This article was last update on January 15, 2025

Summary

This article explains how a refugee in the U.S., or a lawful permanent resident (someone with a green card) who was resettled as a refugee, can file a request with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a copy of their immigration file including their refugee application.

Why is it helpful to have a copy of my immigration file and refugee application?

When you applied for refugee status, the U.S. government interviewed you and created a refugee application, called an I-590. The refugee application and other documents related to your refugee application were added to your refugee case file and now your immigration file, known as an “A file” or “Alien file.” 

If you have to apply for immigration benefits, or if the U.S. government reviews your case as part of “refugee revetting” they may ask you questions about your refugee application. It can be helpful to have a copy of your refugee application to review it and understand if anything is incorrect or needs to be addressed. If you have an immigration attorney and you give them a copy of the file, they may be able to better help you with your case.

How can I request a copy of my U.S. refugee application?

The Freedom of Information Act or FOIA is a law that allows the public to ask for information from government agencies. You can file a FOIA request to get your immigration file and other information the United States government may have on your case, including your refugee application. 

If you are a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR, also known as a “green card holder”) or a U.S. citizen then there is another law, the Privacy Act (PA), that allows you to ask for your immigration file or other records about you that the government has. If you request a copy of your immigration file from USCIS and follow the process below, USCIS should treat the request as a request under the FOIA and the PA.  

The FOIA and PA allow you to request documents from any U.S. government agency. Depending on your immigration history, multiple U.S. government agencies may have your records. At least two agencies, USCIS and the Department of State (DOS), will have records for refugee applications. Requesting refugee case file records from DOS usually takes much longer than requesting records from USCIS. This article only explains how to request immigration records from USCIS.

For information on how to request your immigration records from a few other government agencies that are not USCIS or the Department of State you can go here.  

Step by Step Guide for filing an online FOIA request

Step 1: Visit USCIS website and Login to Account.

Log in to the USCIS website. If you need more information on how to create a USCIS account, you can visit our step-by-step guide, found here. Once you log in to your account, you will see the below screen. Click on the box “FIRST.” This link will take you to the USCIS page for filing FOIA requests.

Step 2: Click on file a FOIA request “for myself.”

Once you are successfully logged into the FIRST portal of USCIS, you will see the below page. This screen has options to file FOIA or PA requests. It will list three options: 

1. Request for my immigration records
2. Request for someone else’s immigration records
3. Other requests

Click on the Start Application link under the “For Myself “option.

Step 3: File your FOIA request.

Get all the required details before you start this process. This includes your A-number, and other personal information, including your full name, date of birth, and information about family members that may be included in your refugee file.

1. Specify the Nature of your Request

Under “Select all types of records you are requesting,” click on “Other.” Then you will be asked what files you are requesting. You can use the following answer to answer this question: 

I am requesting my entire A-file, including my refugee case file and all other records about my refugee application. 

2. Immigration Proceedings

This question asks if you have upcoming Immigration Court proceedings, which may impact processing for your request. Select “Yes” or “No.”

Click “Next.”

3. Provide Information to Identify the Subject of Record

Enter your A-number in the first box provided. Your A-number is a unique seven- to nine-digit number given to you by USCIS. You can find this number (AXXX-XXX-XXX) on important immigration documents, such as your green card or work permit. If you have a green card or Employment Authorization Document (EAD), your A-Number is likely printed on the front of the card under “USCIS #”. You can also find your A-number on your immigrant visa under “Registration Number” or at the top of any immigration notices you may have received from USCIS.

Here are some samples of documents where you can find your A-number.

In the second and third boxes, enter your country of birth and date of birth. This information is required to locate your refugee file.

You can include any application, petition, or receipt numbers related to your case in the last box.

4. Names used by Subject of Record

Enter your first name, middle name, and last name in the boxes provided. The boxes are in the order of last name, first name, and middle name. If you have used any other names or spellings, enter them in the boxes below. 

If you have never been to the United States, you do not have to answer the question that says “What was the full name of the Subject of Record at the time of entry into the United States?” If you have been to the United States, you can click “Same as current name” or, if you used a different name or spelling when you entered the United States, enter the name used previously. 

Click “Next.”

5. Contact Information for Subject of Record
 

This screen asks for your mailing address, phone number, and email. Your email will be filled in automatically based on the one you used to log in to USCIS and cannot be changed. Fill in your mailing address and phone number. 

Click “Next.”

6. Family Information for Subject of Record

This step has three substeps to capture a lot of details about your family and other contact details. The first section asks about your parents’ names. Fill in the full names of your father and mother in the boxes provided. 

The boxes are in the order of last name, first name, middle name, and maiden name. Maiden name refers to the person’s last name before getting married. If you do not know the full name of your father and/or mother, select the relevant box below the boxes requesting each parent’s name.

The next section asks for information on any family members that may appear on requested records. You should provide information for your spouse and any children who may be mentioned in your refugee file. Fill in the boxes with the last name, first name, middle name, and relationship of any family members that may appear on your requested records, such as your spouse or children. 

The information about family members other than your parents is optional on this form. However, if you do not provide this information, USCIS will likely redact, or cross out, the names of, and other information about, your family members in the copy of the file that they send you.

To make sure that the information for your family members is not redacted in the refugee records, you will need to fill out a verification of identity form for each family member. You can use this template and upload it to the box under “Avoiding Redaction of Records Mentioning Additional Persons.”

Click “Next.”

7. Upload Documents

In this step, you will be asked to attach any relevant documents for the FOIA request. 

If you have upcoming immigration court proceedings, attach a Notice to Appear (NTA) (Form I-122), Order to Show Cause (Form I-863), or Notice of Referral to Immigration Judge, if available.

Click “Next.”

8. Review and Submit Information

Once you have entered all the information, review the information entered in all the previous screens. Please double check the details carefully and click on the “Edit” link next to each section to fix any incorrect information. 

Providing the correct information for your request is crucial. USCIS sometimes rejects requests when names or file numbers do not exactly match the information USCIS has on file.

This step also includes a consent to pay fees and release documents. Click “Sign under Penalty of Perjury” and sign the request. This signature confirms that you agree to pay all costs for the FOIA request up to $25 and that all the information in the request is complete and correct. 

Please note that you would be notified if for some reason your file is very large and the agency wants you to pay the $25; however, it is very unlikely that you will be charged any fees related to your FOIA request. In 2024, USCIS did not collect any fees from FOIA requesters.

Click the box that says “I have read and agree to the above statement” and enter your full name and date in the boxes below.

Click “Submit Request”. Once you submit the application, there will be a “control” or tracking number generated for your request. This number can be used to track your FOIA application with USCIS.

Section 2: Additional information and resources/templates

When you file a FOIA request with USCIS, they may redact (cross out) information about your spouse, children, and other relatives because of privacy concerns.

If you want to receive a copy of your refugee file with as few redactions as possible, you can have your spouse, children, or other relatives who will be mentioned in your refugee application sign a privacy release form. This form lets USCIS share information about those family members with you. 

Below is a sample privacy release form, called a “Verification of Identity and Certification to Release Records” that you can use. 

The purpose of the privacy release form is for a family member, who would fill out the blue highlighted sections of the form in the sample below, to give USCIS consent to share information about them in the FOIA request to you.

The yellow highlighted part is for your name and not the name of your relative.

The blue highlighted sections are for the name and information for your relative who is allowing USCIS to share information about them to you. . 

Template - Verification of Identity and Certification to Release Records

VERIFICATION OF IDENTITY &

CERTIFICATION OF AGREEMENT TO RELEASE RECORDS 

Declaration Under Penalty of Perjury re Privacy Release of and Request for Records

By my signature below, I consent to USCIS to release the requested records, both my individual records and any joint records, in full to _________________________ (Name of person filing the FOIA request who will receive the FOIA response from USCIS).

I certify, swear, or affirm, under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America, that the information in this request, both above and in my signature below, is complete, true, and correct to the best of my knowledge.

Full Name: _______________________________

Date of Birth: _____________________________

Place of Birth: _____________________________

A Number: ________________________________

Other Names Used: _________________________

Father’s Name: _____________________________

Mother’s Name: ____________________________

Spouse’s Name: _____________________________

Passport Number: _____________________________

Passport Country: _____________________________

Passport Expiration: ___________________________

Mailing Address: _____________________________

City: _________ Province/State: _________

Country: _________ Zip/Postal Code: _________

Phone Number: ___________________________

By my signature, I confirm the declaration and release above.

____________________________                __________________________

Signature Date of Signature (mm/dd/yyyy)