About the Talk:

What is the USCIS Genealogy Program? Why does it have so many historical immigration and naturalization records locked behind a paywall? How did this happen? What can I do to help?

Join Rich and Renée as they provide an overview of the records held by USCIS; explain the proposed fee hike USCIS just announced; and guide the JewishGen community to help make a difference. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the USCIS Genealogy Program and how they can help address the ongoing issues of access, transparency, and efficiency.

About the Speakers:

Rich Venezia lives in Philadelphia and specializes in twentieth-century immigration research. He also coordinates week-long genealogical research classes about immigration records. A records access advocate, he founded Records Not Revenue in 2019.

Renée Carl is a professional genealogist based in Washington DC. Renée and Rich worked on two seasons of PBS' Genealogy Roadshow together, and when Rich founded Records Not Revenue, he recruited Renée out of her public policy and advocacy retirement to provide policy guidance.

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