Can NARA issue a negative search letter for ancestors who never resided in the United States?

NARA will not complete a search of federal court holdings or issue a negative search letter in cases where the researcher cannot provide a place of residence in the United States for the individual requested. Reference staff can search specific index(es) for federal court records in the possession of the National Archives. United States naturalization laws required that most petitioners meet residency requirements before applying for naturalization. Researchers should first determine where your ancestor lived after arriving in the United States and contact the NARA office that holds naturalization records of that state.