Finding and Using Alien Records
Researching immigrant ancestors can be challenging. Family historians often search for naturalization records to learn more about immigrants, but what if they were never naturalized? Alien records, including Alien Registration Forms (AR-2s) and Alien Files (A-Files), can provide a wealth of information, and are sometimes the only records that identify the origins of twentieth-century immigrants.
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About Author
Melissa Johnson
Professional genealogist specializing in New Jersey and New York City research, and genealogical writing, editing, and publishing.
Comments
Your article on “Finding and Using Alien Records” was very informative. I do have one question, if you have time. I have the Immigration/Passenger Lists for my ancestors who came into the U.S. in 1907 (father-in-law), and 1911 (mother-in-law to-be). Mother-in-law was 10 yrs. at the time, and came in with her parents. I always thought that if the parents were naturalized, then the children would automatically be included. If that isn’t true, and my mother-in-law was already naturalized, would she have lost her citizenship when she married circa 1920?
Thank you.
Loretta Kalmar
Hi Loretta,
Thank you for posting. Until 1940, children under the age of 21 were automatically naturalized when their father was naturalized. If your mother-in-law’s father naturalized before she was 21 years old, your mother-in-law would have become a U.S. citizen. If your mother-in-law married your father-in-law before September 22, 1922 and he was not a U.S. citizen, then she would have lost her U.S. citizenship (and gained whichever citizenship your father-in-law held). However, your mother-in-law could have become a U.S. citizen again if (1) her husband naturalized shortly after they married (but before 1922), (2) she naturalized on her own, or (3) she took an oath of allegiance. (Beginning in 1940, women who had lost their U.S. citizenship by marriage between 1907 and 1922 were allowed take an oath of allegiance to gain it back.) You may want to check federal and local naturalization indexes to see if any of these events occurred. You could also check the 1940 census to see whether your mother-in-law is identified as a naturalized citizen or as an alien (in column 16). If it appears that your mother-in-law had not gained her citizenship back by 1940, she should have completed an AR-2 form (and she may even have an A-File, depending on the circumstances). Best of luck with your research.
Great article, Melissa. A-files are particularly important for Chinese and Japanese research. Thank you.
Linda Okazaki
Good article! I’ve been wanting to research Alien registrations, so thanks. One question though – I had read/heard that there was a requirement for aliens to register during the WW1 years – any truth to that?
Hi Mark,
Yes, alien registration was also required between November of 1917 and April of 1918. However, most of these records no longer exist. Those that do survive are held at various locations (mostly on the local level), such as public libraries, state archives, and historical societies. Records for some states, such as Kansas, are available online: http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2137. The records can provide valuable information, so you may want to check and see if they exist for the area where your ancestors lived. Good luck with your research.