You've got questions about discovering, preserving and celebrating your family history; our experts have the answers.
Q. My grandparents came to the United States in the early 1900s but never became citizens. They died in 1921 and 1950. I have been wondering lately about alien registration but have never seen any
reference to it. Wasn't this required yearly? When was it started and are any records available?
A. Aliens were required to register their current addresses and places of employment with the federal government between 1940 and about 1982. The Alien Registration Act of 1940 required aliens to report their address and employment, and to report any change of address immediately. Beginning in 1952, aliens had to report their address annually. Address reporting ended in the 1980s, and only the last or most recent address might remain on file. You can request the records through the Freedom of Information Act by writing to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in Washington, DC. Go to the INS Web site for details on how to request documents.