Freedom of Information/Privcy Act Request

OMB No. 1615-0102; Expires 10/31/10

Instructions for Form G-639, Freedom
of Information/Privacy Act Request

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Instructions
NOTE: Read all instructions carefully before completing this form. Applicants making false statements are subject to criminal
penalties (Pub. L. 93-579.99 Stat. [5 U.S.C. 552a(i)(3)]).

Do Not Use This Form:
1. To determine the status of pending applications. For status
inquires; write to the USCIS office where the application
was filed or call our National Customer Service Center at
1-800-375-5283.
2. For consular notification of a visa petition approval. Use
instead Form I-824, Application for Action on an
Approved Application or Petition.
3. For the return of original documents. Use Form G-884,
Request for Return of Original Documents.
4. For records of naturalization prior to September 27, 1906.
Write to the clerk of court where naturalization occurred.
5. For information on USCIS manifest arrivals prior to
December 1982. Write to the National Archives.
6. To obtain proof of status (i.e., Social Security benefit,
Selective Service requirement).

NOTE: Do not submit your FOIA/PA request to your local
USCIS office or Service Center.

What Information Is Needed to Search for
USCIS Records?
NOTE: Failure to provide complete and specific information
as requested in Number 5 of the form may result in a delay in
processing or USCIS' inability to locate the record(s) or
information requested. You may access www.uscis.gov for a
description of DHS/USCIS systems of records.

Verification of Identity by Mail
Requesters wanting access to their records must identify
themselves by name, current address, date and place of birth,
and alien registration number.

Where Should I Submit My FOIA/PA Request?

A notarized signature of the requester or a sworn declaration
under penalty of perjury must also be provided (Form G-639
or a U.S. Department of Justice Form 361, Certification of
Identity, may also be used).

Depending on the type of record you are seeking, Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) or Privacy Act (PA) requests must be
submitted by mail or fax to the following locations:

Verification of Identity of Parents,
Guardians, Children, or Other Persons

Alien Files, Procurement Information,
and Other USCIS Records
National Records Center (NRC)
FOIA/PA Office
P.O. Box 648010
Lee's Summit, MO 64064-8010
Fax: (816)350-5785
Human Resources
Customs and Border Protection
Burlington Human Resources Office
70 Kimball Avenue
South Burlington, Vermont 05403-6813
The envelopes containing your request must be clearly marked
"Freedom of Information" or "Privacy Act Request."
All FOIA or PA requests must be in writing whether Form
G-639 is used for that purpose or not.

Parents or legal guardians must establish their own identity as
parents or legal guardians and the identity of the child or other
person being represented.

Authorization or Consent
Other parties requesting non-public information about an
individual under FOIA or PA must provide proof of the
consent of that person on Form G-639 or by an authorizing
letter, together with appropriate verification of identity of the
record subject. A notarized or sworn declaration is required
from a record subject who is a lawful permanent resident or U.
S. citizen, and for access to certain legalization files.

Can Your Request Be Expedited?
To have your case processed ahead of other requests received
previously, you must show a compelling need for your request
to be expedited.

Form G-639 Instructions (02/04/09) N

How Do You Show a Compelling Need?
A requester who seeks expedited processing must explain in
detail the basis of the need and submit a separate statement
that the facts stated are certified to be true and correct to the
best of his or her knowledge and belief. The requester must
establish that one of the following situations exists in order to
receive expedited treatment of his or her FOIA/PA request:
1. Circumstances in which the lack of expedited processing
could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat to
the life or physical safety of an individual; or
2. An urgency to inform the public about an actual or alleged
Federal Government activity, if made by a person primarily
engaged in disseminating information.

Fees
No fees are required until you are notified by USCIS during
the processing of your request.
Except for commercial requesters, the first 100 pages of
reproduction and two hours of search time will be provided
without charge. Thereafter, for requests processed under the
Privacy Act, there may be a fee of 10 cents per page for
photocopy duplication.
Other costs for searches and duplication will be charged at the
actual direct cost.
Fees will only be charged if the aggregate amount of fees for
searches, copy, and/or review is more than $14. If the total
anticipated fees amount to more than $250, or the same
requester has failed to pay fees in the past, an advance deposit
may be requested.
NOTE: If fees for a prior request are outstanding, we will not
honor future requests until all fees are paid.
Fee waivers or reductions may be sought for a request that
clearly will benefit the public and is not primarily in the
personal or commercial interest of the requester. Such requests
must include a justification.

When Must You Submit the Fees?
Do not send money with this request. When USCIS instructs
you to do so, submit the fees in the exact amount.
Payment may be in the form of a check or U.S. postal money
order. If the form is submitted from outside the United States,
remittance may be made on a bank international money order
or foreign draft drawn on a financial institution based in the
United States, made payable in U.S. currency to the "United
States Treasury."

A requester residing in the U.S. Virgin Islands must make the
remittance payable to the "Commissioner of Finance of the
Virgin Islands" and, if residing in Guam, to the "Treasurer,
Guam." Do not send cash at any time.
A charge of $30 will be imposed if a check in payment of a
fee is not honored by the bank on which it is drawn. Each
remittance will be accepted subject to collection.

Routine Uses
Information will be used to comply with requests for
information under Title 5 U.S. Code 552 and 552a.
Information provided to other agencies may be for referrals,
consultations, and/or to answer subsequent inquiries
concerning specific requests.

Effect of Not Providing Requested Information
Providing the information requested on this form is voluntary.
However, failure to furnish the information may result in our
inability to comply with a request.

General Information
The Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) allows
requesters to have access to Federal agency records, except
those exempted by the Act.

Privacy Act Statement
Authority to collect this information is contained in Title 5
U.S. Code 552 and 552a. The purpose of the collection is to
enable USCIS to locate applicable records and to respond to
requests made under the Freedom of Information and Privacy
Acts.

Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a)
With certain exceptions, the Privacy Act of 1974 permits
persons (U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens) to gain
access to information pertaining to themselves in Federal
agency records, to have a copy made of all or any part thereof,
to correct or amend such records, and to permit individuals to
make requests concerning what records pertaining to
themselves are collected, maintained, used, or disseminated.
The Act also prohibits disclosure of any person's records
without his or her written consent, except under certain
circumstances as prescribed by the Privacy Act.

Form G-639 Instructions (02/04/09) N Page 2

USCIS Forms and Information

Paperwork Reduction Act

To order USCIS forms, call our toll-free number at
1-800-870-3676. You can also get USCIS forms and
information on immigration laws, regulations, and procedures
by telephoning our National Customer Service Center at
1-800-375-5283 or visiting our Internet Web site at
www.uscis.gov.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information
collection and a person is not required to respond to a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid
OMB control number. The public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated at 15 minutes per
response, including the time for reviewing instructions and
completing and submitting the form. Send comments
regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including suggestions for reducing
this burden, to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services,
Regulatory Management Division, 111 Massachusetts
Avenue, N.W., 3rd Floor, Suite 3008, Washington, DC
20529-2210. OMB No. 1615-0009. Do not mail your
application to this address.

Use InfoPass for Appointments
As an alternative to waiting in line for assistance at your local
USCIS office, you can now schedule an appointment through
our Internet-based system, InfoPass. To access the system,
visit our Internet Web site at www.uscis.gov. Use the
InfoPass appointment scheduler and follow the screen
prompts to set up your appointment. InfoPass generates an
electronic appointment notice that appears on the screen. Print
the notice and take it with you to your appointment. The
notice gives the time and date of your appointment, along with
the address of the USCIS office.

Form G-639 Instructions (02/04/09) N Page 3