How to Use Immigration Records for Ancestry Research

Use immigration records for ancestry and genealogy research.

Table of Contents

What are immigration records/naturalization Records?

Naturalization is the procedure by which a non-citizen/alien becomes a citizen of a state or country. Records of naturalization were not required to be reported to the United States government until the Basic Naturalization Act of 1906. Naturalization forms became standardized and were sent to the U.S. Bureau of Immigration (later the Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS]). Before that, federal, state, and local courts could naturalize citizens. The records are kept by each court or, in some cases, sent to be stored elsewhere. Immigrants often filed their first application for naturalization as soon as they came off the boat or other places on their journey to their final destination.

The formalized process required that a prospective citizen file a declaration to renounce allegiance to foreign sovereignties. Following a waiting period of five years, an immigrant could petition a federal court for formal citizenship.

Information Found on Immigration Records

What information will you find in immigration records?

There were three steps to the naturalization process, which are detailed below.

Declarations of Intention (or First Papers). Usually, the first papers were completed soon after arrival in the United States which vary based on the laws in effect at the time. Certain groups, such as women and children, were exempt in their early years.

Before September 1906, Declaration of Intention forms usually requested relatively minimal information about the applicant, including the name of the person requesting citizenship, year and country of birth, port of entry, month and year of entry into the United States, name of a foreign sovereign, signature, and date of request.

After September 1906, the Declaration of Intention forms requested more detailed information about the applicant, including name, age, occupation, personal description, place and date of birth, current address, country of emigration, name of the vessel, last for¬eign residence, name of a foreign sovereign, port of entry, year and month of entry into the United States, signature, and date of request increasingly.

Beginning in the late 1920s, the Declaration of Intention forms also requested information about other Family members.

Petition (Second or Final Papers). Naturalization petitions were formal applications submitted to the court by individuals who had met the residency requirements and declared their intention to become citizens. As with the declarations of intention, the information they contained varied dramatically from one court to another.

Before September 1906, information on the Petition for Naturalization was often limited to the petitioner’s name, address, occupation, country and date of birth, and the date and port of arrival in the United States.

After September 1906, you can expect to find more detailed information on different versions of the Petition for Naturalization. You can expect to find the
o Petitioner’s name
o Residence
o Occupation
o Race
o Date and place of birth
o Date and place of Declaration of Intention
o Marital status
o Name of spouse
o Date and place of spouse’s birth
o Date and place of marriage
o Residence of a spouse.
o Date and place of where spouse entered the United States (if applicable

It also required
o The names, dates of birth, and place of residence of children
o Last foreign residence
o Port of emigration
o Port and date of entry
o Petitioner’s name at the time of arrival
o The name of the vessel or other conveyance
o The name of a foreign sovereign, length of time, dates, and places of residency in the United States
o Signature and
o Date of the document.

The Petition for Naturalization includes a place for signed and dated affidavits of two witnesses, Certificate of Arrival file number, and Declaration of Intention file number. After 1930, the Petition for Naturalization often includes a photograph of the petitioner.

Certificates of Naturalization. Most certificates of naturalization contain only the name of the individual, the name of the court, and the date of issue. Certificates were issued to naturalized citizens upon completion of all citizenship requirements. The Certificate of Naturalization includes name, address, birthplace or national¬ity, the country from which they emigrated, birth date or age, personal description, marital status, name of spouse, age (or birth date) and address of spouse, information about children (including names, ages, and addresses), and date of the document.

Certificate of Citizenship. This document granted the individual United States citizenship.

Oath of Allegiance. This document was used to renounce an immigrant’s allegiance to a foreign country and declare their allegiance to the United States. The Oath of Allegiance includes the petitioner’s signature and the date of the document.

Where will you find immigration records? Start by looking in the courts of the county and city where the immigrant lived for the petition (second papers). It us much easier to find in courts near where the immigrant eventually settled. After 1906, the declaration can be filed with the petition as the immigrant was required to submit a copy when he submitted the petition. Online resources include Ancestry.com, Olive Tree Genealogy Naturalizations, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Also, check regional branches of the National Archives.

Other Records to Help in Ancestry Research

Where can I learn more about how to trace ancestry?

The following are important articles for learning about ancestry and historical research.

Where can I learn more about records to trace ancestry?

The following is an overview of 15 types of vital, government and historical records I have found constantly valuable in my individual, family, and narrative research. These records provide vital and biographical information on individuals and families. When I mastered researching these resources, I could quickly expand my research to other records to help me connect the pieces for writing narratives and other historical research.

For each record type, I have included what you will find, how to use the resource, and research insights for each record type. I would encourage you to use this article as a starting point from which you can search out and find other record tutorials guides and help to provide deeper insights.