From the latest issue of Nu? What's New?, The E-zine of Jewish Genealogy by Gary Mokotoff, comes this promising news:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Plans to Implement Fee-for-Service Program
Seven years ago, Marian Smith, historian for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) divulged, in the Summer 2000 issue of AVOTAYNU, a proposal to improve service for genealogists at INS through a fee-for-service program. Such a program was encouraged by the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and other major genealogy organizations. The wheels of the government grind slowly, but sometime at the end of 2007 the program, called the Genealogy Program, will be implemented.
The article goes on to list the types of records that will be available under this new program:
Available records under this program will include Naturalization Certificate Files (C-Files) 1906–1956; Alien Registration Forms 1940–1944; Visa Files 1924–1944; Visa Records 1944–1951; Registry Files 1929–1944; Registry records 1944–1951; and Alien Files numbered below 8 million (contents prior to 1951).
This is going to be a real treasure trove for the 40% of Americans with Ellis Island roots. Thank goodness for Marian Smith and her persistence! I can't wait!