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Virginia Naturalization Petitions - FamilySearch Historical Records

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Virginia Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929
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This article describes a collection of records at FamilySearch.org.
Virginia, 
United States
Flag of the United States of America
Flag of the United States of America
US Flag 1896-1908 (45 stars)
US Flag 1896-1908 (45 stars)
National Archives and Records Administration Logo
National Archives and Records Administration Logo
Location of the United States of America
Location of the United States of America
Record Description
Record Type Naturalization Petitions
Record Group RG 21: Records of District Courts of the United States
Collection years 1906-1929
Microfilm Publication M1645. Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Abington), 1914-1929. 2 rolls
M1646. Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Charlottesville), 1910-1929. 2 rolls
M1647. Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Richmond), 1906-1929. 10 rolls
M1648. Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria), 1909-1920. 5 rolls
National Archives Identifier 350
FamilySearch Resources
Related Websites
Archive
National Archives and Records Administration


What is in This Collection?

This collection consist of images of declarations and petitions filed in U.S. District and Circuit Courts in Virginia and corresponding to four record series at the National Archives.

U.S. Circuit Court:

While there were various types of naturalization records, the Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petition usually had the most complete genealogical information.

The first naturalization act was passed in 1802. Immigrants to the United States were not required to apply for citizenship. Of those who did apply, many did not complete the requirements for citizenship.

Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen was a two-part process: the Declaration of Intent to Naturalize, or First Papers, and the Naturalization Record (including the Naturalization Petition), or Final Papers. The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen.

No centralized files existed before 1906. In 1906 federal forms replaced the various formats that had been used by the various courts. Copies were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), creating a central file for naturalization papers. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Naturalization records are generally well preserved, but some records may have been lost to fire or other disasters.

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. Counties recorded naturalization procedures in the court records as legal proof of citizenship.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

Index and Image Visibility

FamilySearch provides images and indexes subject to contractual limitations and changes. Access to images and indexes may vary. Some collections may only have partial indexes without images. See Restrictions for Viewing Images for details.

To Browse This Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for Virginia Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Petition

  • Name of the petitioner
  • Residence
  • Country of birth
  • Place and date of arrival
  • Names of two witnesses
  • Petition number
  • Date of petition
  • Volume and page number of the petition

Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petitions

  • Date of Declaration of Intent of Naturalization
  • Name and age of immigrant
  • Occupation
  • Marital status
  • Name of spouse, including maiden name of wife
  • Physical description
  • Date and place of birth
  • Spouse's date and place of birth
  • Current residence
  • Last foreign residence
  • Name of place and country from which emigrated
  • Date of embarkation and port of departure
  • Date of arrival and port of entry
  • Names of witnesses
  • Signature of judge or court official

Collection Content

Sample Image

  • 1914 Naturalization Petition

    1914 Naturalization Petition

How Do I Search This Collection?

To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:

  • The full name of your ancestor
  • The approximate immigration and naturalization dates
  • The ancestor’s residence

If you do not know this information, check the 1900 or 1910 census and then calculate the possible year of naturalization based on the date of immigration. The 1920 census may tell you the exact year of immigration or naturalization.

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.
  1. Enter the information in the fields in the Search Collection section or click More Options to see additional fields
  2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:
  1. Select Court
  2. Select Record Description to view the images
Tip: More images are available in the FamilySearch Catalog at Virginia Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929. Some catalog records link to multiple references. In this case, click on a reference to find a camera icon to see images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?

Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

  • Add any new information to your records
  • Use naturalization records to:
  • Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
  • Confirm their date of arrival
  • Find records in his or her country of origin such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests
  • Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived, and then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts and then in state, county, or city courts
  • An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process
  • If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct
  • Continue to search the naturalization records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have naturalized in the same area or nearby
  • The witnesses named on naturalization records may have been older relatives of the person in the naturalization process. Search for their naturalizations
  • You may want to obtain the naturalization records of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname if they lived in the same county or nearby. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

  • Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
  • Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
  • Search the indexes and records of nearby localities

Research Helps

The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Virginia.

Other FamilySearch Collections

These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

  • American Naturalization Records, 1790-1990: what they are and how to use them, John J. Newman. Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998. FS Library book 973 P47na

Western District

Eastern District

FamilySearch Historical Records

Citing This Collection

Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation:
The citation for this collection can be found on the Collection Details Page in the section Cite This Collection.
Record Citation:
When looking at a record, the citation can be viewed by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Document Information.
Image Citation:
When looking at an image, the citation is found on the Information tab at the bottom left of the screen.
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