How To File a Perfect USCIS FOIA Request

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a government agency that ensures safe and immigration to the U.S. To access some of their records, you can submit a USCIS FOIA request. We’ll guide you through the process and explain how to use DoNotPay to handle it all the easiest way!

How To File a USCIS Freedom of Information Act Request

Before you start the Freedom of Information Act process request, you should visit the USCIS Electronic Reading Room and check whether the info you are looking for is already published. If it is not, you may file a USCIS FOIA request to gain access to:

• Immigration info about yourself
• Someone else's immigration record
• Non-A-File information—data, policies, and communications

Filing a USCIS FOIA request on your own can get a bit complicated because there are too many rules and steps you need to follow. You can always look for FOIA templates online to help you get the idea of how the request should look like.

Check out the table below to see available ways of sending a USCIS FOIA request:

How To File a USCIS FOIA Request on the Agency’s Website

Submitting USCIS FOIA requests online has been available since 2019, so the system is relatively new. If you choose to submit your request this way, you’ll need to follow these steps:

1. Visit the FOIA online system
2. Create an account
3. Select your request type
4. Provide the necessary documentation
5. Explain the purpose of your request
6. Click on Submit

USCIS will send you an email notification to inform you when your request has been processed.

How To File a USCIS FOIA Request via Fax, Mail, or Email

USCIS still offers a dated way of filing FOIA requests by mail. If you want the entire procedure to take ages, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Request form
2. Answer a plethora of questions
3. Sign it
4. Print the document
5. Draft a request for records that includes your:

1. Full name
2. Mailing address
3. Date of birth
4. Place of birth
5. A notarized signature or signed under penalty of perjury

You can then send everything via:

• Fax to 816-350-5785
• Mail to National Records Center (NRC), FOIA/PA Office, P.O. Box 648010, Lee's Summit, MO 64064-8010
• Email to uscis.foia@uscis.dhs.gov

All the listed options of sending FOIA requests might need more interaction with USCIS in case you didn’t include all the info or made a mistake while filling out the complicated form. If you wish to avoid these unpleasantries, you should give DoNotPay a try!

Submit a USCIS FOIA Request With DoNotPay

If you are looking for a simple solution for sending a USCIS FOIA request, you should use DoNotPay. You only have to follow a few simple steps:

1. Open DoNotPay in your web browser
2. Locate and select the FOIA feature
3. Choose Federal Agency
4. Type in USCIS
5. Inform us if you need a fee waiver

Once you complete the steps, we will send the request letter to USCIS or any other agency on your behalf.

How To Check Your USCIS FOIA Request Status

If you successfully submit your USCIS FOIA request, you’ll probably want to see how the process is going. You may check the status of your request by visiting the Check Status of the FOIA Request page. You need to type in the control number you got when you submitted your request (it begins with NRC, COW, APP).

The information is updated regularly, and you can see if your request has been processed or pending.

How Long Does a FOIA Immigration Request Take and Cost?

Once you check that your request doesn’t fall into any of the exempt categories and submit it to USCIS, you only need to wait. For how long? USCIS may need anything between five and 208 days to process your request, and the time needed is determined by the complexity of the request.

There is no initial fee to make a FOIA request, but USCIS can charge you later for providing information. These are the official USCIS FOIA fees:

• Duplication—ten cents per page
• Clerical search—$4 per 15 minutes
• Professional search—$7 per 15 minutes
• Managerial search—$10 per 15 minutes

How To Appeal a Denied FOIA Request From USCIS

If USCIS denied your FOIA request, you may appeal the decision. It’s important to send an appeal in writing to this address: USCIS FOIA/PA Appeals Office, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT APPEAL, P.O. Box 648010, Lee's Summit, MO 64064-8010. Make sure to include the assigned request number.

You need to submit the appeal within 60 days from the day your request was rejected. To speed up the process, mark the letter and the envelope with The Freedom of Information Act Appeal.

DoNotPay Makes Sending FOIA Requests to Any Agency Easy

You can use DoNotPay to submit FOIA requests to other government agencies, not just USCIS. We can help you gain access to federal records from:

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
• Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM)

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