Daily AncestorAlien registration
Alien registration was the program of 1940 to 1944 that fingerprinted and recorded every noncitizen age 14 and over in the U.S. on Form AR-2.
The Alien Registration Act of 1940 required all aliens, not only those from enemy countries, to register; more than 5.6 million did by March 31, 1944. People unsure whether they were citizens had to register too.
Form AR-2 asks for the last arrival with port, date, ship and class, and any declaration or petition filed. For immigrants who came decades earlier and never naturalized, it may be the only federal record after the passenger list. Each form bears an A-number, and USCIS holds the forms on microfilm.
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Daily Ancestor. "Alien registration." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/immigration/alien-registration. Last checked 2026-10-03.