USCIS ESTABLISHES GENEALOGY PROGRAM

News Release

August 13, 2008

USCIS ESTABLISHES GENEALOGY PROGRAM
Fee-for-Service Program Replaces Lengthy FOIA Process

WASHINGTON — Customers can now turn to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) for help in researching their family’s immigration
history through the agency’s new Genealogy Program.

USCIS maintains historical records documenting the arrival and
naturalization of millions of immigrants who arrived in the United
States since the late 1800s or and naturalized between 1906 and 1956.
Until today, the process to request these records was handled through a
Freedom of Information Act / Privacy Act (FOIA) request.

“In many cases USCIS is the only government agency that has certain
historical records that provide the missing link which genealogists or
family historians need,” said Jonathan “Jock” Scharfen, USCIS’ Acting
Director.

The agency anticipates interest in genealogy to continue to grow. In the
past four years alone, USCIS received more than 40,000 FOIA requests for
historical records. The new genealogy program will create a dedicated
queue for genealogists, historians and others seeking genealogical and
historical records and reference services that generally require no FOIA
expertise. As a result, USCIS will provide more timely responses to
requests for records of deceased individuals.

Individuals may submit genealogy records requests by using the new
forms, G-1041 -Genealogy Index Search Request, and G-1041A - Genealogy
Records Request. Both forms are available on the new USCIS Genealogy
Program page at: http://www.uscis.gov/genealogy. The fees include:

* Genealogy Index Search - $20
* Copy of a File on Microfilm - $20
* Copy of a Textual File Copy - $35.

joseph

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Joseph Puentes
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