US Records · Declaration of Intention
The declaration of intention, the “first papers”, was the first step towards American citizenship. For Polish immigrants who filed after 1906 it is often the first document to name the town of birth, and many who filed it never finished the process.
How naturalization worked
- The immigrant filed a declaration of intention in any court that handled naturalization, often within a few years of arrival
- At least two years later, and after five years of residence, he filed a petition for naturalization, the “second papers”
- The court granted citizenship and issued a certificate of naturalization
A declaration remained valid for seven years. If the immigrant did not petition in time, he had to start again, which is why some people have two or three declarations filed years apart.
What the declaration contains
| Period | Contents |
|---|---|
| Before 27 September 1906 | Often only the name, the country, the date and a renunciation of allegiance to the Tsar, the Emperor of Austria or the German Emperor |
| From 1906 | Town and date of birth, last foreign residence, ship and date of arrival, port of departure, physical description, spouse’s name and birthplace |
| From 1929 | The same, with a photograph of the applicant |
Where to find it
- The court where it was filed: county, city or federal, often not the same court as the later petition
- The National Archives, which holds federal court records and many transferred county records
- The federal C-file, which includes a copy of the declaration for anyone naturalized after 1906; see our guide to the USCIS Genealogy Program
- Online indexes and images on the major genealogy websites and FamilySearch
“Pa” in the census
If a census shows your ancestor as “Pa”, he had filed first papers but was not yet a citizen. That tells you a declaration exists, even if no naturalization followed. During the First World War declarants were liable for the draft while most other aliens were not, which is why the 1917 draft card asks whether the man had filed his first papers.
Women rarely filed their own declarations before 1922, because a wife took her husband’s citizenship. After the Cable Act of 1922, women naturalized in their own right and their papers are just as detailed.
How we can help
Immigration & Passenger Records finds and reads the declaration, the petition and the C-file together, and Ancestral Village Identification uses the birthplace to locate the parish.