How to Find Immigration Records
Immigration records can provide a wide range of services when conducting research about an individual. This information can provide a researcher with names, entry date and time, relatives that were with the individual at the time of entry, ship name or even ancestry information.
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Instructions
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Ask for assistance at the local U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office. Most of these offices assist local immigrants with the legalization process while they stay in the United States. USCIS offices also are there to assist citizens with questions and obtaining information about immigration status or other records. There might be request forms that need to be filled out prior to the release of this information, as well as a time frame of when the record will be sent out. Also be prepared to pay a small fee for any copies that are requested.
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Conduct an online search. There are many websites that are available for an individual to seek out immigration records. A majority of these sites require a membership, fees paid up front for access to records, and the release of a person's personal information to the website. There are other websites where the information can be accessed free of charge, such as the National Archives website; however, these free websites have limited information available with regard to up-to-date immigration references.
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Hire a third-party investigator to conduct a search for immigration records. A licensed investigator (most states require investigators to be licensed and certified) can find the information needed on an immigrant faster and more easily due to their status and resources available to them. By hiring these individuals, a person saves time and the frustrations involved when doing a search herself.
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References
- Photo Credit "we are all immigrants" sign image by Christopher Martin from Fotolia.com
