Lisa Louise Cooke
Stephen Danko, PhD, PLCGS
Episode 29: Immigration & Naturalization Part 1
Stephen Danko, PhD is a genealogy lecturer, and a very popular blogger. And in today’s show he’s helping us cross the pond through the use of immigration and naturalization records. He’ll talk to us about the Challenges we’ll face in locating these records, the documents you may not know about, and the process by which these records were created.
Related Links:
Transcript
MAILBOX:
In order to get into the social security program and receive a social security number workers had to complete an application form, the SS-5 form, and provide proof of their age. As Barbara mentions you can not only do a free search to see if your ancestor is listed in the Social Security Death Index, but you can request a copy of the original application even if you don’t find them listed in the Index.
Copies of Social Security applications aren’t cheap – they run about $27 for each individual copy. But they do provide some great info and I personally wouldn’t miss getting them at least for my direct ancestors such as my grandparents and great grandparents.
A standard letter to the Social Security Administration is available with the search results on the Ancestry Social Security Death Index. All you have to do is click on the "write letter" link available with all search results in Ancestry's SSDI. This letter may be printed and mailed to the Social Security Administration to request a photocopy of your ancestor's original SS-5 form.
You’ll need to send the name and Social Security number of the person you're researching. And in most cases you’ll be able to get that number from the SSDI itself. But if they don’t appear in the index you might be able to locate their Social Security number in personal papers, or their their death certificate, or you can even check the voter registration rolls at county courthouse.
You can request a social security number search from the Social Security Administration. Cost: $29
Provide: full name, state of birth, and date of birth
Mail to:
Social Security Administration
OEO FOIA Workgroup
300 N. Green Street
P.O. Box 33022
Baltimore, Maryland 21290-3022
Include if possible:
names of parents
proof of death, such as a copy of their death certificate
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Immigration and Naturalization with Stephen Danko Ph.D.
In this episode we discuss passenger lists, and the annotations you may find on them that could provide clues to locating naturalization records.
1926 Immigration Law - If a person immigrated after 1906 they must have a certificate of arrival if applying for citizenship between 1926 – 1942 / 1943. Microfilming occurred after that time.
Stephen also discusses where to look for passenger lists.
Websites:
www.EllisIsland.org
www.FamilySearch.org
www.Ancestry.com
Steve Morse One Step Web Tools at www.SteveMorse.org
Some ship lines keep departure lists: White Star, Red Star Lines
Next week we’ll continue our conversation with a discussion of Departure Passenger Lists and then we’ll make our way into Naturalization records. You won’t want to miss that, and that will be next week in Episode 30.
