Form 30A, Ocean arrivals 1919 to 1924
People arriving in Canada by sea between 1919-1924 were recorded in Form 30A, Ocean arrivals. The types of form and information collected changed over time.
On this page
Before you start
Gather information such as:
- name(s)
- approximate year of birth
- country of birth
- approximate year of arrival
Search tips
- These records are not searchable by name. Instead, you need to browse the microfilm.
- Spelling variations of names were common before the mid-1900s. Many names were written phonetically, as they sounded to the person recording them.
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For the years 1919 to 1922, a passenger's name might appear in the Form 30A and/or the Passenger lists.
- If you cannot find a reference to your ancestor in Forms 30A, then try searching the passenger lists for that period. Visit our Passenger Lists 1865 to 1935 page for more details.
- In the earlier version of Form 30A used in 1919, the names of accompanying dependents were usually included with the head-of-household, not on separate forms.
About the records
Form 30A records were arranged in alphabetical groupings based on the first letters of each name. For example, surnames starting with Ada, Adc and Add are grouped together starting with given names beginning with A. Such a grouping could include the following arrangement of forms:
Anne Adair, Benjamin Adcock, Christopher Addison, David Adair, etc.
Some of the more common surnames, such as Smith, Adams, MacLeod and Bennett, are grouped separately.
When consulting the Form 30A records, be aware that in most cases each form was microfilmed with the backside first, followed by the front of the form.
About Form 30A
From June 1, 1921, to December 31, 1924, the Department of Immigration and Colonization introduced the use of Form 30A as the official record of immigration, instead of the large sheet passenger list that had been previously in use.
Passengers were required to complete and submit to the immigration officer Form 30A (RG 76 C1j) at the ports of arrival. A separate form was required for each passenger and a parent or guardian was asked to fill out the form for a child. Passengers in transit to the United States were not required to fill out the Form 30A.
The use of Form 30A was inconsistent before 1922. For the years from 1919 to 1922, a passenger's name might be recorded on a passenger list and/or a Form 30A. If the passenger’s name was recorded on a passenger list, the image would be attached to the record in Collection search. Visit our Passenger Lists 1865 to 1935 page for more details.
Other places to look
- Form 30A have also been indexed by name on Ancestry (subscription required/free at LAC) and on FamilySearch.org (free by registration required).
Access the records
- Form 30A records are digitized on microfilm reels that will need to be accessed separately. For these records consult the About the records section for information on how to consult the digitized microfilms.
- If you prefer to search the microfilms rather than digitized images, you can see them in person.