Huge increase in price for searching U.S. Naturalization records

[Cheri Mello]

Dick Eastman wrote about the huge price increase for U.S. Naturalization records. The new fees are ridiculous!

https://blog.eogn.com/2019/11/15/uscis-proposes-fee-increases-for-genealogy-records/

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

[Gordon soares]

WHAT THE HECK??? That IS ridiculous! If I can wade through the junk english I may try sending a response for the record but my experience tells me that once it is published for comment it is already a done deal and the comments only help justify that they “got comments” .

Gordon

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[Cheri Mello]

Yes. And to get the ACTUAL records (after searching the index) is almost $400!!!

Why don't they just digitize the older ones and let us hunt through them? Complete insanity!!

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/6657681C-8268-4102-9B9E-B4344148755B%40gmail.com.

[Rosemarie Capodicci]

This is all so crazy because under the Freedom of Info Act we should be getting it all for FREE! Maybe we need to get Reclaim the Records to do after this garbage. 

Rosemarie

rca...@gmail.com

Researching Sao Jorge, Terceira, Graciosa, Faial and Pico, Azores,

Isola delle Femmine, Sant' Elia, Sicily

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[Richard Francis Pimentel]

Around 2004 I went to the National Records Center in Waltham, MA. I was able to verify that the Naturalization Record I was seeking was in fact there and they pulled the record for me which was the original. I was able to have a copy made which was around 25 cents.  This is crazy charging so much to get a copy of a record. I personally think they want to charge so much that no one can afford to make a request. They will have nothing to do and they will sit around all day playing on their computers and watching videos.

 

Rick

Richard Francis Pimentel

Lee, NH

 

Researching, Riberia Grande, Riberinha, Achada Grande,  Bretanha, and Ponta Delgada,  Sao Miguel, Acores

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[Cheri Mello]

Reclaim the Records....That's a thought, but do they do Federal records or just state records?

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/CAKnzR7%3D97Bomj%3Dd2-mLsD%2B4g5NxFVwSfjJbHWPNnGwoz1T6Vuw%40mail.gmail.com.

[Marilyn Thompson]

Cheri I am reading the cost differently. The index search is $240 and Record Request is $368. If you do both of them that is $608. It was hard enough to pay $65 for the index search and then to maybe not get anything.

Is this index supposed to be for all naturalizations no matter what state they were done in

That is a terrible cost. I agree with Rosemarie it should be under the Freedom of Info Act.

Marilyn

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[Cheri Mello]

Yes, that is correct. I read it the same way.

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[Bill Boyd]

Perhaps someone should contact Reclaim the Records:

https://www.reclaimtherecords.org/

Bill

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[Ms AVA]

Cheri -

Back at the first Azores Conference that You and Rosemarie hosted, we were at the LDS History Center.  Patsy and I found my Grandfather's 1904 Naturalization Application and his 1905 Naturalization Certificates, along with that of my Great Uncle Pinheiro.  

Guess we were really lucky.

ALLY Vieira Anselmo/Pinheiro Nunes

Sao Miguel & Faial

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[Cheri Mello]

I have to check the dates....Something like 1925 and before are on film. Don't quote me on the year, I have to look it up. The others (after whatever the year is) are the ones that's  $200 something for the index search and almost $400 for the actual records. It adds up to about $600. Marilyn did the math, so you'd have to look in a previous post.

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/CAP5VQ1nB3Q%2BmCjD1bFwj33%2BkxqijRDe%3Df5jJ7YNGBqqk%2ByPc1g%40mail.gmail.com.

[Cheri Mello]

When Rosemarie brought up "Reclaim the Records" yesterday, I said I knew that they did state things, but I didn't know if they did Federal records. So I looked.

From https://www.reclaimtherecords.org/to-do/

It's not sounding that hopeful, if you ask me.

Cheri

[Gordon soares]

Can PALCUS do anything about this terrible increase?

Gordon soares

Gws...@gmail.com

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Cheri Mello <gfsc...@gmail.com>
Date: November 19, 2019 at 11:40:20 AM MST
To: Azores Genealogy <azo...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [AZORES-Genealogy] Huge increase in price for searching U.S. Naturalization records

Reply-To: azo...@googlegroups.com



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[Cheri Mello]

This isn't an increase for those researching Portuguese ancestors. This is an increase for ANYONE researching ANY immigrant ancestor to America.

However, since you suggested PALCUS, you can contact them here and ask them to help: pal...@palcus.org

Keep us posted on what they say.

Cheri

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[Elaine Mello]

I tried to find my grandparents records and they couldn't find anything.  In fact, it was suggested I try the court records here in Boston and I reached out to someone and never heard back from them. 

I'd love for someone to get these scanned.  If they can actually find them, since the government can't seem to do the job for any cost.

Elaine

[Richard Francis Pimentel]

When did your grandparents become citizens? Where? Did they live in Massachusetts?

 

Rick

Richard Francis Pimentel

Lee, NH

 

Researching, Riberia Grande, Riberinha, Achada Grande,  Bretanha, and Ponta Delgada,  Sao Miguel, Acores

 

 

 

From: azo...@googlegroups.com <azo...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Elaine Mello
Sent: Friday, November 22, 2019 8:20 PM
To: Azores Genealogy <azo...@googlegroups.com>

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[Cheri Mello]

Judy Russell, The Legal Genealogist, blogged about the proposed rate hike, and a place to complain (with samples and writing prompts). You must complete this by MONDAY, DECEMBER 16.

https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2019/11/21/records-not-revenue/

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[Elaine Mello]

hi Rick,

  

    They immigrated at the turn of the century and ended up in New Bedford, MA.  I found my grandfather's declaration on Ancestry, and sent in for information for both grandparents only to find out that the USCIS had nothing they could find.  It was recommended I try the state judicial archives, and sent them a request with money and never heard back from them on those records.

     If the Federal Archives have them in Waltham, that would be good to know.  I did ask the state archives in Dorchester whether they had anything, and they said I could try and submit a request and they'd do a search, but I haven't gone that route yet.

[Elaine Mello]

I just got an email from Reclaim the Records, and they are talking to their lawyers about this.  Apparently, a lot of these records should have been turned over to NARA a while ago, but they urge everyone to comment on the https://www.recordsnotrevenue.com/? page in the hopes that they can in the short term stop the increase while they work on the longterm to release the records.

Elaine

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[Cheri Mello]

Thanks for keeping us posted!

Here's what I did. I went to the URL Elaine posted (yes, the question mark is part of it):

https://www.recordsnotrevenue.com/?

Then I opened the writing prompt tab and reworded and blended a couple of them together:

https://www.recordsnotrevenue.com/conversation-starters/

I'm going to bug the list(s) every few days to do this.

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

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[Comcast Dave-Edna]

Thank you  I have sent my comments .

On Dec 1, 2019, at 9:20 AM, Cheri Mello <gfsc...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Cheri Mello]

Thanks Edna. The more that write, the better!

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

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[Marilyn Thompson]

I just wrote using the URL and I sent an email to my congressman telling he needed to protect the rights of the people.

Marilyn T

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[Cheri Mello]

Thanks, Marilyn!

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/azores/CAJyL4ejUjzsPTJ5t%3DaRS33sRRSrKRm16M0e-HEWz4eapgKJPig%40mail.gmail.com.

[Cheri Mello]

Judy Russell, The Legal Genealogist, blogged about this again. She says:

<<If this rule is adopted, the cost of getting a record search done at USCIS — the first step that lets us know if the agency actually holds records about a research target — will rise from $65 to $240. And the cost of getting a paper record identified in that record search, such as a visa file, will rise from $65 to $385. So a record that, today, costs a maximum of $130 will cost $625 if this rule goes into effect.

And that vastly higher fee will be for records that, in many cases, should have already been transferred to the National Archives and so available to us all for much lower fees.>>

Full article here.

https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2019/12/02/fight-the-fee-hikes/

I will be quiet about this for a few days.

Cheri Mello
Listowner, Azores-Gen
Researching: São Miguel island: Vila Franca, Ponta Garca, Ribeira Quente, Ribeira das Tainhas, Achada