Establishment of a Genealogy Program

Status: In force. The effective date has passed and nothing here records a change to that.

From the published effective date. Nothing here records a court changing it.

• Document number: E8-10651
• Type: Final Rule
• Published: May 15, 2008
• Effective: August 13, 2008
• Agency: Homeland Security Department

Official abstract

This rule establishes a fee-for-service Genealogy Program within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to streamline and improve the process for acquiring historical records of deceased individuals. Currently, USCIS processes such requests through its Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) program, thereby adding unnecessary delays to the process. USCIS expects that this Genealogy Program will ensure a timely response to requests for genealogical and historical records and will relieve USCIS' FOIA/PA program of requests that do not require FOIA/PA expertise. It will put researchers in touch with the correct staff persons within USCIS, and it will create a dedicated queue for genealogists and other researchers seeking access to historical records.

Primary source

Read the full text on the Federal Register

This page is a structured index entry, not a substitute for reading the rule. This is not legal advice.

Follow NoticeWatch: Bluesky · Threads · YouTube · Instagram · Facebook

Data updated October 2, 2026