How to get a copy of your immigration file, including old visa records

This is general information, not legal advice.

This page covers records from USCIS, CBP, ICE, the immigration courts and the State Department. Records from the Office of Refugee Resettlement are on How to get your records from when you came as an unaccompanied child. Criminal records are on How to get a copy of your criminal record in California.

Why would I want my immigration records?

Because you cannot plan a case on memory. Your records show what the government already knows: how and when you entered, any time you were stopped at the border, old applications, fingerprints, and any orders. A lawyer will often ask for them before filing anything new, because a form that does not match your file can cause a denial.

People ask for records to:

• Find an old visa, entry stamp or I-94 date
• Learn whether they ever had a removal order or a voluntary return
• Get copies of a past green card, asylum or DACA application
• Prepare for immigration court
• Check what a former lawyer or notario filed in their name

Which agency has which records?

Immigration records are spread across agencies. ICE explains the split on its Requesting Immigration Records page (updated July 6, 2026), and USCIS on its FOIA page:

ICE says most people wanting a full history should start with USCIS, because USCIS keeps the official A file, which holds copies of many ICE forms. Ask more than one agency if you need border or detention details.

What changed in 2026?

DHS changed its FOIA rules in a final rule published December 23, 2025. Since January 22, 2026, people generally must send FOIA and Privacy Act requests to DHS and its agencies electronically. DHS generally no longer takes requests by mail (90 FR 59945).

• USCIS: online at first.uscis.gov after you create a USCIS account (USCIS FOIA page).
• CBP: no longer accepts mail, fax or email requests; use SecureRelease or FOIA.gov (CBP FOIA page, updated September 10, 2026).
• ICE: online through SecureRelease only. The one exception is people who are detained or incarcerated, who may mail requests to the ICE FOIA Office, 500 12th Street SW, MS 5009, Washington, D.C. 20536-5009 (ICE how to submit).

If you have no way to file online, DHS says a FOIA public liaison can arrange another method in limited cases, such as incarceration (90 FR 59945).

How do I ask USCIS for my A file?

1. Create a USCIS account and go to first.uscis.gov.
2. Check the USCIS Electronic Reading Room first if you want policy records, not your own file.
3. Be specific. USCIS says it processes requests for specific documents much faster than requests for a whole A file. If you only need your old I-130 approval or your entry record, say so.
4. Give accurate details: your full name and other names you used, date and country of birth, and your A number and receipt numbers if you have them.
5. One person per request. USCIS rejects a single request that covers several people, even relatives.
6. Submit and save your FOIA control number. USCIS emails you when records are ready to download.

USCIS says you can get your records online even if you never filed anything online, and even if a lawyer represents you (USCIS FOIA page).

How do I get my file faster?

If you have a hearing in front of an immigration judge, USCIS will prioritize your A file request. Upload one of these with your request: a Notice to Appear (Form I-862), an Order to Show Cause (Form I-122), a Notice of Referral to Immigration Judge (Form I-863), or a written notice of a future hearing date (USCIS FOIA page).

How do I ask CBP or ICE?

Both use the SecureRelease portal.

• CBP: for your own records, give your full name, address and date of birth, plus a signed Certification of Identity form, or a statement signed under penalty of perjury, or a notarized statement (CBP request page).
• ICE: pick "Department of Homeland Security," then "U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE)." Describe the records clearly, with dates such as when you were detained or released. Upload your identity documents. Save the tracking number (ICE how to submit).

For your I-94 alone, try the CBP I-94 website first. It shows your most recent I-94 if you were admitted or paroled, and it is instant.

How do I get my immigration court file?

If you are or were in immigration court, you can ask the court directly, outside of FOIA. EOIR calls this a request for your Record of Proceeding, or ROP (EOIR ROP page, updated August 27, 2025).

• Who can ask directly: the respondent, the attorney of record, and parents or guardians of children in proceedings.
• What to include: use Form EOIR-59 or DOJ-361, or write a request with the person's full name, date of birth, place of birth and A number, which parts you want (whole file or hearing audio), and how you want it delivered.
• The required statement: above your signature, write that you declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the information is true and correct, and the date.
• Where to send it: by email or mail to the court where your last hearing was scheduled, or in person at that court. The BIA takes email and mail, not walk ins.
• Parents asking for a child's file: add your own name, mailing address, date and place of birth, and proof you are the parent, such as a birth certificate.

People who are not parties, and closed cases where the person has no access to EOIR's online system, go through FOIA instead, at EOIR's FOIA portal (EOIR FOIA page).

Can I get my old visa records?

Only some of them. The State Department says visa records are confidential under INA 222(f) and generally not released. It can usually give you copies of letters it sent you, documents you submitted, and a redacted copy of your DS-160 visa application (State Department FOIA guide, updated October 21, 2026).

• Ask through the State Department's online Public Access Link (PAL) or the National FOIA Portal.
• Give your full name and other names, date and place of birth, visa type, and the embassy or consulate.
• Embassies and consulates do not accept FOIA requests.
• If you were admitted on a visa and later applied for something with USCIS, a copy of the visa page or approval may also be in your USCIS A file.

Can I ask for a relative's records?

Yes, with their written permission. USCIS says you can request someone else's immigration records with their written consent (USCIS FOIA page). CBP requires a signed consent or a G-28 from a lawyer (CBP request page). ICE requires supporting documents for requests about another person, a minor or someone who has died (ICE how to submit).

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center adds practical tips from its September 2026 advisory: a notarized consent or a signed statement under penalty of perjury usually works; for someone who died, include a death certificate or obituary; and in USCIS's online system, the person whose records you want may get a text or email asking them to confirm their details, so file while they are with you (ILRC advisory).

What mistakes get requests rejected or delayed?

ILRC reports these problems in 2026 (ILRC advisory). These are practice reports, not agency rules:

• Details that do not match the file, such as a misspelled name, swapped day and month in a birth date, or a wrong A number.
• Optional fields filled in wrong, like a parent's name. Leave optional fields blank if you are not sure.
• Address problems. USCIS has rejected some requests that used a "care of" address or a confidential address. Survivors with a confidential address should talk to a lawyer before filing.
• Asking for everything when you need one document.

How much does it cost, and how long does it take?

• Cost: most people pay nothing. By law, people who are not making a commercial request get the first two hours of search and the first 100 pages free (5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(A)). The State Department says that by filing, you agree to fees up to $25 unless you say otherwise (State FOIA guide).
• Time: the law gives agencies 20 working days to decide (5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(A)). In practice, ILRC reports responses often take many months longer. Start early.
• Federal shutdown: a federal government shutdown is in effect as of October 21, 2026. Some federal sites and offices may be slow or closed. Keep trying, and keep a record of when you filed.

What if I get a denial or missing records?

• Read the final letter. It explains what was withheld and how to appeal.
• Appeal. The law gives you at least 90 days after a denial to appeal (5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(A)).
• Ask for mediation. USCIS points people to the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives, which mediates between requesters and agencies (USCIS FOIA page).
• Wrong information in your record? USCIS says you can ask to amend or correct a record under the Privacy Act. Say so clearly in your request.
• Questions about a pending application go to the USCIS Contact Center, 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833), not the FOIA office.

Questions people ask us

Will asking for my file get me in trouble? USCIS lets anyone request their own records. If you are worried about what your file shows, have a lawyer request it and read it with you.

Can a notario get my records for me? Do not pay a notario for this. You can do it yourself for free, or ask a lawyer or accredited representative. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

My parents brought me as a child. Can I find out how I entered? Ask USCIS for your A file and CBP for entry and border records. If you were never caught or processed, there may be no record.

My records are over 100 years old (for family history). USCIS sends those requests to its Genealogy Program.

Can I get my original birth certificate back from USCIS? That is not FOIA. ICE says to use Form G-884 with USCIS (ICE records page).

Who can help?

These are free or low cost services. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services, or call (916) 651-8017.
• Outside California: the Justice Department's list of free legal service providers.
• Catholic Charities San Francisco: immigration legal services page lists FOIA among its services.
• San Mateo County: Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, (650) 326-6440. Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, (650) 558-0915. San Mateo County Immigrant Services, (650) 363-4194.
• Santa Clara County: Office of Immigrant Relations partners.

Bringing records to a lawyer? See What to bring to your first meeting with an immigration lawyer.

Is there a worksheet I can print?