Search for your ancestors in free Naturalization Records in U.S.A. and Canada. Find Declarations of Intent, First Papers, Alien Registrations, Passport Applications, Naturalization Petitions and Citizenship Certificates. Search substitute naturalization records - ships passenger lists, census records, oaths of allegiance, voters registration lists and more!
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Index to Pension Files of Veterans from the Civil War from 1861-1900, Widows' Pension Files, Slave Records, and more
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Search Historical Newspapers 1690-1980 , Historical Books 1801 - 1900, Historical Documents 1789 - 1980, America's Obituaries 1977 to current, and Social Security Death Index 1937 to current on GenealogyBank.com
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Naturalization Records are very important to your genealogy research.
Naturalization is the process by which an alien becomes an American citizen. It is a voluntary act. Naturalization is not required.
Naturalization records can help you find the date, ship, and port of arrival, and the place of birth for your ancestor. How much information is found on them will depend on when the naturalization was done.
The naturalization process did not have to happen in one court, or in one state. Not all aliens became citizens, and not all completed the process once they started it.
Naturalization Special Cases
Military Naturalizations
An 1862 law allowed honorably discharged Army veterans of any war to petition for naturalization, without having filed a declaration of intent, after only 1 year of residence in the United States. An 1894 law extended the same privilege to honorably discharged 5-year veterans of the Navy or Marine Corps. Over 192,000 aliens were naturalized between May 9, 1918, and June 30, 1919, under an act of May 9, 1918. Laws enacted in 1919, 1926, 1940, and 1952 continued preferential treatment provisions for veterans.
Aliens serving in the US military did not gain citizenship through service alone. The naturalization of soldiers was performed under certain provisions of nationality law facilitating the naturalization of members of the US armed forces. These provisions waived the Declaration of Intention requirement and waived or reduced the residency requirement. Thus many soldiers filed petitions and were naturalized the same day.
Search Naturalization Index - WWI Soldiers Index to Naturalizations of World War I Soldiers, 1918 index cards with names, dates of naturalization, court numbers, and certificate numbers of soldiers in WWI whose naturalizations were facilitated so they could serve in the US Armed Forces. The Declaration of Intention requirement was typically waived to speed up the process. Many soldiers filed petitions and were naturalized in the same day. Courts were often located at military bases. Browse the index by a soldier's last name, or search by given name, surname, base name, or court number
Wives
Derivative citizenship was granted to wives of naturalized men. From 1790 to 1922, wives of naturalized men automatically became citizens. This also meant that an alien woman who married a U.S. citizen automatically became a citizen. Between 1907 and 1922 an American woman who married an alien lost her American citizenship, even if she never left the United States.
Minor Children
Derivative citizenship was granted to minor children of naturalized men. From 1790 to 1940, children under the age of 21 automatically became naturalized citizens upon the naturalization of their father. Minor children could also derive US citizenship if their mother married aa American citizen.
Aliens
From 1824 to 1906, minor aliens who had arrived in the United States as
a minor at least 3 years before their 18th birthday could petition for naturalization at the age of 21.
To locate naturalization records, start your research at the National Archives (NARA)
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