Title 22—Foreign Relations--Volume 1
PART 50—NATIONALITY PROCEDURES
§ 50.1   Definitions.
The following definitions shall be applicable to this part:
(a) United States means the continental United States, the State of Hawaii, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Canal Zone, American Samoa, Guam and any other islands or territory over which the United States exercises jurisdiction.
(b) Department means the Department of State of the United States of America.
(c) Secretary means the Secretary of State.
(d) National means a citizen of the United States or a noncitizen owing permanent allegiance to the United States.
(e) Passport means a travel document issued under the authority of the Secretary of State attesting to the identity and nationality of the bearer.
(f) Passport Agent means a person designated by the Department to accept passport applications.
(g) Designated nationality examiner means a United States citizen employee of the Department of State assigned or employed abroad (permanently or temporarily) and designated by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Overseas Citizen Services, to grant, issue and verify U.S. passports. A designated nationality examiner may adjudicate claims of acquisition and loss of United States nationality and citizenship as required for the purpose of providing passport and related services. The authority of designated nationality examiners shall include the authority to examine, adjudicate, approve and deny passport applications and applications for related services. The authority of designated nationality examiners shall expire upon termination of the employee's assignment for such duty and may also be terminated at any time by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Overseas Citizen Services.
§ 50.2   Determination of U.S. nationality of persons abroad.
The Department shall determine claims to United States nationality when made by persons abroad on the basis of an application for registration, for a passport, or for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America. Such determinations of nationality may be made abroad by a consular officer or a designated nationality examiner. A designated nationality examiner may accept and approve/disapprove applications for registration and accept and approve/disapprove applications for passports and issue passports. Under the supervision of a consular officer, designated nationality examiners shall accept, adjudicate, disapprove and provisionally approve applications for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad may only be issued by a consular officer, who will review a designated nationality examiner's provisional approval of an application for such report and issue the report if satisfied that the claim to nationality has been established.
§ 50.3   Application for registration.
(a) A person abroad who claims U.S. nationality, or a representative on his behalf, may apply at a consular post for registration to establish his claim to U.S. nationality or to make his residence in the particular consular area a matter of record.
(b) The applicant shall execute the registration form prescribed by the Department and shall submit the supporting evidence required by subpart C of part 51 of this chapter. A diplomatic or consular officer or a designated nationality examiner shall determine the period of time for which the registration will be valid.
§ 50.4   Application for passport.
A claim to U.S. nationality in connection with an application for passport shall be determined by posts abroad in accordance with the regulations contained in part 51 of this chapter.
§ 50.5   Application for registration of birth abroad.
Upon application by the parent(s) or the child's legal guardian, a consular officer or designated nationality examiner may accept and adjudicate the application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America for a child born in their consular district. In specific instances, the Department may authorize consular officers and other designated employees to adjudicate the application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a child born outside his/her consular district. Under the supervision of a consular officer, designated nationality examiners shall accept, adjudicate, disapprove and provisionally approve applications for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. The applicant shall be required to submit proof of the child's birth, identity and citizenship meeting the evidence requirements of subpart C of part 51 of this subchapter and shall include:
(a) Proof of child's birth. Proof of child's birth usually consists of, but is not limited to, an authentic copy of the record of the birth filed with local authorities, a baptismal certificate, a military hospital certificate of birth, or an affidavit of the doctor or the person attending the birth. If no proof of birth is available, the person seeking to register the birth shall submit his affidavit explaining why such proof is not available and setting forth the facts relating to the birth.
(b) Proof of child's citizenship. Evidence of parent's citizenship and, if pertinent, evidence of parent's physical presence in the United States as required for transmittal of claim of citizenship by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 shall be submitted.
§ 50.6   Registration at the Department of birth abroad.
In the time of war or national emergency, passport agents may be designated to complete consular reports of birth for children born at military facilities which are not under the jurisdiction of a consular office. An officer of the Armed Forces having authority to administer oaths may take applications for registration under this section.
§ 50.7   Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America.
(a) Upon application and the submission of satisfactory proof of birth, identity and nationality, and at the time of the reporting of the birth, the consular officer may issue to the parent or legal guardian, when approved and upon payment of a prescribed fee, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America.
(b) Amended and replacement Consular Reports of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America may be issued by the Department of State's Passport Office upon written request and payment of the required fee.
(c) When it reports a birth under § 50.6, the Department shall furnish the Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America to the parent or legal guardian upon application and payment of required fees.
(d) A Consular Report of Birth Abroad may be cancelled in accordance with applicable provisions in 22 CFR 51.60 through 51.74.
§ 50.8   Certification of Report of Birth Abroad of a United States Citizen.
At any time subsequent to the issuance of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America, when requested and upon payment of the required fee, the Department of State's Passport Office may issue to the citizen, the citizen's parent or legal guardian a certificate entitled “Certification of Report of Birth Abroad of a United States Citizen.”
§ 50.9   Card of identity.
When authorized by the Department, consular offices or designated nationality examiners may issue a card of identity for travel to the United States to nationals of the United States being deported from a foreign country, to nationals/citizens of the United States involved in a common disaster abroad, or to a returning national of the United States to whom passport services have been denied or withdrawn under the provisions of this part or parts 51 or 53 of this subchapter.
§ 50.10   Certificate of nationality.
(a) Any person who acquired the nationality of the United States at birth and who is involved in any judicial or administrative proceedings in a foreign state and needs to establish his U.S. nationality may apply for a certificate of nationality in the form prescribed by the Department.
(b) An applicant for a certificate of nationality must submit evidence of his nationality and documentary evidence establishing that he is involved in judicial or administrative proceedings in which proof of his U.S. nationality is required.
§ 50.11   Certificate of identity for travel to the United States to apply for admission.
(a) A person applying abroad for a certificate of identity under section 360(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act shall complete the application form prescribed by the Department and submit evidence to support his claim to U.S. nationality.
(b) When a diplomatic or consular officer denies an application for a certificate of identity under this section, the applicant may submit a written appeal to the Secretary through the U.S. embassy or consulate where the individual applied for the certificate of identity, stating the pertinent facts, the grounds upon which U.S. nationality is claimed, and his or her reasons for considering that the denial was not justified.
§ 50.20   Retention of nationality.
(a) Section 351(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (1) A person who desires to claim U.S. nationality under the provisions of section 351(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act must, within the time period specified in the statute, assert a claim to U.S. nationality and subscribe to an oath of allegiance before a diplomatic or consular officer.
(2) In addition, the person shall submit to the Department a statement reciting the person's identity and acquisition or derivation of U.S. nationality, the facts pertaining to the performance of any act which would otherwise have been expatriative, and his desire to retain his U.S. nationality.
§ 50.30   Resumption of nationality.
(a) Section 324(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (1) A woman formerly a citizen of the United States at birth who wishes to regain her citizenship under section 324(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act may apply abroad to a diplomatic or consular officer on the form prescribed by the Department to take the oath of allegiance prescribed by section 337 of that Act.
(2) The applicant shall submit documentary evidence to establish her eligibility to take the oath of allegiance. If the diplomatic or consular officer or the Department determines, when the application is submitted to the Department for decision, that the applicant is ineligible for resumption of citizenship because of section 313 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the oath shall not be administered.
(b) The Act of June 25, 1936. (1) A woman who has been restored to citizenship by the Act of June 25, 1936, as amended by the Act of July 2, 1940, but who failed to take the oath of allegiance prior to December 24, 1952, as prescribed by the nationality laws, may apply abroad to any diplomatic or consular officer to take the oath of allegiance as prescribed by section 337 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
(2) The applicant shall submit documentary evidence to establish her eligibility to take the oath of allegiance. If the diplomatic or consular officer or the Department determines, when the application is submitted to the Department, that the applicant is ineligible for resumption of citizenship under section 313 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the oath shall not be administered.
(c) Certification of repatriation. Upon request and payment of the prescribed fee, a diplomatic or consular officer or the Department shall issue a certified copy of the application and oath administered to a woman repatriated under this section.
(d) Section 324(d)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (1) A former citizen of the United States who did not retain U.S. citizenship by failure to fulfill residency requirements as set out in Section 201(g) of the 1940 Nationality Act or former 301(b) of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, may regain his/her U.S. citizenship pursuant to Section 324(d) INA, by applying abroad at a diplomatic or consular post, or in the U.S. at any Immigration and Naturalization Service office in the form and manner prescribed by the Department of State and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
(2) The applicant shall submit documentary evidence to establish eligibility to take the oath of allegiance, which includes proof of birth abroad to a U.S. citizen parent between May 24, 1934 and December 24, 1952. If the diplomatic, consular, INS, or passport officer determines that the applicant is ineligible to regain citizenship under section 313 INA, the oath shall not be administered.
§ 50.40   Certification of loss of U.S. nationality.
(a) Administrative presumption. In adjudicating potentially expatriating acts pursuant to INA 349(a), the Department has adopted an administrative presumption regarding certain acts and the intent to commit them. U.S. citizens who naturalize in a foreign country; take a routine oath of allegiance; or accept non-policy level employment with a foreign government need not submit evidence of intent to retain U.S. nationality. In these three classes of cases, intent to retain U.S. citizenship will be presumed. A person who affirmatively asserts to a consular officer, after he or she has committed a potentially expatriating act, that it was his or her intent to relinquish U.S. citizenship will lose his or her U.S. citizenship. In other loss of nationality cases, the consular officer will ascertain whether or not there is evidence of intent to relinquish U.S. nationality.
(b) Whenever a person admits that he or she had the intent to relinquish citizenship by the voluntary and intentional performance of one of the acts specified in Section 349(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the person consents to the execution of an affidavit to that effect, the diplomatic or consular officer shall attach such affidavit to the certificate of loss of nationality.
(c) Whenever a diplomatic or consular officer has reason to believe that a person, while in a foreign country, has lost his U.S. nationality under any provision of chapter 3 of title III of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, or under any provision of chapter IV of the Nationality Act of 1940, as amended, he shall prepare a certificate of loss of nationality containing the facts upon which such belief is based and shall forward the certificate to the Department.
(d) If the diplomatic or consular officer determines that any document containing information relevant to the statements in the certificate of loss of nationality should not be attached to the certificate, the person may summarize the pertinent information in the appropriate section of the certificate and send the documents together with the certificate to the Department.
(e) If the certificate of loss of nationality is approved by the Department, a copy shall be forwarded to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice. The diplomatic or consular office in which the certificate was prepared shall then forward a copy of the certificate to the person to whom it relates or his representative.
(f) Attorney or Other Third-Party Presence at In-Person CLN appointments. Individuals may, at their own expense, have a private attorney, interpreter, or other third party of their own choice physically present during any in-person appointment, including interview appointments, at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad related to a request for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality (CLN); provided that:
(1) The individual and/or the attorney or other third party shall provide advance notice of the attorney's or other third party's intent to attend the CLN appointment in the manner specified by the Department of State and/or the specific U.S. embassy or consulate where the appointment is to take place;
(2) The individual requesting the CLN must appear in person for the mandatory in-person interview appointment(s); attendance by an attorney or other third party shall not be in lieu of the individual's in-person appearance;
(3) The diplomatic or consular officer will direct all interview questions to the individual requesting the CLN, and the individual must personally respond to the consular officer;
(4) The diplomatic or consular officer conducting the interview shall have the discretion to interview the individual alone, without an attorney or third-party present, when necessary to evaluate whether the individual has performed a potentially expatriating act independently, free from duress or coercion, and with intent to relinquish U.S. nationality;
(5) Nothing in this section abrogates any policies, security directives, and guidelines from the Department, Chief of Mission, or Diplomatic Security Service regarding admission to or conduct in the U.S. embassy or consulate. All persons entering a U.S. embassy or consulate shall comply with all policies, security directives, guidelines, and protocols including but not limited to those regarding security, identification, screening, electronic devices, recording, health, and conduct. Individuals may be refused entry or directed to leave the U.S. embassy or consulate for noncompliance with such policies, directives, guidelines, and protocols.
§ 50.50   Renunciation of nationality.
(a) A person desiring to renounce U.S. nationality under section 349(a)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act shall appear before a diplomatic or consular officer of the United States in the manner and form prescribed by the Department. The renunciant must include on the form he signs a statement that he absolutely and entirely renounces his U.S. nationality together with all rights and privileges and all duties of allegiance and fidelity thereunto pertaining.
(b) The diplomatic or consular officer shall forward to the Department for approval the oath of renunciation together with a certificate of loss of nationality as provided by section 358 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. If the officer's report is approved by the Department, copies of the certificate shall be forwarded to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Justice, and to the person to whom it relates or his representative.
§ 50.51   Review of finding of loss of nationality.
(a) There are no prescribed “procedures for administrative appeal” of issuance of a Certificate of Loss of Nationality for purposes of § 358 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1501) and no mandatory administrative review procedure prior to resort to judicial processes under § 360 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1503). Nevertheless, the Department may in its discretion review determinations of loss of nationality at any time after approval of issuance of the Certificate of Loss of Nationality to ensure consistency with governing law (see INA §§ 349 and 356, 8 U.S.C. 1481 and 1488). Such reconsideration may be initiated at the request of the person concerned or another person determined in accordance with guidance issued by the Department to have a legitimate interest.
(b) The primary grounds on which the Department will consider reversing a finding of loss of nationality and vacating a Certificate of Loss of Nationality are:
(1) The law under which the finding of loss was made has been held unconstitutional; or
(2) A major change in the interpretation of the law of expatriation is made as a result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision; or
(3) A major change in the interpretation of the law of expatriation is made by the Department, or is made by a court or another agency and adopted by the Department; and/or
(4) The person presents substantial new evidence, not previously considered, of involuntariness or absence of intent at the time of the expatriating act.
(c) When the Department reverses a finding of loss of nationality, the person concerned shall be considered not to have lost U.S. nationality as of the time the expatriating act was committed, and the Certificate of Loss of Nationality shall be vacated.
(d) Requesting the Department to reverse a finding of loss of nationality and vacate a Certificate of Loss of Nationality is not a prescribed “procedure for administrative appeal” for purposes of § 358 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1501). The Department's decision in response to such a request is not a prescribed “procedure for administrative appeal” for purposes of § 358 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1501). The issuance of a Certificate of Loss of Nationality by the Department is a “final administrative determination” and “final administrative denial” for purposes of §§ 358 and 360 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1501 and 1503), respectively.
§ 50.52   Attorney or other third-party assistance.
(a) A person appearing for a passport appointment at a passport agency or center domestically or a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas or for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) appointment overseas may be physically accompanied by a private attorney, interpreter, or other third party of their own choice at their own expense to provide assistance. All regulations related to passport and CRBA applications in this chapter continue to apply.
(1) An applicant and/or their third-party attendee or attorney may, at their own expense, bring their own interpreter to any passport and/or CRBA appointment, provided the applicant or their attorney or third-party attendee provides advance notice of such attendance pursuant to guidance issued by the Department.
(2) Attendance by an attorney or other third party at the appointment does not excuse the in-person appearance of the applicant as outlined by 22 CFR 51.21 and 51.28.
(3) Nothing in this section abrogates any policies, security directives, and guidelines from the Department, Chief of Mission, or Diplomatic Security Service regarding admission to or conduct in a domestic passport agency or center or at a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas. All persons entering a domestic passport agency or center or a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas shall comply with all policies, security directives, guidelines, and protocols, including but not limited to those regarding security, identification, screening, electronic devices, recording, health, and conduct. Individuals may be refused entry or directed to leave the U.S. embassy or consulate for noncompliance with such policies, directives, guidelines, and protocols.