Virginia Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929

What is in This Collection?

This collection consist of images of declarations and petitions filed in U.S. District and Circuit Courts in Virginia and corresponding to four record series at the National Archives.

• Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Abingdon), 1914-1929 (NARA M1645) NAID 2279475
• Applications for Admission to Citizenship, 1923-1927
• Petitions, 1-148, 1913-1929
• Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Charlottesville), 1910-1929 (NARA M1646) NAID 4672277
• Declarations of Intentions, no. 1-109, 1908-1927.
• Petitions, 1-89
• Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District and Circuit Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia (Richmond), 1906-1929 (NARA M1647) NAID 1168978
• U.S. District Court:
• Declarations, no. 1- 2400, 1911-1918
• Military Petitions, 1M-1361M
• Petitions, 1-1404

U.S. Circuit Court:

• Declarations,1867-1911
• Petitions, 1-97
• Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria), 1909-1920 (NARA M1648) NAID 874102
• Military Petitions, 1-1592 NAID 874103
• Petitions, 1-354

While there were various types of naturalization records, the Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petition usually had the most complete genealogical information.

The first naturalization act was passed in 1802. Immigrants to the United States were not required to apply for citizenship. Of those who did apply, many did not complete the requirements for citizenship.

Naturalization to become a U.S. citizen was a two-part process: the Declaration of Intent to Naturalize, or First Papers, and the Naturalization Record (including the Naturalization Petition), or Final Papers. The First Papers were normally filed five years before the Final Papers because of the five-year residency requirement to become a citizen.

No centralized files existed before 1906. In 1906 federal forms replaced the various formats that had been used by the various courts. Copies were sent to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), creating a central file for naturalization papers. The INS is now known as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Naturalization records are generally well preserved, but some records may have been lost to fire or other disasters.

Naturalization is the process of granting citizenship privileges and responsibilities to foreign-born residents. Counties recorded naturalization procedures in the court records as legal proof of citizenship.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

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What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

Sample Image

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  1914 Naturalization Petition