Collapse to view only § 1439. Naturalization through service in the armed forces
- § 1421. Naturalization authority
- § 1422. Eligibility for naturalization
- § 1423. Requirements as to understanding the English language, history, principles and form of government of the United States
- § 1424. Prohibition upon the naturalization of persons opposed to government or law, or who favor totalitarian forms of government
- § 1425. Ineligibility to naturalization of deserters from the Armed Forces
- § 1426. Citizenship denied alien relieved of service in Armed Forces because of alienage
- § 1427. Requirements of naturalization
- § 1428. Temporary absence of persons performing religious duties
- § 1429. Prerequisite to naturalization; burden of proof
- § 1430. Married persons and employees of certain nonprofit organizations
- § 1431. Children born outside the United States and lawfully admitted for permanent residence; conditions under which citizenship automatically acquired
- § 1432. Repealed.
- § 1433. Children born and residing outside the United States; conditions for acquiring certificate of citizenship
- § 1434. Repealed.
- § 1435. Former citizens regaining citizenship
- § 1436. Nationals but not citizens; residence within outlying possessions
- § 1437. Resident Philippine citizens excepted from certain requirements
- § 1438. Former citizens losing citizenship by entering armed forces of foreign countries during World War II
- § 1439. Naturalization through service in the armed forces
- § 1440. Naturalization through active-duty service in the Armed Forces during World War I, World War II, Korean hostilities, Vietnam hostilities, or other periods of military hostilities
- § 1440-1. Posthumous citizenship through death while on active-duty service in armed forces during World War I, World War II, the Korean hostilities, the Vietnam hostilities, or in other periods of military hostilities
- §§ 1440a to 1440d. Omitted
- § 1440e. Exemption from naturalization fees for aliens naturalized through service during Vietnam hostilities or other subsequent period of military hostilities; report by clerks of courts to Attorney General
- § 1440f. Fingerprints and other biometric information for members of the United States Armed Forces
- § 1440g. Provision of information on military naturalization
- § 1441. Constructive residence through service on certain United States vessels
- § 1442. Alien enemies
- § 1443. Administration
- § 1443a. Naturalization proceedings overseas for members of the Armed Forces and their spouses and children
- § 1444. Photographs; number
- § 1445. Application for naturalization; declaration of intention
- § 1446. Investigation of applicants; examination of applications
- § 1447. Hearings on denials of applications for naturalization
- § 1448. Oath of renunciation and allegiance
- § 1448a. Address to newly naturalized citizens
- § 1449. Certificate of naturalization; contents
- § 1450. Functions and duties of clerks and records of declarations of intention and applications for naturalization
- § 1451. Revocation of naturalization
- § 1452. Certificates of citizenship or U.S. non-citizen national status; procedure
- § 1453. Cancellation of certificates issued by Attorney General, the Commissioner or a Deputy Commissioner; action not to affect citizenship status
- § 1454. Documents and copies issued by Attorney General
- § 1455. Fiscal provisions
- § 1456. Repealed.
- § 1457. Publication and distribution of citizenship textbooks; use of naturalization fees
- § 1458. Compilation of naturalization statistics and payment for equipment
- § 1459. Repealed.
The right of a person to become a naturalized citizen of the United States shall not be denied or abridged because of race or sex or because such person is married.
A person who, at any time during which the United States has been or shall be at war, deserted or shall desert the military, air, or naval forces of the United States, or who, having been duly enrolled, departed, or shall depart from the jurisdiction of the district in which enrolled, or who, whether or not having been duly enrolled, went or shall go beyond the limits of the United States, with intent to avoid any draft into the military, air, or naval service, lawfully ordered, shall, upon conviction thereof by a court martial or a court of competent jurisdiction, be permanently ineligible to become a citizen of the United States; and such deserters and evaders shall be forever incapable of holding any office of trust or of profit under the United States, or of exercising any rights of citizens thereof.
Any person who is authorized to perform the ministerial or priestly functions of a religious denomination having a bona fide organization within the United States, or any person who is engaged solely by a religious denomination or by an interdenominational mission organization having a bona fide organization within the United States as a missionary, brother, nun, or sister, who (1) has been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, (2) has at any time thereafter and before filing an application for naturalization been physically present and residing within the United States for an uninterrupted period of at least one year, and (3) has heretofore been or may hereafter be absent temporarily from the United States in connection with or for the purpose of performing the ministerial or priestly functions of such religious denomination, or serving as a missionary, brother, nun, or sister, shall be considered as being physically present and residing in the United States for the purpose of naturalization within the meaning of section 1427(a) of this title, notwithstanding any such absence from the United States, if he shall in all other respects comply with the requirements of the naturalization law. Such person shall prove to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that his absence from the United States has been solely for the purpose of performing the ministerial or priestly functions of such religious denomination, or of serving as a missionary, brother, nun, or sister.
Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, no person shall be naturalized unless he has been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence in accordance with all applicable provisions of this chapter. The burden of proof shall be upon such person to show that he entered the United States lawfully, and the time, place, and manner of such entry into the United States, but in presenting such proof he shall be entitled to the production of his immigrant visa, if any, or of other entry document, if any, and of any other documents and records, not considered by the Attorney General to be confidential, pertaining to such entry, in the custody of the Service. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 405(b),1
A person not a citizen who owes permanent allegiance to the United States, and who is otherwise qualified, may, if he becomes a resident of any State, be naturalized upon compliance with the applicable requirements of this subchapter, except that in applications for naturalization filed under the provisions of this section residence and physical presence within the United States within the meaning of this subchapter shall include residence and physical presence within any of the outlying possessions of the United States.
Any person who (1) was a citizen of the Commonwealth of the Philippines on July 2, 1946, (2) entered the United States prior to May 1, 1934, and (3) has, since such entry, resided continuously in the United States shall be regarded as having been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence for the purpose of applying for naturalization under this subchapter.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no clerk of a United States court shall charge or collect a naturalization fee from an alien who has served in the military, air, or naval forces of the United States during a period beginning February 28, 1961, and ending on the date designated by the President by Executive order as the date of termination of the Vietnam hostilities, or thereafter during any other period which the President by Executive order shall designate as a period in which Armed Forces of the United States are or were engaged in military operations involving armed conflict with a hostile foreign force, and who is applying for naturalization during such periods under section 329 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended by this Act [8 U.S.C. 1440], for filing a petition for naturalization or issuing a certificate of naturalization upon his admission to citizenship, and no clerk of any State court shall charge or collect any fee for such services unless the laws of the State require such charge to be made, in which case nothing more than the portion of the fee required to be paid to the State shall be charged or collected. A report of all transactions under this section shall be made to the Attorney General as in the case of other reports required of clerks of courts by title III of the Immigration and Nationality Act [8 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.].
Any periods of time during all of which a person who was previously lawfully admitted for permanent residence has served honorably or with good conduct, in any capacity other than as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, (A) on board a vessel operated by the United States, or an agency thereof, the full legal and equitable title to which is in the United States; or (B) on board a vessel whose home port is in the United States, and (i) which is registered under the laws of the United States, or (ii) the full legal and equitable title to which is in a citizen of the United States, or a corporation organized under the laws of any of the several States of the United States, shall be deemed residence and physical presence within the United States within the meaning of section 1427(a) of this title, if such service occurred within five years immediately preceding the date such person shall file an application for naturalization. Service on vessels described in clause (A) of this section shall be proved by duly authenticated copies of the records of the executive departments or agency having custody of the records of such service. Service on vessels described in clause (B) of this section may be proved by certificates from the masters of such vessels.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that any applications, interviews, filings, oaths, ceremonies, or other proceedings under title III of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.) relating to naturalization of members of the Armed Forces, and persons made eligible for naturalization by section 319(e) or 322(d) of such Act [8 U.S.C. 1430(e), 1433(d)], are available through United States embassies, consulates, and as practicable, United States military installations overseas.
Either at the time of the rendition of the decree of naturalization or at such other time as the judge may fix, the judge or someone designated by him shall address the newly naturalized citizen upon the form and genius of our Government and the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship; it being the intent and purpose of this section to enlist the aid of the judiciary, in cooperation with civil and educational authorities, and patriotic organizations in a continuous effort to dignify and emphasize the significance of citizenship.
A person admitted to citizenship in conformity with the provisions of this subchapter shall be entitled upon such admission to receive from the Attorney General a certificate of naturalization, which shall contain substantially the following information: Number of application for naturalization; number of certificate of naturalization; date of naturalization; name, signature, place of residence, autographed photograph, and personal description of the naturalized person, including age, sex, marital status, and country of former nationality; location of the district office of the Service in which the application was filed and the title, authority, and location of the official or court administering the oath of allegiance; statement that the Attorney General, having found that the applicant had complied in all respects with all of the applicable provisions of the naturalization laws of the United States, and was entitled to be admitted a citizen of the United States of America, thereupon ordered that the applicant be admitted as a citizen of the United States of America; attestation of an immigration officer; and the seal of the Department of Justice.
The Attorney General is authorized to cancel any certificate of citizenship, certificate of naturalization, copy of a declaration of intention, or other certificate, document or record heretofore issued or made by the Commissioner or a Deputy Commissioner or hereafter made by the Attorney General if it shall appear to the Attorney General’s satisfaction that such document or record was illegally or fraudulently obtained from, or was created through illegality or by fraud practiced upon, him or the Commissioner or a Deputy Commissioner; but the person for or to whom such document or record has been issued or made shall be given at such person’s last-known place of address written notice of the intention to cancel such document or record with the reasons therefor and shall be given at least sixty days in which to show cause why such document or record should not be canceled. The cancellation under this section of any document purporting to show the citizenship status of the person to whom it was issued shall affect only the document and not the citizenship status of the person in whose name the document was issued.
Authorization is granted for the publication and distribution of the citizenship textbook described in subsection (b) of section 1443 of this title and for the reimbursement of the appropriation of the Department of Justice upon the records of the Treasury Department from the naturalization fees deposited in the Treasury through the Service for the cost of such publication and distribution, such reimbursement to be made upon statements by the Attorney General of books so published and distributed.
The Attorney General is authorized and directed to prepare from the records in the custody of the Service a report upon those heretofore seeking citizenship to show by nationalities their relation to the numbers of aliens annually arriving and to the prevailing census populations of the foreign-born, their economic, vocational, and other classification, in statistical form, with analytical comment thereon, and to prepare such report annually hereafter. Payment for the equipment used in preparing such compilation shall be made from the appropriation for the enforcement of this chapter by the Service.