance of free pages and free search time that most files stay inside. Where a file is long enough to go past it, the charge is measured in cents a page and has to clear a minimum before anything is billed at all. The G-639 guide sets out the exact allowances and rates, and notes that DHS only began applying these fees to USCIS files in September 2026. What you pay Legal Prep is separate: a preparation fee for the request and the review, quoted before you commit. If you have a filing deadline, request the file now and let us start on the filing in parallel.
Common questions
Before you ask
What is in a USCIS FOIA file?
Your A-file: every petition and application filed by you or for you, receipt and decision notices, interview notes, requests for evidence and the responses, and records of prior status. It does not include border crossing records, immigration court files or visa applications made abroad, which other agencies hold.
Do I need Form G-639?
Not necessarily. Most requests are now made through the USCIS online FOIA system, which is faster and lets you track the request. Form G-639 is the paper alternative for anyone who cannot use an online account.
Can I request someone else's file?
Only with that person's signed consent, or proof that they have died. A petitioner asking for a beneficiary's records needs the beneficiary's consent, which we prepare as part of the request.
Will requesting my file hurt my case or alert USCIS?
No. A FOIA request is a records request, processed by a separate USCIS office, and it does not open, reopen or affect any case. It is routine, and attorneys request files this way every day.
Is there a fee?
A FOIA request has no filing fee, and a personal request gets a set number of pages and hours of search free, which most files stay within. A long file can go past that, and then DHS charges cents a page, with a minimum below which it bills nothing. The G-639 guide has the exact figures. Legal Prep's own fee, for preparing the request and reviewing the file with you, is separate and quoted before you commit.
I have a hearing coming up. Can it be faster?
USCIS offers expedited processing for people with a scheduled immigration court hearing, with proof of the hearing. If you are in proceedings you should also be working with an attorney, and we will say so.
Request your file before your next filing
Tell us what you are planning to file and we will say whether a FOIA request should come first. Same business day, in English or Spanish.