Request A-File?

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octopus

Registered Users (C)
I have heard some people talking about a freedom act. Supposedly, one can request a copy of all immigration stuff that U.S. government has about you. Probably the originals or copies of all application one ever submitted, data from border security, etc.

It should be free. Has anyone ever tried that? I wonder for what purposes should this be useful.

Could also one request to erase some of the information they have about him? This is just for a curiosity.
 
octopus said:
I have heard some people talking about a freedom act. Supposedly, one can request a copy of all immigration stuff that U.S. government has about you. Probably the originals or copies of all application one ever submitted, data from border security, etc.

It should be free. Has anyone ever tried that? I wonder for what purposes should this be useful.

Could also one request to erase some of the information they have about him? This is just for a curiosity.
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USCIS FOIA page with much info: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/us...nnel=34139c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

The form: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/us...nnel=db029c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

While there is no filing fee, you may be asked to pay for producing a large item. IF they find that your request would require a fee, they ask you if you want to pay for it or shrink your request.
 
Yup I did that, and it took them 8 months, and my mom received it this month. Guess what it contained. 3 sheets of paper! I don't know what they are, but she's sending them to me.
 
cafeconleche said:
Yup I did that, and it took them 8 months, and my mom received it this month. Guess what it contained. 3 sheets of paper! I don't know what they are, but she's sending them to me.
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And you did that just for your curiosity or because it is useful.

Also I found this old thread: http://forums.immigration.com/showthread.php?276353-G884-Return-of-Original-Documents

Allegedly it is possible to get returned all the original documents from one immigration file.
Using form G-884: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/g-884.pdf

Will this clean my file? :)
 
octopus said:
And you did that just for your curiosity or because it is useful.

Also I found this old thread: http://forums.immigration.com/showthread.php?276353-G884-Return-of-Original-Documents

Allegedly it is possible to get returned all the original documents from one immigration file.
Using form G-884: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/g-884.pdf

Will this clean my file? :)
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There are limits on what can be returned. As with everything in the immigration arena, it's just not that simple. FOIA has categorical exemptions of things you can't have and then there are case-by-case exemptions.

Here is a link to further FOIA info from the Department of Justice: http://www.justice.gov/oip/foiapost/mainpage.htm
 
I did it because I thought I'd get a complete (or somewhat decent) overview of my immigration journey for my own records.
 
cafeconleche said:
I did it because I thought I'd get a complete (or somewhat decent) overview of my immigration journey for my own records.
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1) What exactly did they return? Did you get everything you ever ever sent them?

2) Do you get copies or the originals?
 
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