Michigan Emigration and Immigration

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The FamilySearch moderator for Michigan is Sallyrose1.

United States

U.S. Emigration and Immigration

Michigan

Emigration and Immigration

United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records

How to Find the Records

• Major ports of entry to Michigan have been New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Quebec.

Online Resources

• 1500s-1900s All U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Michigan; Also at MyHeritage; index only ($)
• 1894-1954 United States, Border Crossings from Canada to United States, 1894-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1895-1956 United States, Border Crossings from Canada, 1895-1956 at MyHeritge; index & images ($); includes those with Destination of Michigan
• 1900-1965 Michigan, Detroit Passenger Lists, 1900-1965 at FindMyPast; index & images ($)
• 1903-1965 Michigan Passenger and Crew Lists, 1903-1965 at Ancestry; index & images ($)
• 1905-1963 Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1963 at Ancestry; index & images ($)
• 1906-1954 Michigan, Detroit Manifests of Arrivals at the Port of Detroit, 1906-1954 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images ($)
• 1929-1966 Michigan, Crew Lists for various ports, 1929-1966 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images

Cultural Groups

• 1920-1939 Germany, Bremen Emigration Lists, 1920-1939 at MyHeritge; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Michigan
• Immigrant ships of the Dutch Colonists of the 19th century to West Michigan and Iowa
• Germans Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritge; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Michigan
• Italians Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritge; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Michigan
• Russians Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Michigan

Passport Records Online

• 1795-1925 - United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1795-1925 - U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 Index and images, at Ancestry ($)

Offices to Contact

Although many records are included in the online records listed above, there are other records available through these archives and offices. For example, there are many minor ports that have not yet been digitized. There are also records for more recent time periods. For privacy reasons, some records can only be accessed after providing proof that your ancestor is now deceased.

National Archives and Records Administration

• The National Archives (NARA) has immigration records for arrivals to the United States from foreign ports between approximately 1820 and 1982. The records are arranged by Port of Arrival (See Part 5).

• You may do research in immigration records in person at the National Archives Building, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408-0001.

• Some National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) regional facilities have selected immigration records; call to verify their availability or check the online Microfilm Catalog.
• Libraries with large genealogical collections, such as the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah and the Allen County Piblic Library also have selected NARA microfilm publications.

• Order copies of passenger arrival records with NATF Form 81.

U.S. Citizenship and and Immigration Services Genealogy Program

The USCIS Genealogy Program is a fee-for-service program that provides researchers with timely access to historical immigration and naturalization records of deceased immigrants. If the immigrant was born less than 100 years ago, you will also need to provide proof of his/her death.

Immigration Records Available

• A-Files: Immigrant Files, (A-Files) are the individual alien case files, which became the official file for all immigration records created or consolidated since April 1, 1944.
• Alien Registration Forms (AR-2s): Alien Registration Forms (Form AR-2) are copies of approximately 5.5 million Alien Registration Forms completed by all aliens age 14 and older, residing in or entering the United States between August 1, 1940 and March 31, 1944.
• Registry Files: Registry Files are records, which document the creation of immigrant arrival records for persons who entered the United States prior to July 1, 1924, and for whom no arrival record could later be found.
• Visa Files: Visa Files are original arrival records of immigrants admitted for permanent residence under provisions of the Immigration Act of 1924.

Requesting a Record

• Web Request Page allows you to request a records, pay fees, and upload supporting documents (proof of death).
• Record Requests Frequently Asked Questions

Finding Town of Origin

Records in the countries emigrated from are kept on the local level. You must first identify the name of the town where your ancestors lived to access those records. If you do not yet know the name of the town of your ancestor's birth, there are well-known strategies for a thorough hunt for it.

• U. S. Immigration Records: Finding the Town of Origin

Background

• Pre-statehood settlers of Michigan generally came from New York, Ohio, the New England states, and Ontario.
• Many immigrants from Germany and the Netherlands arrived by 1850. Later arrivals were Scandinavian, Irish, Cornish, Italian, and Polish. A helpful source on Michigan immigrants is:
• The United States made records of the individuals who came into Michigan from Canada. The library has a film copy of these records in:

United States Immigration and Naturalization Services. Detroit District Manifest Records of Aliens Arriving from Foreign Contiguous Territory: Arrivals at Detroit, Michigan, 1906–1954 (Washington, D.C.: Immigration and Naturalization Services, [195?]) Michigan, Detroit Manifests of Arrivals at the Port of Detroit 1906-1954 images only–Free. FHL firm 1490449 (first of 117 films

A Wiki article describing this online resource is Michigan, Detroit Manifests of Individuals Entering Through the Port of Detroit - FamilySearch Historical Records

• There are also Passenger and Alien Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at the Port of Detroit, MI, 1946–1957, available at the National Archives (National Archives on 23 rolls; series M1479).

• Records of ethnic groups are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under MICHIGAN - MINORITIES. A few sources for the Chippewa, Potawatomi, and Ottawa Indians in Michigan are listed under MICHIGAN - NATIVE RACES.
  

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:

Michigan, Detroit Manifests of Individuals Entering Through the Port of Detroit - FamilySearch Historical Records
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