Stories from the Archives
Read the stories of people and programs that make up federal immigration history, learn about the most interesting items in our library collection, or get tips on researching in agency records.
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In January 2023, USCIS released a redesigned Permanent Resident Card or “Green Card.” This design contains state-of-the-art technology, including holographic images and optically variable ink. Visually, this Green Card retains much of the previous version’s design (PDF, 1.69 MB), which also featured a red, white, and blue flag on a green background.
The Certificate of Naturalization is perhaps the most important of the three naturalization records usually found in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) historic Certificate Files (“C-Files”) because Certificates of Naturalization help protect naturalized persons’ rights as U.S. citizens and the U.S. government from false claims to American citizenship. This study surveys the development of Certificates of Naturalization during the first half of the 20th Century.
A full text searchable copy of the “McGettrick Certificates” lists is now available online from the USCIS Historical Library. This rare document lists the names of over 1,000 Chinese aliens who, during the 1890s, entered the United States over the eastern Canadian border and received court-issued certificates verifying their claims of U.S. citizenship
When Congress created the U.S. Immigration Bureau in 1891, few women had the right to vote, and many people believed a woman’s place was in the home. In 1893, only 16 women worked for the immigration service, most as cleaners and laundrywomen. Fast forward more than 130 years and approximately 55% of the agency’s workforce are women. In 2021, Ur Mendoza Jaddou was confirmed by the senate to become USCIS’ first permanent female director.
As the American military mobilized to enter World War I in 1917, its ranks filled with a diverse cross-section of American society, including immigrants from around the world.
Reasons That Some C-Files Do Not Include a Declaration of IntentionUSCIS Genealogy records requesters sometimes discover the Certificate File ("C-File") they received does not contain a Declaration of Intention record. The Declarations are not missing. Rather, these C-Files usually document “one-paper” naturalizations (so called because only a Petition for Naturalization was filed).
After the United States entered the First World War, Congress passed the Naturalization Act of May 9, 1918, to expedite naturalization for alien members of the U.S. armed forces. Congress wanted to reward foreign-born service members and encourage immigrant enlistments.
After the United States entered World War II Congress acted to provide for the expedited naturalization of aliens serving honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces.
In November 1956, a failed revolt against Communism in Hungary spurred the greatest refugee crisis in Europe since the end of World War II. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his administration, including the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), moved swiftly in response. Through the hard work of INS employees as well as the State Department, the military, and civilian volunteers, over 30,000 refugees resettled in the United States over an eight-month period. The success of “Operation Safe Haven”, set a precedent for the U.S.
Most immigrants and their families today are familiar with the A-File system. A-Files are used to document aliens’ interactions with USCIS, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They include all an individual’s official immigration and naturalization records and are identified by a unique A-Number. A-Files are central to our agency’s daily operations and play a key role in adjudicating immigration benefits and supporting enforcement actions. Today, USCIS maintains millions of A-Files, both in paper and digital format.