Fraternity-Testvériség, 1963 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1963-02-01 / 2. szám
10 FRATERNITY IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION HOW CAN MY AUNT FIND OUT WHEN SHE ARRIVED IN AMERICA? Question: My aunt came to the United States in 1908 but for various reasons has never applied for citizenship. She would now like to go ahead but she has no papers to show how or when she arrived here. What must she do to obtain her naturalization? Answer: If you aunt remembers the approximate date of her arrival and the name of the ship on which she arrived, she should give that information on her citizenship application. Her arrival can then be verified by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. If she remembers only the date and place of her arrival, but not the name of the ship, she might request a social agency specializing in the field to furnish her with the names of ships which arrived at the time she remembers and at the port she remembers. This information can be obtained in the Morton Allen Directory of European Passenger Steamship Arrivals, which covers the period from 1890 to 1930 at the port of New York and for the years 1904 to 1926 at the ports of New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore. Once she has ascertained the name of the steamship, the Immigration Service may be able to locate her record of entry. If all this does not help, the immigration law permits the creation of a record of lawful entry for persons who arrived prior to June 28, 1940. This, however, would be more complicated and she should certainly consult an agency specializing in this field or an attorney, if she expects to use this procedure. CAN A PERSON ON VISA WAITING LIST COME TO THE U. S. AS A VISITOR? Question: My family and I are anxious to immigrate to the United States. We have been on the visa waiting list for several years. We now expect that visas will be available for us in a few more months. I have just received a cable that my mother who already is in the United States is very sick. I am anxious to see her. If I get a visitor’s visa in order to visit my mother, will my name be taken off the waiting list? Answer: According to the regulations issued by the State Department, any alien whose name is already on the waiting list for an immigrant visa may apply for a non-immigrant visa. If he can convince the Consul that he intends to visit the United States only temporarily, he may be given a non-immigrant visa and will not be dropped from the waiting list for an immigrant visa, if he advises the Consul that he wishes to remain on it. You can safely apply, therefore, for a nonimmigrant visa. While in the United States, however, you must be careful not to seek employment, overstay the time for which you are permitted to enter, or otherwise violate your non-immigrant status. An alien who wilfully violates his non-immigrant status while in the United States will be taken off the waiting list for an immigrant visa.
