What you must know prior launching a search for migration records.

Migration records are a great source of information - they provide a little piece of history that can reveal interesting facts about a member of your family or a historical person. Whatever your reason may be, knowing how to search for migration records can help you find the information you need fast and easy.

Prior launching a search for migration records, you need to know the name of the person and when they moved. If you are unsure of the exact year, you need to find out the time frame during which the person migrated. Try to find out from where they departure and/or what was their destination. These bits of information can also greatly speed up your search.

Where to look for migration records.

Migration records may be located at various registers and archives. USA migration records, also known as passenger records, can be found at the National Archive. The National Archive holds records, with some exceptions, of people arrived in the USA from 1800 until 1959. If you are unable to find the records you need there, you can check some indexes and catalogs, also available at the National Archives.