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HOW TO OBTAIN U.S. RECORDS |
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They are John P. Colletta’s, They Came in Ships (revised edition, Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993) and Michael Tepper’s, American Passenger Arrival Records (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1988). Both are found in the Family History Center in Monterey.
To Find Your Immigrant Ancestor
Records to search for this information
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Records. There are several records available ONLY from the USCIS. All must by requested either under the Privacy Act or the Freedom of Information Act. These include: "A" files (Alien Registration files); "C" files (Naturalizations); Immigrant Visa Applications; and Board of Special Inquiry flies. Your correspondence with USCIS must state that you are requesting the information under either the Privacy Act (PA) or the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Use the privacy act when requesting your own files. Use the Freedom of Information Act when requesting someone else's files. Provide the following information:
Whenever possible, provide the number of the files you want. For example, Immigration Visa Application, the visa number, consulate at which issued and the date of issue will be found on the passenger manifest. Visas were required beginning about 1924-1925. Alien registration was required by the Act of June, 1940. The Alien Registration Number will often be found on the Naturalization Petition if the person later became a citizen. Having the number simply makes it easier for the USCIS to respond to your inquiry. Send your letter to the following address:
Indicate on the bottom left corner of the envelope whether it is a PA of FOIA request. Keep your letter short and direct. You will usually receive an acknowledgement from the USCIS. The actual file will (hopefully) arrive about six (6) months later. Alien Registration Files. Under the Act of 28 June 1940, aliens entering the United States as immigrants, and residents of the United States who had not yet naturalized, were required to register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Annual renewals were required. Immigrant Visas. A document issued by a U.S. Consul abroad authorizing an alien to apply for admission as an immigrant to the United States. These where required beginning about 1924-1925. Naturalization (Citizenship) Files. Beginning in 1906, the INS has a copy of all persons who became naturalized American citizens. The original record was retained by the Court. A copy was forwarded to the INS. Whenever possible, obtain the petition and record of naturalization from the issuing court. Between 1790 and 27 September 1906, the only record of naturalization is in the court where the person become a citizen. The USCIS does not have a copy of these records. Board of Special Inquiry Files. Some immigrants where detained at the port of entry. For these listed on the "Aliens Held for Special Inquiry" page, there may be a file. Those individuals had a hearing before an Immigration Commissioner. In the New York arrival manifests, these pages are at the end of the ship's manifest. There are no such pages for the Boston passenger lists, but you many see the initials "SI" to the left of the passenger's name. IF a person is listed on the page "Record of Aliens Detained," there will be no such record. When requesting a "Board of Special Inquiry" file or "Immigrant Visa" file, it might be helpful to include a copy of the record with your request. Microfilm publication M1371, registers and indexes for Passport Application, contains the names of those who applied for passports between 1810 and 1906 on 13 rolls of microfilm. This is available at NARA facilities in Washington and Pittsfield. Since they are government films, it is very likely that the Family History Library has also acquired them. There is an excellent article on passport applications on the NARA web page at www.archives.gov, under the genealogy page.
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Chapter 5 in your reading, also provided information
on how to obtain the records listed. For more information on numerous
other resources, two excellent books, designed for, and written
by immigration genealogists, stand out as sources for additional
information. Because of the importance of passenger lists for tracing
immigrant origins, researchers should read both books (they are
relatively short) to fully understand the value and use of Immigration
Passenger Lists, as well as earlier lists of passengers to the United
States (or the former colonies). 
