United States Naturalization and Citizenship: Difference between revisions

''[[United States of America|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United_States_Naturalization_and_Citizenship|U.S. Naturalizations]]''  

:*Date and number of Declaration of Intention (if filed), and city and State where filed

:*Date of Petition for Naturalization (if filed), and city and State where filed

Immigrants could naturalize in any court that performed naturalizations. That included city, county, state and federal courts. After 1906, federal courts naturalized many immigrants, however, other local courts continued the naturalize as late as 1985. Check all possible courts in the area your ancestor lived.  

Begin by looking for naturalization records in the courts of the county or city where the immigrant lived. Look first for the petition (second papers) because they are usually easier to find in courts near where the immigant 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.  

One federal court that may contain your ancestor's naturalization records is the District Court.  However, to search the these records you must first determine the district court your ancestor lived in.  Click on [[United States District Court Jurisdictions|United States District Court Jurisdictions]] to help you identify the correct District Court.  You must know the county your ancestor resided in.  

:''[http://www.footnote.com '''Footnote.com''']''--This website has a partnership with the National Archives in bringing digital images of some of the National Archives collections online.  Some of the website is free, other images are only available through a subscription.  Free access is given to the website at the National Archives, at National Archives regional branches and at Family History Centers that have Internet access. To locate naturalization databases on footnote.com, choose the "browse all" [http://www.footnote.com/browse.php link]. Under the category list, click on [http://www.footnote.com/browse.php#Naturalizations:%201700%20-%20mid%201900s|-1 Naturalizations 1700s - Mid 1900s].  At the bottom of the screen, use the "search within" box to type in a name.  There is also an "advanced search" option that helps narrow down common names when more information is known about the ancestor.

::2) Immigration &amp; Emigration--click on the Search tab at the top of the page, then scroll down to Immigration &amp; Emigration and; click on that link. Search by first and last name. Note that the search results include naturalization and many other immigration records. [http://www.naturalizationrecords.com/index.shtml <br>]

:[http://www.naturalizationrecords.com/index.shtml '''''Olive Tree Genealogy Naturalization''s''']--Free access to many indexes and some are submitted by Olive Tree Genealogy(OTG) volunteers.

:[http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis '''''United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)''''']--After 1906, a copy of all naturalization records were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service or INS, now called the&nbsp; USCIS. You may access their records through their [http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=d21f3711ca5ca110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=d21f3711ca5ca110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD Genealogy Program]. Their website is [http://www.uscis.gov www.uscis.gov]. More details are listed below under, ''Using the Genealogy Program at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.'''''<br>'''

In some states, naturalization records are included in other court records and are not separately identified. The state research outlines will help you locate these records.  

A key reference book about naturalizations is: <br>• Schaefer, Christina K. Guide to Naturalization Records in the United States. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997. (FHL book 973 P4s.) Identifies records at both the National Archives and the Family History Library. It also describes many state and county courthouse collections. This book was published in 1997 and has not been updated. The Family History Library has added naturalization records to their collection. <br>

The clerk of the court where the immigrant was naturalized may still have the original records. Some copies of court naturalization records have been transferred to National Archives regional branches. Because of the high expense of getting naturalization records from the USCIS, it is suggested to check to see if the Federal Court records are located at a National Archives regional branch or at the court house the naturalization document was filed. <br>

The [http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)] has instituted the [http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextchannel=d21f3711ca5ca110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextoid=d21f3711ca5ca110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD Genealogy Program] for the public to access all records up to 1956 created by this agency, formerly Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Be sure to review the [http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=3e0c69a3a0331110VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=d21f3711ca5ca110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD Genealogy Frequently Asked Questions website] to expedite your order and ensure success in your request.