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RFE response cover letter: what to include (with sample)

No rule we found requires a cover letter with an RFE response, but a good one helps. See what goes in it, a sample, and how to pack the response.

Matthew LaCrosseCo-founder and co-CEO

The short answer

The rules we read don’t require a cover letter with your response to a request for evidence. A good one can help the officer match each document to each request. Send everything together in one package 1. Include the original notice 3. Mail it to the address printed on the notice, not a USCIS Lockbox 4. The deadline is printed on the notice, and USCIS can’t add time 1.

Key points

  1. No rule we found requires a cover letter. A good one names the receipt number, answers each numbered request, and points to the exhibit that answers it.
  2. Everything goes in one package, with the original notice. A partial response is treated as a request for a decision on what’s in the file 13.
  3. Send it to the address printed on your notice, not a Lockbox 4. Keep a full copy for yourself. That is practice, not a rule.

Do you need a cover letter for an RFE response?

Not under any rule we found. A (RFE) is USCIS saying it needs more proof before it can decide 8. The rules on answering one don’t mention a cover letter 1.

What the rules do say is plain. You must send all requested materials together at one time, within the response period 1.

You send the original RFE with them 3.

A cover letter isn’t a rule. It is a habit that helps.

It tells the officer which document answers which request, so nothing looks missing.

USCIS’s own draft RFE template from 2015 points the same way. It tells officers to ask for an index of the evidence, with a tab for each section 5.

That template is old, and it was for one form. But it shows an index is nothing odd to send.

So a tab-and-index packet is common practice. It is not a requirement.

  1. Send everything at once

    All requested materials go together, at one time, within the response period 1.

    Rule8 CFR 103.2

  2. Send the notice back

    The original RFE goes in with your response 3.

    RulePolicy Manual

  3. Write a cover letter

    The rules on answering an RFE don’t mention one 1. It helps the officer match each document to each request. USCIS’s 2015 draft template asks for an index 5.

    Optional, helps

Not sure which kind of RFE you have? Start with our main guide: Got a request for evidence from USCIS? Here’s what it means.

Two of these are rules. The cover letter is a habit that helps, not a requirement 135.

What does a sample RFE response cover letter look like?

Below is a complete sample for a common case. A U.S. citizen petitioned for a spouse, and the spouse applied for a green card on Form I-485.

USCIS then asked for two things: the sponsor’s tax transcript and a translation of a birth certificate.

Every name, number and date is made up. This is one way to organize a response. Your notice is the guide, not this letter.

Sample

Sample. Not a form USCIS requires.(Names, numbers and dates are made up.)

The label

It stops anyone from copying it as an official form. We found no USCIS form for RFE responses.

  • Practice, not a rule

Receipt number: IOE0000000000

Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

Applicant: Maria Example A-Number: A000-000-000

Notice dated: May 5, 2025 Response due: July 28, 2025

June 16, 2025

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
[Address exactly as printed on the notice]

RE: Response to Request for Evidence
Dear Officer:

I am responding to the Request for Evidence dated May 5, 2025. The original notice is included in this package. All requested materials are enclosed together.

REQUEST 1: Sponsor’s tax transcript

The notice asks for the sponsor’s IRS tax transcript.

RESPONSE: Exhibit 1 is the IRS tax return transcript of the sponsor, Daniel Example, for tax year 2024 (2 pages).

REQUEST 2: Birth certificate translation

The notice asks for a certified English translation of the applicant’s birth certificate.

RESPONSE: Exhibit 2 is a copy of the birth certificate (1 page) with its full English translation and the translator’s certification (2 pages).

INDEX OF EXHIBITS

RequestExhibitWhat it isPages
11IRS tax transcript, 20241-2
22Birth certificate, copy, with certified translation3-5

Enclosed: original Request for Evidence; Exhibits 1-2. These are copies. No originals are enclosed.
Thank you for your review.

Sincerely,
(signature)
Maria Example, Applicant
Date signed: June 16, 2025

Why it is there

The label

It stops anyone from copying it as an official form. We found no USCIS form for RFE responses.

  • Practice, not a rule
Note 1 of 11
A made-up sample. Tap a numbered pin to see why that part is there and where the rule comes from 13456.

What do you write under each request?

Keep it short. Say what the notice asked for, then say where the answer is. One or two sentences per request is enough.

Stick to what was asked. Extra papers can make the packet harder to read. That is a habit of careful filers, not a rule.

If the notice asks for something that doesn’t exist, say so in the letter. The rules let you show the document is unavailable and send other proof instead 1.

From the noticeThe notice asks for the sponsor’s IRS tax transcript.

In your letterExhibit 1 is the IRS tax return transcript of the sponsor, Daniel Example, for tax year 2024 (2 pages).

From the noticeThe notice asks for a certified English translation of the applicant’s birth certificate.

In your letterExhibit 2 is a copy of the birth certificate (1 page) with its full English translation and the translator’s certification (2 pages).

  1. Say so in the letterShow the document is unavailable 1.

  2. Send other proofSecondary evidence, such as church or school records 1.

  3. Still nothing?Two or more sworn statements from people who aren’t parties to the petition and have direct knowledge can stand in 1.

Say what was asked, then where the answer is. If a document doesn’t exist, the rules let you show that and send other proof 1.

That other proof, called secondary evidence, can be records such as church or school records. If those aren’t available either, two or more sworn statements from people who aren’t parties to the petition and have direct knowledge can stand in 1.

Don’t argue the whole case unless the notice asks you to explain something. Your evidence does the talking.

What goes in the exhibit index?

An is a group of papers you attach to answer one request. An index is a one-page list of them, by number.

For each exhibit, list its number, a plain name, and the pages it covers. In the sample, the index also lists the request number each exhibit answers.

That last column does the most work. The officer reads request 2 and sees exhibit 2 on pages 3 to 5. They don’t have to hunt.

A plain name tells the reader more than “Exhibit A.” Request 2 → exhibit 2, pages 3-5.

Each exhibit points back to the request it answers, with page numbers. The index is common practice, and USCIS’s 2015 draft template asks for one 5.

Keep names descriptive. “IRS tax transcript, 2024” tells the reader more than “Exhibit A.” Keep the numbers in the same order as the requests.

Number the pages across the whole package, if you can. This is practice, not a rule. It lets the letter point to exact pages.

Exhibits are copies unless USCIS asked for an original. USCIS says to send legible copies of official documents 4. The rules let required supporting documents be “original or photocopied,” as the form instructions direct 1.

How do you pack the response in order?

Start from the top of the stack. The order below is the order the officer sees. Items marked “Rule” come from a regulation, the Policy Manual or USCIS guidance. Items marked “Practice” are common habits, not rules.

6 of 6 sheets in the packet

Top of the stack

  1. The original RFE notice, first

    • RuleSend the original notice with your response 3.
    • PracticePutting it first is common. If your notice says where to put it, do that.

  2. The cover letter

    • PracticeOne to two pages, as in the sample.

  3. The exhibit index

    • PracticeAlso asked for in USCIS’s 2015 draft template 5.

  4. The exhibits, in request order

    • RuleEverything requested goes in at one time 1. Copies, not originals, unless the notice asks for originals 4.

  5. Certified translations behind the document they translate

    • RuleEach translation must be complete, certified accurate, and come with the translator’s certification 1.
    • PracticePlacing it behind the document.

  6. Any form USCIS asked you to fix or re-sign

    • RuleA benefit request needs an acceptable signature 1. If the notice asks for a corrected form, send it.

Bottom of the stack

Six items, top to bottom. “Rule” items come from the regulation or USCIS guidance; “Practice” items are habits 1345.

What should you check before you mail it?

Run through these, in this order, before the envelope closes.

0 of 5 checked. The flap stays open.

Five checks before you seal it. The printed date on the notice rules, even when mail days are added 1234.

If your case is in an online account, you respond there instead. Log in and open the “Documents or Notices” tab 9. The same letter and index still help.

If you miss the deadline, USCIS may deny the case as abandoned, deny it on the record, or both 1. Our main guide covers the full rules.

When should you talk to a lawyer?

Consider it if the RFE touches something beyond a missing paper. Examples are questions about whether your marriage is real, a past immigration problem, or a request you can’t meet.

Consider it, too, if the deadline is short. You can’t get more time 1.

You don’t need a representative. If you want one, USCIS lists three kinds who can represent you in the U.S.: an attorney in good standing, an at a Department of Justice (DOJ) recognized organization, or a supervised law student or graduate 7.

Three kinds of people can represent you

  • An attorneyin good standing

  • An accredited representativeat a Department of Justice recognized organization

  • A law student or graduatewho is supervised

Notario = notary. In the U.S., a notary public is not an attorney and can’t represent you.

Before any call, gather

  • The notice
  • Your original filing
  • A draft of your letter
Free and low-cost lists: USCIS Legal ServicesFor the sponsor’s side: the I-864 RFE guide
You need no representative. If you want one, USCIS lists three kinds who can represent you. A “notario” is not one of them 7.

USCIS’s Legal Services page links to the DOJ’s lists of free and low-cost lawyers and of accredited representatives 7. ImmigrationLawHelp.org helps low-income immigrants find legal help by state, county or zip code 10.

Be careful with a “notario.” A “notario público” may be a lawyer in some countries. In the U.S., a notary public is not an attorney and can’t represent you 7.

Before any call, gather the notice, your original filing, and a draft of your letter. It makes a short call go further. For the sponsor’s side of an RFE, see our guide on the I-864 RFE.

Talk it through with Scribe

Tell Scribe what your notice says. It helps you understand your options in plain English and writes a summary you can share with a lawyer. Talking with Scribe is free.

Talk to Scribe for free

Scribe is an AI assistant, not a lawyer. AI can make mistakes. Check important details, and talk to a lawyer before you act.

Common questions

Does USCIS require a cover letter with an RFE response?

The rules we read don’t mention one. They require that you send all requested materials together, with the original notice 13. A cover letter is a common way to organize that.

Can I send the originals of my documents?

Only if the notice asks. USCIS says to send legible copies, and may destroy originals that weren’t requested 4. If USCIS asks for an original, send it by the deadline 1.

Sources

  1. 8 CFR 103.2, Submission and adjudication of benefit requests · Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute
  2. 8 CFR 103.8, Service of decisions and other notices · Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
  3. Policy Manual, Vol. 1, Part E, Ch. 6, Evidence · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  4. Tips for Filing Forms by Mail · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  5. Draft RFE template for comment, Form I-140 E13 (posted January 2015) · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  6. Instructions for Affidavit of Support, Form I-864 (edition 08/24/26) · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  7. Legal Services · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  8. Request for Evidence (RFE) glossary entry · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  9. Online Filing Options · U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
  10. ImmigrationLawHelp.org · ImmigrationLawHelp.org

Matthew LaCrosse

Co-founder and co-CEO

Matthew has helped build more than 200 early-stage startups over 17 years. At Scribe he leads product.

Scribe is an AI assistant, not a lawyer. A conversation does not create an attorney-client relationship. This article is general information, not legal advice.

request for evidence

A notice from USCIS saying it needs more proof before it can decide 8.

exhibit

A group of papers you attach to answer one request. It gets a number.

certified translation

A full English version of a foreign-language document, certified complete and accurate by the translator, who also certifies they are competent to translate 1.

accredited representative

A non-lawyer who works for a DOJ-recognized organization and may represent you before USCIS 7.

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