You may request your immigration records—or the immigration records of another person if you have their approval—from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Immigration records are also known as Alien Files or A-Files—individual files identified by the person’s Alien Registration Number (A-Number). An A-Number is a unique personal identifier assigned to a noncitizen. A-Files became the official file for all immigration and naturalization records created or consolidated since April 1, 1944.
Requesting immigration records by email, fax, or mail will delay the response from USCIS. Instead, use the USCIS online Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) system located at https://myaccount.uscis.gov/ to obtain records in a faster, more convenient, online format.
If you need to request records by mail, you should:
• Complete and sign Form G-639, Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request located at https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/g-639.pdf after reading the instructions provided by USCIS located at https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/g-639instr.pdf.
• Draft a request for records that contains your full name, mailing address, date of birth, place of birth, and a signature that is notarized, or one that is signed under penalty of perjury.
Then send your request to USCIS by:
• Fax at 816-350-5785;
• E-mail at uscis.foia@uscis.dhs.gov
• Mail at:
National Records Center (NRC)
FOIA/PA Office
P.O. Box 648010
Lee's Summit, MO 64064-8010
Making your request by any of these methods will require that you:
• Wait for USCIS to receive your request, open it, and add it to their processing line;
• Interact with USCIS by mail if they need to request more information to complete your request; and
• Receive a CD in the mail that contains USCIS’s response to your request.
In Texas, as in all states, individuals can request their immigration records, or A-Files, from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) with the proper consent. These records are managed federally, so state statutes do not alter the process. To expedite the process, it is recommended to use the USCIS online Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) system. If necessary, requests can be made by completing and signing Form G-639 and sending it via fax, email, or mail to the National Records Center (NRC). Requests by these methods may take longer due to processing times and potential mail interactions. It is important to provide all required information, including a notarized or perjury-under-penalty signed signature. The response from USCIS will typically be sent on a CD through mail.
