Daily AncestorV/L
V/L on a passenger list stands for verification of landing: a later clerk checked the record, usually so the immigrant could prove an earlier lawful admission.
Before 1924 there were no reentry permits, so an immigrant planning a trip abroad had no promise of being let back in. Many asked the immigration service for some proof of their first admission, and at Ellis Island a letter from the port commissioner was issued. The clerk who found the arrival record marked it V/L with file numbers and sometimes a date.
The files those numbers point to no longer survive. The note is still useful: it suggests the person was planning to travel and may appear on a later passenger list coming back. Some checks were made for other reasons, and some V/L notes are dated after 1924.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "V/L." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/immigration/verification-of-landing. Last checked 2026-10-12.