TIP OF THE WEEK – INDEX TO U.S. ALIEN CASE FILES, 1944-2003

Are you researching an ancestor who immigrated to the U.S. prior to World War II, was alive during the war, but was not a naturalized citizen before the start of the war? Such individuals were required to register as an alien so seek out their “Alien File” aka “A-File”.  It will contain valuable genealogical information, including birthplace and birth date, maybe even a physical description and fingerprints.

Obtaining these documents can be a bit tedious.  They are held by the National Archives and there is no on-line ordering system.  You will have to write, call or fax in order to get the documents.  However, if you have an Ancestry.com account, you can search the database “U.S., Index to Alien Case Files at the National Archives at Kansas City, 1944-2003” to determine if an Alien File exists for the ancestor you are researching.

If you don’t have an Ancestry.com subscription, stop by the SGS Library and use Ancestry at the library.