American Samoa Emigration and Immigration

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How to Find the Records

Online Resources

1918-1965 U.S., American Samoa, Passenger Lists and Travel Documents, 1918-1965 at Ancestry; images only ($)
1918-1965 American Samoa, Passenger Lists and Travel Documents, 1918-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
1919-1924 Passports, 1919-1924 at FamilySearch Catalog; images only

What Can These Records Tell Me?

Visas: documents proving legal permission given by the authority of a country for a person who is not a citizen of that country to enter and to remain there for a specified length of time. Visas may include the following information:

Name of petitioner
Residence of petitioner
Date of birth
Month and year of visit
Intended length of stay in the country
Areas authorized to visit

Petitions for naturalization: formal applications submitted during the process of becoming a citizen of the country to which an individual has immigrated. Petitions for naturalization may contain the following information:

Name of petitioner
Residence of petitioner
Date of birth
Month and year of immigration
Court where petition is filed

Passports: travel documents, usually issued by the government of a nation, that certify the identity and nationality of the holder for the purpose of international travel. Passports may contain the following information:

Name of petitioner
Residence of petitioner
Date of birth
Nationality
Physical description of petitioner

Passenger Lists: documentation of ship passengers. Passenger lists may contain the following information:

Name of petitioner
Residence of petitioner
Month and year of immigration
Name of ship
Date of departure and arrival
Ports of departure and arrival
Occupation
Names of family members
Purpose of travel

Other records my include: Travel permits: documents allowing passengers to travel when they have not purchased a ticket in advance and the ticket office of the station they are traveling from is closed. Affidavits: written, sworn statements of fact voluntarily made under an oath to a person authorized to do so by law.