Immigration case files

Part Of: Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds; Immigration case files series

Part Of: Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Toronto fonds; Immigration case files series

Scope and Content: This series consists of the case files created by JIAS for immigrants or potential immigrants, individuals or families, who wished to enter Canada directly or to pass through Canada in order to settle in the United States.; The files include correspondence with Canadian immigrant agencies and governmental departments, correspondence with other worldwide immigrant agencies, case reports and related biographical information. Some files also contain photographs.

Notes: This series was formerly known as MG2 I1a K1; The photographs contained in this series are interspersed with the textual records. They are generally passport photographs or similar headshots used for identification purposes.

Access Restriction: Records in off-site storage; advance notice required to view.; Closed. Researchers must receive permission from the OJA director prior to accessing the records.

Arrangement: The title of each file is either the name of the prospective immigrant or the name of their sponsor in Canada. JIAS had originally arranged these files chronologically based upon the date a case was first opened by the office, such as the date of their first interview with a prospective immigrant, or the date they first corresponded with an international agency.; A suffix following the file number (eg. A, B) indicates a separate file opened for the individual, rather than the same file divided into two folders. For example, an individual may have immigrated to Canada and then sponsored a family member, in which case JIAS would have created two separate files.; The national office in Montreal often had first contact with the prospective immigrants to Canada, and/or the international agencies representing them. They would have kept their own case file and forwarded any documents to the appropriate regional offices. Thus, many of the case files have two numbers: one for the Toronto office and one for the Montreal office. The Archives has retained both numbers if they exist, with Montreal numbers appearing in parenthesis.