Along with birth records and death records, if you trace your family history genealogy back far enough, you'll be able to find immigration records. Between the late 1800s and early 1900s, a mass exodus of Europeans flooded into America, arriving from Germany, Italy, Britain, Scotland, Ireland, Poland, Russia, Greece and other lands. According to Ellis Island records, the peak year of immigration was 1907, with 1,004,756 souls received. Some days, over 11,000 foreign citizens were processed, hoping for a new life. By looking up these records, you can find out what countries your relatives came from, where they worked and where they lived. To begin your free search of online naturalization and immigration documents, start at Home Att, where resources are listed by state. These records usually include first papers, which is where an alien renounces foreign citizenship to become a US citizen. Before 1906, immigrant information included the person's name, country of birth or allegiance, application date, the port of arrival and a signature. After 1906, family genealogy information also included the applicant's age, occupation, personal description, current address, last foreign address, the vessel and the port from which it embarked. While making your family tree online, you may also want to fill out an online request for immigration records too. This can be done at the National Archives at Eservices Archives. First click on "Order Reproductions" and then "Immigration." You must then enter your family member's personal information to locate the record and pay a small fee to order. Naturalization records with the petition, declaration of intention and certificate of arrival cost $7.50 and the Passenger Arrival Record costs $25, including shipping and handling. You can order a copy on a CD or on certified paper. If you're having trouble finding immigration records, then you can file a Freedom of Information Act form (G-639) with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at Uscis. If your ancestor is still alive, you'll need their notarized permission to obtain the records and if your ancestor died within the last 100 years, you'll need proof of death. Once you're granted access, you'll get the first 100 pages of information free, although you will also have to wait months to get a response. Finding out where and when your relatives migrated to the United States is a valuable part of the familytree that can lead you to other countries in search of far-off relatives!
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