Daily AncestorCertificate of residence
A certificate of residence was the identity paper Chinese residents had to obtain under the Geary Act of 1892 to prove they were lawfully in the U.S.
Without the certificate, or witnesses to their right to be here, Chinese workers could be imprisoned or deported. A 1900 law made all Chinese in Hawaii register for a similar certificate.
Certificates turn up in the Chinese case files kept in the regional branches of the National Archives. A typical file gives the person's name, place and date of birth, appearance, occupation and family, and links to the files of relatives.
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Daily Ancestor. "Certificate of residence." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/immigration/certificate-of-residence. Last checked 2026-10-03.