Daily AncestorSpecial inquiry
S.I. or B.S.I. on a passenger list means the immigrant was held for a hearing before a Board of Special Inquiry, three inspectors who decided admission.
From 1893, a line inspector who suspected an arrival might be barred sent the case to a board of three inspectors. The most common charge was LPC, likely to become a public charge, often tied to a medical certificate.
Most people were admitted after a short hearing once a relative appeared or wrote. At New York from 1903, a List of Aliens Held for Special Inquiry at the end of the manifest gives the cause and hearing dates. Full transcripts usually survive only if the case was appealed to Washington.
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Daily Ancestor. "Special inquiry." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/immigration/special-inquiry. Last checked 2026-10-03.