Sometimes you may need information that is contained in your government immigration record, which is called an alien file. There are also several government databases that contain information about your entries and exits from the country, any applications you were a part of, and any times you have interacted with immigration enforcement.
ℹ️ Clients often need to get a copy of these records in order to explain something that is unknown about their immigration history, to determine where they stand.
For example, we have helped clients who came into the country as children, when no one had records that explained how. We have helped some clients prove that they are U.S. citizens, by establishing that their parent naturalized while they were under 21. Other times, clients may have had an interaction with immigration enforcement, but are not sure exactly what happened because they didn’t understand.
🕐 It can take several months to get the FOIA responses from the government.
Since August 2026, USCIS does not have to ask you for missing evidence before denying an application. What that means for your filing.