Immigration Record | How to Obtain Immigration Records - Click here!

Before you start your search for records of immigration.

Immigration records are public records of people who have settled in the U.S. Anybody can find the immigration record they need by searching several government registers.

Records of immigration are also known as ship passenger arrival records or land border entry records. One of the best places to look for these records is at the national Archives. They hold records for people who have arrived in the USA from 1800 to 1959. What you need to know in order to get the record of immigration you need, is the year when the person has arrived in the USA. Since captains of ships were not obliged to keep passenger lists until 1820, records of people arrived prior this year may not exits. There are some exclusions though and this is why you need to have an idea when the person has arrived.

How to locate immigration records free of charge.

A search at the National Archive for USA immigration records is generally free of charge however some fees may apply. You can look for immigration records free of charge over the internet. There are some public record databases that will also let you look for immigration records free of any fees.

If you need to find immigration records for years prior to 1800, you can check some genealogy books, bibliographies, compilations and indexes. You can get detailed information at the National Archives.