Overview#

Nationals are Natural Person of a Nationality

United States Nationals#

Although all United States citizens are also United States Nationals, the reverse is not true. As specified in 8 U.S.C. § 1408, a person whose only connection to the United States is through birth in an outlying possession (which is defined in 8 U.S.C. § 1101 as American Samoa and Swains Island, which is administered as part of American Samoa), or through descent from a person so born, acquires United States Nationality but not United States Citizenship. This was formerly the case in only four other current or former U.S. overseas possessions:
  • Guam from 1898 to 1950, when citizenship granted by an Act of Congress through the Guam Organic Act of 1950;
  • Philippines from 1898 to 1935 when immigration rights of national status was rescinded as part of the Philippine Independence Act, with full independence in 1946;
  • Puerto Rico from 1898 to 1917 when citizenship was granted through the Jones–Shafroth Act of 1917;
  • United States Virgin Islands from 1917 to 1927 when citizenship was granted by an act of Congress in 1927.

More Information#

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