In the early and mid-nineteenth century many immigrants to the United States came via Canada because Canadian ports of entry did not have the same regulations that U.S. ports did. Coming to the U.S. through Canada was easier.

In the 1890s, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service tried to stop this. They realized many immigrants to the U.S. were coming through Canada undocumented so they stationed U.S. workers at Canadian ports of entry. Immigrants had to fill out a "Certificate of Admission" that was required to board a railroad headed for the U.S.

The U.S. government also asked Canadian steamships and railroads to keep manifests (or passenger lists) of those traveling to the U.S. Before 1 October 1906, only those born outside Canada were recorded on these passenger lists. Afterwards, Canadian-born immigrants to the U.S. were also included.

This collection is complete only through the year 1917. After 1917 anyone coming to the U.S. west of the Montana/North Dakota line was filed in Seattle, Washington. These records will be added at a later date. (Ancestry.com)