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A 'no record' letter is an official document certifying that a search of naturalization records found no evidence that the person naturalized, used to prove the citizenship chain was not broken.
In depth
A 'no record' letter (also called a 'certificate of no record' or 'negative search result') is an official document certifying that a search of naturalization records found no evidence that the person naturalized. It is used in CBD cases to prove that the citizenship chain was not broken by naturalization.
For CBD cases involving ancestors who emigrated to the United States, the USCIS Index Search produces a 'no record' letter if the search finds no naturalization records. This is the standard proof that the ancestor never naturalized as a US citizen.
Equivalent 'no record' letters can be obtained from: NARA (National Archives), county courts, the UK Home Office, Library and Archives Canada, the Australian National Archives, and equivalent authorities in other countries.
Related terms
A naturalization record is a government document certifying that a person acquired citizenship by naturalization, critical for CBD cases to determine if the citizenship chain was broken.
USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) is the US government agency that holds naturalization records and issues 'no record' letters for CBD cases.
The citizenship chain is the unbroken line of citizenship transmission from an ancestor to the applicant, which must be proven to claim citizenship by descent.
A long-form birth certificate is a detailed birth certificate that includes the child's and parents' full information, required for most CBD applications.
A short-form birth certificate is a simplified birth certificate showing only the child's basic information, typically not accepted for CBD applications.
A certified copy is a copy of a document that has been verified as a true and accurate copy by the issuing authority, typically required for CBD applications.