California, San Francisco, Immigration Office Special Inquiry Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

California

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San Francisco

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California, San Francisco, Immigration Office Special Inquiry Records, 1910-1941 CID2299374 {{{CID2}}} {{{CID3}}} {{{CID4}}} {{{CID5}}} {{{CID6}}} {{{CID7}}} {{{CID8}}} {{{CID9}}}
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San Francisco,California, United States
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Record Description
Record Type	Immigration
Record Group	RG 85: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization
Collection years	1910-1941
Microfilm Publication	M1388. Registers of Persons Held for Boards of Special Inquiry at the San Francisco, California, immigration Office, February 1910-May 1941. 4 rolls.
Arrangement	Arrival Date and by Ship Name
National Archives Identifier	4468084 414
FamilySearch Resources
California Guided Research
California Record Finder
California Research Tips and Strategies
Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1905-Present
California
San Francisco County, California
California Emigration and Immigration
California Archives and Libraries
Immigration Records in the FamilySearch Library Catalog
Related Websites
NARA Passenger Lists
NARA Immigration and Naturalization Laws
INS Boards of Special Inquiry (BSI) Records
Archive
National Archives and Records Administration

What is in This Collection?

The collection consists of registers of persons held for Boards of Special Inquiry at the San Francisco, California, Immigration Office, February 1910-May 1941. This collection corresponds to NARA Publication M1388 and is part of Record Group 85 Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The collection is arranged by arrival date, and by ship

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

Index and Image Visibility

Whenever possible FamilySearch makes images and indexes available for all users. However, rights to view these data are limited by contract and subject to change. Because of this there may be limitations on where and how images and indexes are available or who can see them. Please be aware some collections consist only of partial information indexed from the records and do not contain any images. For additional information about image restrictions see Restrictions for Viewing Images in FamilySearch Historical Record Collections.

To Browse This Collection

You can browse through images in this collection using the waypoints on the Collection Browse Page for California, San Francisco, Immigration Office Special Inquiry Records, 1910-1941.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

• Name of ship
• Port of embarkation
• Date and seaport of entry
• Final destination
• Whether or not ticket to final destination
• Name of passenger
• Birthplace
• Age in years and months
• Gender
• Civil status
• Occupation
• Whether or not can read and write
• Nationality
• Last permanent residence
• Destination
• Who paid for passage
• Declaration of money in possession
• Whether or not has been in U. S. before
• Whether or not passenger has been in prison
• Whether or not passenger is a polygamist
• Name and address of relative or friend passenger plans to join
• Whether or not under contract to labor
• General condition and statement of health
• Description of passenger

Collection Content

Sample Image

• 

  Record of Aliens Held for Inquiry 1937

How Do I Search This Collection?

Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:

• The name of your immigrant ancestor
• The approximate age or date of immigration

If you do not know this information, check the census records after 1900.

Search the Index

Search by name on the Collection Details Page.

1. Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know
2. Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images

View images in this collection by visiting the Collection Browse Page:

1. Select Volume and Year Range to view the 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?

Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information.

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

• Add any new information to your records
• Use the information found in the record to find other port records, and ship’s manifests
• Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records
• If applicable, search for military records
• Search for naturalization records

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

• If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
• If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, try searching other possible localities or ports of entry
• Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
• Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names
• Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived. Then look for the naturalization petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts, 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

Research Helps

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

• Beginning Research in United States Immigration and Emigration Records
• California Guided Research
• California Research Tips and Strategies
• Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1905-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections

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

FamilySearch Catalog

• Registers of persons held for boards of special inquiry at the San Francisco, California Immigration Office, February 1910-May 1941, NARA M1388

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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National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.