Question: what is the difference between national and citizen?
Answer: What's the Difference Between a U.S. National and a U.S. Citizen? U.S. citizens are also considered to be U.S. nationals. U.S. law defines a national as “a person owing permanent allegiance to a state.” Since U.S. citizens owe allegiance to the U.S., they are both U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals.