Last verified: September 30, 2026. Official procedures can change; use the linked agency pages when you file.
NARA receives additional A-Files over time. Search the National Archives Catalog for the person first. If the file is described there, follow that catalog entry. If not, use the person’s dates and file type to determine whether USCIS FOIA, USCIS Genealogy, a court, or another archive is the better next step.
What NARA currently says it holds
NARA’s current A-File page says Kansas City holds a portion of available A-Files for people born in 1918 and earlier. San Francisco holds a portion for people born in 1920 and earlier from certain former INS district offices. NARA says new accessions will expand coverage, so these are descriptions of present holdings—not a promise that every person born before those years is at NARA.
Use the National Archives Catalog first
Each NARA A-File in its custody is described at the individual-file level. Catalog entries can include the A-number, names and aliases, date and country of birth, entry information, parent names and naturalization details. If you find the person there, the catalog identifies the NARA location controlling the file.
When USCIS FOIA is the likely path
USCIS FOIA is designed for access to USCIS records and is the route we used for our deceased relative’s A-File. USCIS Genealogy instructions also direct researchers seeking records of living immigrants, immigrants who arrived after 1945, or people who naturalized after April 1, 1956 to use Form G-639 / FOIA rather than the historical Genealogy record-copy form.
When USCIS Genealogy can matter
The Genealogy Program covers specified historical record series. Current Form G-1041A materials include C-Files, AR-2s, certain visa and registry files, and A-Files numbered below 8 million with historical limits. If you do not know a historical USCIS file number, the Genealogy Program has an index-search process. Fees and eligible series can change, so use the current USCIS Genealogy instructions rather than copying an old fee table from another website.
Related guides
Our USCIS A-File request
See how the online request, failed first attempt and final download worked for us.
Read guide →NaturalizationFind U.S. naturalization records
A date-based map of courts, NARA, C-Files and A-Files.
Read guide →A-numberFind an A-number
Where the number can appear and what to do when you do not know it.
Read guide →Official / primary sources
We separate current source-based guidance from our own family’s experience. Agency custody, forms, fees and procedures can change.