The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced they would be expanding the digital Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Immigration Records System (FIRST). The FIRST system allows users to submit and track FOIA requests and receive information digitally. This move is meant to improve efficiency.
Individuals with a USCIS online account can request their own records and soon they will be able to file an online request for non-A-File material (policies, communications, etc.). Later in 2019, USCIS online account holders can request on behalf of another person.
USCIS reports that since the initial rollout of FIRST, users have created more than 77,000 USCIS online accounts to manage and receive FOIA responses.