-
Re: Seeking visa information of Palestinian who visited US
Jason AtkinsonMay 11, 2020 8:59 AM (in response to Boaz Tal)
Dear Mr. Tal,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
Copies of visas and visa application files dated after 1940 are not in the custody of the National Archives. These records are retained by the Department of State until they reach the authorized age of destruction.
Immigrant visas, both quota and non quota (and supporting documentation), issued by the Department of State to aliens at U.S. embassies, legations, and consulates overseas are surrendered to U.S. immigration officials upon admission to the United States. The immigrant visas and associated documentation accumulated by the Immigration and Naturalization Service between July 1, 1924, and March 31, 1944, were maintained by the central office in Washington, DC in the Visa Files.
Subsequent immigrant visas were filed in the Alien Files (“A-Files”) or the Certificate Files (“C-Files”). Those records are preserved, but remain in the custody of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). For more information on the different types of files and how to request access to them, please see that agency’s “History and Genealogy” website located at: https://www.uscis.gov/historyandgenealogy.
We hope this information is helpful.