How to Find Your Ancestors' Immigration Records on FamilySearch.org

This guide will show you step-by-step how to effectively search for your ancestors' immigration records on FamilySearch.org.

How to Find Your Ancestors' Immigration Records on FamilySearch.org

Step 1: Access the FamilySearch Records Search

• Open your web browser and navigate to FamilySearch.org.
• If you aren't already logged in, click Sign In in the top right corner and enter your username and password.
• From the top menu bar, hover your mouse over Search, then click on Records from the dropdown menu. This will take you to the main historical records search page.

Step 2: Enter Your Ancestor's Basic Information

• On the search page, fill in as much information as you know about your ancestor:
  • Enter their First Names and Last Names.
  • Add their Birth Year (or a range, like "1880-1885") and Birthplace.
  • Consider adding Death Year, Deathplace, a Spouse, or Parents to narrow down the results, especially if your ancestor had a common name.
• Once you've entered the available details, click the blue Search button.

Step 3: Filter for Immigration & Naturalization Records

• After your initial search, you'll see a list of results. On the left-hand sidebar, scroll down to the "Collection Type" filter.
• Click the checkbox next to Immigration & Naturalization. This will refine your search to show only records categorized as such, greatly increasing your chances of finding relevant documents like passenger lists, border crossings, or naturalization papers.
• Optionally, if you know the country or a specific port of arrival, you can also use the "Place" filter on the left to narrow down results even further (e.g., "United States, New York, Ellis Island").

Step 4: Review and Explore Search Results

• Carefully examine the refined list of results. Look for records with titles like "Passenger and Crew Lists," "Border Crossings," "Naturalization Records," or "Immigration Records."
• When you find a promising result, click on the record title to view the Record Details. This page provides an abstract of the information found in the record.
• If available, click View Original Document or View Image to see the actual digitized record.
• On the image, meticulously look for your ancestor's name, age, last residence, intended destination, ship name, port of departure, and exact arrival date. This information is crucial for building your family history.

Step 5: Utilize the FamilySearch Catalog for Broader Searches (If Direct Search Fails)

• If the direct records search doesn't yield results, or if you suspect records might not be fully indexed, return to the FamilySearch homepage.
• Hover over Search again, but this time click on Catalog.
• In the "Place" field, enter a country or a more specific port of entry (e.g., "United States, New York, Ellis Island" or "Canada, Quebec, Montreal").
• Click Search.
• From the list of topics, look for "Emigration and immigration" or "Naturalization and citizenship." Click on the relevant topic to see available collections.
• Look for camera icons next to collection titles. These indicate digitized images that you can browse page by page, even if they aren't indexed by name. This method is excellent for discovering records that won't appear in a name search.

Step 6: Refine Your Search and Explore Hints

• If you're still not finding what you need, try adjusting your search terms: use variant spellings of names, broaden your date ranges, or remove some less certain fields.
• Additionally, always check your ancestor's Person page in the Family Tree. FamilySearch frequently provides "Record Hints" (a wiggling blue icon) that can lead you directly to immigration records that match your ancestor's details.