Ellis Island Head Tax & Financial Requirements

Immigrating via Ellis Island involved specific costs:

• Head tax: $2 (1903–1917); raised to $4 (1917), $8 (1924). Equivalent to ~$55–$130 today.
• Exemptions: Children <16, adults >55, returning residents, certain relatives of citizens.
• Landing money requirement: $25 cash (after 1909) to prove self-sufficiency. Could be held by relative/agent.
• Detention for lack of funds: Common; aid societies (HIAS, etc.) often intervened.

Steamship ticket (€20–€50) was the largest expense—often a family's life savings.