Legal Services
Freedom of Information Act Requests
To determine if a client is eligible for naturalization, Pathways legal staff may request a FOIA using Form G-639. The Freedom of Information Act is the United States freedom of information law that requires the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased or uncirculated information and documents controlled by the U.S. government, state, or other public authority upon request.
At Pathways, we conduct USCIS FOIA and FBI FOIA reviews on behalf of clients in order to confirm their eligibility for certain immigration benefits.
USCIS FOIA
A USCIS Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request can be used to access immigration records as well as any additional information that US Immigration might have on record. Pathways staff requests a USCIS FOIA when a client has had an interaction with immigration officials that could potentially prohibit them from seeking certain immigration benefits.
FBI FOIA
While a USCIS FOIA requests immigration records from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an FBI FOIA requests criminal records from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Pathways staff will request an FBI FOIA if a client has had some type of criminal infraction in the past that could hinder their ability to obtain a specific immigration benefit. Most, if not all, immigration applications require very specific details like exact dates and locations of certain events. All of the information you provide to USCIS should match whatever information they have on file. Often people cannot remember exact details of events that took place decades ago. Pathways reviews FOIAs to ensure clients qualify for the immigration benefits they seek and to provide the most accurate information possible on their behalf.
