Daily AncestorVisa file
A visa file is the federal record of an immigrant admitted for permanent residence between July 1, 1924 and March 31, 1944, built around the immigrant visa.
The Immigration Act of 1924 required every immigrant to get a visa from a U.S. consulate before sailing. After arrival the visa went to Washington and served as the official arrival record.
The application names the immigrant's parents, lists five years of earlier addresses and carries a photograph; birth, health and police certificates are usually attached. The visa number on a passenger list is a State Department number, not the file number, which only USCIS can look up.
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Daily Ancestor. "Visa file." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/immigration/visa-file. Last checked 2026-10-03.