Research in US / Canadian Archives

Alongside research in Poland, systematic research is required in the countries of destination, aimed mainly at locating documents that establish the date of any naturalization of the ancestor — a factor that is decisive for assessing whether the genealogical chain remains unbroken.

• Naturalization records from the competent US agencies (National Archives and Records Administration – NARA; United States Citizenship and Immigration Services – USCIS).
• Immigration arrival records (e.g. Ellis Island records, ship passenger manifests).
• Birth, marriage, and death certificates from US state and Canadian provincial authorities.

The precise date of naturalization, combined with the birth date of the next descendant in the genealogical line, is the critical factor determining whether the transmission of Polish citizenship was preserved or interrupted.