Your future filing may depend on yesterday's records
Maintain a secure chronological archive. Include complete copies of applications, petitions, notices, decisions, entry records, visas, status documents, employment authorization, correspondence, and proof of delivery.
- Use encrypted storage with a separate backup.
- Name files consistently by date and document type.
- Keep a simple index and update it after every filing or appointment.
Keep originals, submitted copies and working notes distinct
Use three clearly named areas. “Original records” holds unedited scans and official downloads. “Submitted” holds the exact version of each filing and its confirmation. “Working” holds drafts, questions and annotations. This prevents a corrected draft from being mistaken for the document an agency actually received.
Use dates in year-month-day order and short descriptions. For example, 2026-09-20-Appointment-Notice is easier to sort than final-final-new.pdf. Avoid sensitive identifiers in filenames, especially when a device displays recent files on screen.
Make the archive recoverable
Maintain an index listing the document, date, case or process, storage location and whether you hold the original. Keep a separate protected backup and test whether an important file can actually be opened. A backup that depends on the same lost phone or forgotten password may not help when needed.
- Restrict sharing to people who need the particular record.
- Review access after changing a representative or helper.
- Keep account recovery methods current and private.
- Retain correspondence explaining corrections or replaced documents alongside both versions.
Example: a preparer changes
Before handing a file to a new helper, make a private inventory of what was submitted, what is still a draft and which notices are outstanding. Provide the relevant copies securely and keep your own archive. A folder full of screenshots may omit attachments, signature pages or submission confirmations, so check those explicitly.
After every appointment or filing, spend a few minutes updating the index. This guide describes a practical personal archive, not a legal retention schedule. Ask qualified counsel before discarding records that might matter in a future proceeding.