Research How-To · USCIS genealogy
Some of the richest American records about a Polish immigrant are not at the National Archives or in any courthouse. They are held by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, and they can be ordered through its Genealogy Program, or, for older A-files, from the National Archives.
Which files the program covers
| File | Dates | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalization certificate files (C-files) | 27 September 1906 to 1 April 1956 | Copies of the declaration, petition and certificate of arrival, and from 1929 photographs |
| Alien registration forms (AR-2) | 1 August 1940 to 31 March 1944 | Birthplace, date and ship of arrival, address and occupation of every non-citizen |
| Visa files | 1 July 1924 to 31 March 1944 | The visa application and supporting documents, often including a birth certificate from Poland and a photograph |
| Registry files | 2 March 1929 to 31 March 1944 | Files of immigrants who arrived before 1921 with no record of admission and applied to legalize their stay |
| Alien files (A-files) | numbered below 8 million, documents dated before 1 May 1951 | Everything above, plus later correspondence, for immigrants who had dealings with the service after 1940 |
For a Polish immigrant who arrived after 1924, the visa file is often the best American record there is, because it may contain a Polish birth or baptismal certificate obtained for the journey.
Two steps: index search and record request
- Genealogy index search (Form G-1041). USCIS searches its indexes by name and date of birth and tells you which files exist and their numbers.
- Genealogy records request (Form G-1041A). With a file number, you order copies of the file itself.
If you already have a file number, for example a C-file number on a naturalization certificate in the family papers, you can skip the index search and order the record directly. Both requests can be filed online through a USCIS account. The fees rose sharply in April 2024, so check the current amounts on the USCIS website before you file.
What you must provide
- The full name, including Polish spellings and any other names used
- The date and place of birth, as exactly as you know them
- Proof of death, if the person was born less than 100 years ago
- Any file numbers already known: C-file, A-number or certificate number
A-files at the National Archives
Under an agreement between USCIS and the National Archives, A-files are transferred to the National Archives once 100 years have passed since the subject’s birth. These files can be found in the National Archives Catalog and ordered from the National Archives at Kansas City, usually faster and more cheaply than through USCIS. Always check the Catalog before paying for a USCIS search.
Records outside the program
Files created after the Genealogy Program’s cut-off dates, and records of people who may still be living, are requested through a Freedom of Information Act request to USCIS instead. Court copies of naturalization records, as opposed to the federal C-file, are held by the courts or the National Archives, as explained in our article on naturalization records.
Allow several months for each step. Requests with a complete name, birth date and every known spelling get better results.
How we can help
Immigration & Passenger Records includes USCIS and National Archives requests where they are likely to help, and we read every file for the Polish place names it contains.