What's Inside a Latvian Immigration File? A 1927 Case Study
Updated: Sep 18
This week I researched a family that emigrated to Canada in 1899. Having left when Latvia was still part of the Russian Empire, family members visited Latvia during its period of independence in the 1920s. What information can be found in immigration files?
Why Emigration Records Are Hard to Find in Latvia
Finding information about emigration in Latvian archives can be challenging. Our archives don't hold ship passenger lists. While some emigration documents may have survived, they're not easily accessible or quickly searchable. To be honest, I'm not even sure where to look for such documents. However, when it comes to immigration during Latvia's period of independence, these records are more readily available.
Today, databases are certainly the most convenient way to conduct research. Let me remind you of some useful databases that are accessible to researchers abroad as well.
Where to Look: Passports, Pensions, and Citizenship Files
Several useful online databases are available, though it's important to note that these databases generally only provide reference numbers for archival files - they don't give direct access to the documents themselves. The files must still be viewed in person at the archives. Here's what you can find:
Riga Prefecture passport collection - helps locate passport file numbers
University of Latvia student records - provides student file references
Citizenship and travel passport records on Ciltskoki.lv - contains file numbers for citizenship applications
Pension records on Ciltskoki.lv - lists pension file references
Latvian army officer files in the National Archives database - provides military service file numbers
However, the internal database available on computers in the reading room of the Latvian State Historical Archives holds even more. That's where I found a reference to an immigration file that added several interesting details to my research.
Immigration files are kept in the Administrative Department fund of the Ministry of Interior, fund 3234. Although some have been digitized, they can only be viewed on-site using the archive's reading room computers.
Case Study: Jānis C.'s 1927 Visa File
The immigration file held a surprise. Jānis C. had submitted a visa application to the Latvian Republic's Consulate General in London. His completed application revealed quite a few facts:
Applicant's citizenship
Occupation
Date and place of birth
Information about previous visits to Latvia
Military service information
Permanent residence outside Latvia
Names and addresses of two persons living in Latvia who could provide references
What a File Like This Can Tell You
The case file contained interviews with both listed witnesses, who provided interesting details about the immigrant. As it turned out, they were both relatives of Jānis - the children of his wife's sister. The documents revealed their birth dates, places of residence, and family circumstances. This new information allowed me to research Jānis's wife's family line. Additionally, both relatives could specify when Jānis had emigrated and where he had lived before his departure.
However, the biggest surprise lay in Jānis's answers about the purpose of his trip. In his 1927 visa application, he had written that he 'wants to live in Latvia'. To the question about planned length of stay, the answer was equally clear - 'for life'.
Why would a person whose adult sons lived in Canada want to return? It seems that after his wife's death, the widower had decided to start a new life in his homeland. Family stories say he hoped to find a new spouse in Latvia. What happened and how, we don't know. But Jānis didn't end up staying in Latvia, and spent his final years in Canada with his son.
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