"[I]f you are looking for ancestors and you are 100% positive they arrived at Ellis Island between 1897 and 1903, be aware that if they travelled first or second class, you might not find their names."
"Here are some suggestions for finding your immigrant ancestors on a ship passenger list (or manifest) for their arrival in the US from 1820 to the 1940s (1950s for some ports)."
"If you have an immigrant ancestor who did not become a U.S. citizen prior to 1940, then you may find a search for an alien registration record worth your time."
Published 14 Apr 2009
Read more at About Genealogy - The Family Tree and Genealogy Resource Guide
"Don’t forget to look for other family members who may have been world travelers or who perhaps had to return to an ancestral home to visit family or settle the estate of a grandparent or some other relative."
"I’m 90 percent sure my long search for my immigrant great-grandparents' passenger list has come to an end. A few small but significant details dragged out my search—maybe my 'lessons learned' will help you."
"Castle Garden manifests are an important step in your search for the passenger arrival records of your ancestor during the time period between 1855 and the opening of Ellis Island in 1892. I hope that these records will be helpful in solving your immigration research."
"Obituaries and other notices pertaining to life events (birth, marriage, anniversary, etc.) frequently list the town or county of origin for immigrants."
"The government didn’t began requiring ships to keep passenger lists until 1820, so before then, few immigration records exist. Here are some sources you can check."
