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Immigration and Naturalization
Passenger Lists
Each U.S. port of immigration was required to keep records from the early 1800s to the present. Most of these records are available online. They are also available on microfilm at various libraries, LDS Family History Centers, and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). You will find the name of the port from where the ship sailed, the name and age of your ancestor, and any persons accompanying them. Port records vary in content depending upon the time frame. Information may also contain last place of residence, place of birth, name of nearest living relative, and intended destination once in the United States, among other bits of information.
Canadian port records are available for the years 1865 to 1935 (records after 1935 are closed due to a privacy act). Some records are available for earlier years, but they are few. Information contained on Canadian passenger records: name, age, country of origin, occupation and intended destination of passengers.
I don't know when my immigrant ancestor arrived.
Well, then you may need more information. If researching in the U.S. or Canada, consult census records. The 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 U.S. Census records contain the year of immigration (or at least the number of years in the U.S.). You should obtain copies of all census records for your ancestor. For a variety of reasons, the year of immigration can vary from one census record to another, so be sure to check as many as you can. Otherwise, you could spend a lot of wasted time searching the wrong year, especially if you are searching unindexed port records! Only the Canadian census returns of 1901 includes the year of immigration.
Naturalization records are another source of an immigration date. See the Naturalization section below.
I don't know the port my ancestor came through.
If you are researching in the United States, there are many ports where your ancestor may have entered the country: New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Galveston, to name a few. He/she may also have docked in Canada and made his/her way across the border into the U.S. There are lots of possibilities. If you can't locate them using any of the online sources for passenger records, search these published passenger lists found in many larger libraries (always verify the info contained in these books with the actual passenger record!):
If you don't find your ancestor listed in these books, then you can search the microfilmed indexes at your local Family History Center or NARA (or one of its regional branches). Some larger libraries have copies of these microfilms or can get them via inter-library loan as well. However, the New York port records have not been indexed for the years 1847-1897.
If your ancestors immigrated to Canada, they may have arrived at Quebec, Vancouver, Montreal, or one of the other ports. They may also have arrived at a U.S. port and crossed the border into Canada. Visit the National Archives of Canada for more information on immigration records for Canadian ports. There are also records available online (see below).
Online Resources for Immigration Information:
Naturalization Records
Don't overlook this potentially valuable source of information! The majority of U.S. naturalization records have been microfilmed. Knowing the date of naturalization is not required if the records are indexed. However, you must know the location of naturalization.
There is a great deal of information to be found on naturalization records, if your ancestor immigrated to the United States after 1906. In 1906, the information required on naturalization records became very detailed and often included the actual date of arrival and the name of the ship the immigrant sailed on.
However, very few naturalization records for Canada are available prior to 1917. Those naturalizations which occurred from 1917 onward contain valuable information, including the entry into Canada, and may include the names of spouses and children.
Australian naturalization records begin in 1904. The National Archives of Australia possesses a comprehensive index of surnames for all naturalizations after 1903. Naturalizations prior to this date were held by the individual states, and these records are located in the State Offices of the National Archives.
Resources for Naturalization Records:
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Last Modified: Sunday, 16-Sep-2012 07:41:42 MDT
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