How to Get Your Ancestor's Papers from the Immigration and Naturalization Service:
Step 1: Get the citizenship date from the 1900, 1910 or1920 census information for your immigrant ancestor.
Step 2: Prove you are a direct descendant of the immigrant by using copies of death, birth or marriage certificates. (Usually, the immigrant death certificate plus birth certificates leading to you are enough.)
Step 3: Fill out the Freedom of Information Act Form (from the US Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service) requesting the Declaration of Intention. The form is Form G-639.
The Declaration of Intention is more important than Naturalization and Naturalization papers, when it comes to getting data on where they lived in Poland. The Declaration of Intention is filed in the county or district courthouse. You need to know where they were living about 5 years before they became a citizen. They had to be in the US 5 years before they became a citizen. Sometimes a Declaration of Intention was filed just so they could get employment. Many employers wanted to be sure you were planning on being around for a long time before hiring a person.
Step 4: Clearly mark the outside of the envelope "Freedom of Information Request" and mail the forms and papers to: INS Office, 425 NW I Street, Washington DC.
Step 5: They will bill you for the copies. |
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