Daily AncestorRegistry file
A registry file records how an immigrant whose arrival record could not be found had one created after the fact under the Registry Act of 1929.
From 1906, naturalization required a record of lawful entry. Immigrants who came before July 1, 1924 but whose arrival could not be found were stuck until Congress passed the Registry Act on March 2, 1929.
Applicants proved their arrival and residence with testimony, affidavits and papers such as rent or school records. About 250,000 files from 1929 to 1944 survive, with a photograph. Hints that one exists: an arrival on the SS Unknown, or a certificate of arrival number with an R in it.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Registry file." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/immigration/registry-file. Last checked 2026-10-03.