Never Before Available Records Soon To Be Released

Yesterday a signing ceremony at the National Archives allowed for millions of Alien files to become permanent records at the National Archives.

A joint signing ceremony between the National Archives and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the National Archives designated millions of files become permanent. If anyone in your family was one of the millions of aliens residing in the United States in 1944, or arrived since that time, you're in luck.

The Alien Case Files (commonly referred to as A-Files) document the famous, the infamous, the anonymous and the well-known, and are touted as a genealogical goldmine.

According to NARA "The new agreement authorizes the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services/Department of Homeland Security to send A-files to the National Archives when 100 years have passed since the birth date of the subject of a file. The National Archives expects to receive the first transfer of A-files later this year, and will store the files at National Archives facilities in San Francisco and Kansas City. Researchers will be able to access the files at these two sites, or request copies of files. An index will be available to support research use."