[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-305813-105":53,"doc-detail-305813-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":119,"head_meta":121,"extra_data":123,"updated_unix":125},105,"en","department-of-state-foia-requests-for-personal-records-august-2019","DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOIA REQUESTS FOR PERSONAL RECORDS - August 2019","","Practice Advisory (August 2019) explains how to file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the U.S. Department of State to obtain personal records relevant to immigration matters. It defines Requestor and Subject, outlines which record categories may be sought, and highlights that many immigration records for lawful permanent residents are held by USCIS instead. The advisory provides guidance on where to submit FOIA requests, including mail, fax, and electronic options, and emphasizes verifying addresses on the DOS website.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/department-of-state-foia-requests-for-personal-records-august-2019/305813/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/department-of-state-foia-requests-for-personal-records-august-2019/305813.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Ophelia","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-14","2026-09-19",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":8},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"Who are the Requestor and Subject in a DOS FOIA request?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"The Requestor is the individual requesting the records, and the Subject is the individual the FOIA request is about; in some cases they may be the same person.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What personal records can be requested from the U.S. Department of State?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"DOS considers personal records to include passport applications by U.S. citizens, visa requests by noncitizens, and personal correspondence with U.S. embassies and consulates.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Where should an FOIA request be directed when the subject is an LPR?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"If the subject is a lawful permanent resident, the FOIA request should be directed to USCIS, which maintains immigration records such as A-files and related documentation.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},305813,1790480176,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":9,"category_id":40,"category_name":41,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":8,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":135,"language":136,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":140,"read_time":76},7971461741311,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/74000253aff267980c6?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1779345379180704826","Practice Advisory | August 2019  \nDEPARTMENT OF STATE  \nFOIA REQUESTS FOR PERSONAL RECORDS  \nIn certain immigration cases, you may want to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the U.S. Department of State (DOS), such as to try to find information about previous visa applications and passport records. This Practice Advisory will go over the DOS FOIA process in detail and provide practice tips for obtaining personal records from them, including best practices.1 For the purposes of this Practice Advisory, the “Requestor” is the individual who is requesting the records while the “Subject” is the individual who is the subject of the FOIA request. In some cases, this may be the same person.  \nI . Introduction  \nThe U.S. Department of State (DOS) is a federal agency that leads the nation’s diplomatic affairs and foreign policy issues and provides a variety of services to U.S. citizens and noncitizens seeking to immigrate to the United States. These services include consular processing, visa applications, and passport applications. DOS may have records related to an individual’s immigration history, including previous applications, interviews, or adjudications.2 DOS’s FOIA website, which provides guidance, frequently asked questions, and more is located at [https://foia.state.gov/](https://foia.state.gov/) .  \nPlease note, however, that immigration records for clients who immigrated to the United States, e.g. , who successfully obtained lawful permanent resident (LPR) status after consular processing, are held by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) . Thus, if the subject of the FOIA request is an LPR, you should direct the FOIA request to USCIS, which maintains their immigration records, including A-files, a copy of the visa approval notice, authorization of permission to work, and records regarding adjudication for immigrant visa petitions. For more information regarding filing a FOIA with USCIS, see the ILRC’s Step by Step Guide to Completing FOIA Requests with DHS, available at [https://www.ilrc.org/step](https://www.ilrc.org/step)step-guide-completing-foia-requests-dhs, and the ILRC’s FOIA manual.  \nDOS also publishes its “Information Access Guide,”which provides a comprehensive overview of its FOIA practices. The Information Access Guide is located at [https://foia.state.gov/Request/Guide.aspx](https://foia.state.gov/Request/Guide.aspx. The)[. The](https://foia.state.gov/Request/Guide.aspx. The) regulations that govern DOS’s release of records under FOIA are located at 22 CFR § 171, but DOS’s website and the Information Access Guide provide a more user friendly, easy-to-navigate summary of this information.  \n1 Note that there is a separate process to seek records other than personal records from DOS that this beyond the scope of this Practice Advisory. For information about how to request non-personal records from DOS, please refer to DOS’s Information Access Guide located at [https://foia.state.gov/Request/Guide.aspx](https://foia.state.gov/Request/Guide.aspx).  \n2 Importantly, “permanent records 25 years and older, pre-1925 passport and pre-1940 visa records” are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration at [http://www.archives.gov](http://www.archives.gov).  \n\n| DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOIA REQUESTS | AUGUST 2019 | 1 |\n| --- | --- |\n\nDEPARTMENT OF STATE FOIA REQUESTS  \nII . What Records Can I Obtain?  \nDOS considers “personal records” to include applications from U.S. citizens for U.S. passports, visa requests from noncitizens, and personal correspondence with U.S. Embassies and Consulates.  \nWhile DOS maintains a variety of different records, for the purpose of immigration, two categories of personal records will be most relevant for your client: (a) applications for U.S. passports; and (b) visa requests from noncitizens. The first category of records may be helpful if you are investigating a client’s claim for citizenship. You may want to request any and all applications that ","cbCaii2qBwYBOB2z","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaii2qBwYBOB2z","pdf",515757,9,"English","# Introduction\n## Requestor and Subject\n## Where records may be held (DOS vs. USCIS)\n## Related guides and regulations\n# What Records Can I Obtain?\n## Personal records definitions\n## Passport applications\n## Visa requests and denials\n# How Do I File a Request?\n## Where to file (mail, fax, electronic)","[{\"question\":\"Who are the Requestor and Subject in a DOS FOIA request?\",\"answer\":\"The Requestor is the individual requesting the records, and the Subject is the individual the FOIA request is about; in some cases they may be the same person.\"},{\"question\":\"What personal records can be requested from the U.S. Department of State?\",\"answer\":\"DOS considers personal records to include passport applications by U.S. citizens, visa requests by noncitizens, and personal correspondence with U.S. embassies and consulates.\"},{\"question\":\"Where should an FOIA request be directed when the subject is an LPR?\",\"answer\":\"If the subject is a lawful permanent resident, the FOIA request should be directed to USCIS, which maintains immigration records such as A-files and related documentation.\"}]","DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOIA REQUESTS FOR PERSONAL RECORDS - August 2019 | PDF",1789828534]