How to request your ancestor's Alien File (A-File)

Researching your immigrant ancestors

Was your ancestor a noncitizen of the United States after 1940? If so, that ancestor likely has an Alien Registration Form (AR-2) and/or an Alien File (A-File). And if you want to get copies of those records, be prepared to wait… it can take a LONG time to go through the request process.

What is an Alien Registration Form (AR-2)?

Between August 1, 1940, and March 31, 1944, all noncitizens living in the United States were required to register their alien status with the government. The registrant would complete the Alien Registration Form (AR-2), then once the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) received the completed AR-2 form, INS would assign an Alien Registration Number (A-Number) to the registrant and mail them an Alien Registration Receipt Card containing this number as proof of registration.

How to find your ancestor’s Alien Registration Form (AR-2)

In 1940, the Alien Registration Division of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) created the original Flexoline Index (Flex) to index AR-2 forms.

You can search the National Archives (NARA) Flexoline Index Data File (1940-1955) here. However, this database is limited. It only contains records of individuals born before 1924. Also, about 1.25 million Alien Registration Numbers (A-Numbers) associated with the AR-2 forms are not listed in the database. About a million of those A-Numbers are included in the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Master Index, which contains names, year of birth, and A-Numbers. (Keep reading for how to request a search of the USCIS index.)

If you do find your ancestor’s A-Number in the Flexoline Index, you can then order the AR-2 form from NARA. You’ll need the following details:

• Name of individual, including possible spelling variations

• Country of birth of the individual

• Date of birth or estimated birth year range of the individual

• A-number of the individual, if known

• Estimated year when the individual entered the United States, if known

• The state the individual was living in the 1940s, if known

• Your billing address (to prepare a price quotation)

• Email address (to provide records via e-delivery)

• Indicate if you require certified copies of the records and include your shipping address

Email your request with the above details to cer@nara.gov and include the individual’s surname in the subject line.

If your ancestor was born less than 100 years ago, you will also need to provide proof of death and submit it as a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the same email address.

If you don’t find your ancestor in the Flexoline Index database, you’ll need to submit an index search request from the USCIS Genealogy Program with the following details about your immigrant ancestor:

• Name

• Country of birth

• Date of birth

• Date of arrival in the United States

• Places of residence with timeframe

• Optional: Names of family members

• Optional: Supporting documents

The current fee for an online Genealogy Index Search Request is $30. (It’s $80 if you submit the request by mail.) You will receive a confirmation email with your Case ID that you will need to reference for any future correspondence.

And now… you wait. The current processing time for USCIS Genealogy Index Search Requests is 243 business days.

You can check the status of your case here. (Fair warning, the status isn’t particularly helpful.)

Once your index search request is completed, you will receive an e-mail from the USCIS Genealogy Program with the results of the search and instructions on how to order any related records. If your search results include an AR-2 form, you’ll need to use the A-Number provided to request the record from NARA.

As of May 17, 2024, all new requests for AR-2's must be submitted to NARA. The Genealogy Program will continue to process requests received prior to May 17, 2024.
- USCIS Genealogy Program

What is an Alien File (A-File)?

Alien Files (A-Files) contain “all records of any active case of an alien not yet naturalized as they passed through the United States immigration and inspection process.” They can be a treasure trove for genealogists, because they can include visas, photographs, affidavits, and correspondence leading up to an alien's naturalization, permanent residency, death, or deportation. These files are in the process of being transferred from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to the National Archives, so you may need to look in more than one place.

The National Archives recently produced an excellent video about Alien Files as part of their 2024 Genealogy Series:

How to find your ancestor’s Alien File (A-File)

Just like when you search for an AR-2 form, you can use a similar process for an A-File.

Start by searching the National Archives (NARA) Flexoline Index Data File (1940-1955) and the National Archives Catalog.

Here are a few scenarios that may happen, and what you’ll need to do next.

I didn’t find my ancestor in the Flexoline Index OR in the National Archives Catalog
You’ll need to submit an Index Search Request to USCIS.

I found my ancestor in the Flexoline Index, but NOT in the National Archives Catalog
You’ll need to request the A-File from USCIS using the A-Number provided in your search results. If you’re confident you have the correct A-Number, you can submit a record request without a Case ID here. Otherwise, you’ll need to start with the Index Search request.

I found my ancestor’s A-File listing in the National Archives Catalog.
You can email the appropriate NARA location (listed in the “Contact(s)” field of the catalog entry). You’ll need to provide:

• The individual's complete name (with aliases or maiden names, if known)

• National Archives Identifier

• Alien Registration number

• Optional: Date/Place of birth

• Optional: Date of entry into the United States

The NARA research/reproduction fee for A-Files varies between $27-$40 based on the birthdate of the ancestor. And the best part? NARA should respond to your request within 10 business days!

That… is a lot of information to process. So, how did I do it with my own ancestor?

My experience requesting an A-File

I started by determining which ancestors were likely to have an A-File. I ultimately created a spreadsheet, which became incredibly useful. I documented the following details for each ancestor:

• Full name (including maiden name if applicable)

• Country of birth

• Date of birth

• Date of death

• Date of arrival in the U.S.

• Places of residence and timeframes

• Status: Alien or Naturalized (referencing census records)

My first search was for my great-great grandfather George John Palsa, who was born in present-day Slovakia. I found that he filed his initial papers to become a citizen in 1919, but never completed the naturalization process. I submitted the USCIS Index Search Request in August 2023.

13 months later, I finally received an e-mail with the results! They found his AR-2 form and his A-File. Even better, they said that they would be sending me a copy of the AR-2 form at no additional cost within 3-4 weeks, because it was a digital file. Alas, it ended up taking 8 weeks, but it finally arrived!

It’s full of interesting information, including a physical description (he was 5 foot 6 inches tall, with gray hair and blue eyes). The details that surprised me included his prior military service (he served in the Austria-Hungary infantry around 1890) and his organization memberships (First Catholic Slovak Union and Pennsylvania Slovak Union). It even included his fingerprint! The top left section of the first page listed his assigned A-Number.

Once I had his A-Number, I was able to submit a record request for his A-File (unfortunately, it was not in the National Archives Catalog). The current USCIS Genealogy Record Requests processing time is 263 business days. So, check back in a year to see if I’ve received it!

Patience is a virtue, y’all.

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