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8 U.S.C. § 1409 — Children born out of wedlock
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** The provisions of paragraphs (c), (d), (e), and (g) of [section 1401 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1401&num=0&edition=prelim), and of paragraph (2) of [section 1408 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1408&num=0&edition=prelim), shall apply as of the date of birth to a person born out of wedlock if—
(1) a blood relationship between the person and the father is established by clear and convincing evidence,
(2) the father had the nationality of the United States at the time of the person’s birth,
(3) the father (unless deceased) has agreed in writing to provide financial support for the person until the person reaches the age of 18 years, and
(4) while the person is under the age of 18 years—
(A) the person is legitimated under the law of the person’s residence or domicile,
(B) the father acknowledges paternity of the person in writing under oath, or
(C) the paternity of the person is established by adjudication of a competent court.
**(b)** Except as otherwise provided in section 405 of this Act, the provisions of [section 1401(g) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1401/g&num=0&edition=prelim) shall apply to a child born out of wedlock on or after January 13, 1941, and before December 24, 1952, as of the date of birth, if the paternity of such child is established at any time while such child is under the age of twenty-one years by legitimation.
**(c)** Notwithstanding the provision of subsection (a) of this section, a person born, after December 23, 1952, outside the United States and out of wedlock shall be held to have acquired at birth the nationality status of his mother, if th
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Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_f0da0d0cc018177b3aa45fc6
Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-8/section-1409-children-born-out-of-wedlock--8df0631dda.md
Pages: Not recorded – Not recorded
Passage SHA-256: 80414acb45ebe5dc720b8a72cf404e97c2646be064b13c6f1e6dfd52036b6e13
Source location: Title 8, Chapter 12, § 1409; chapter-012-immigration-and-nationality.md
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**(a)** The provisions of paragraphs (c), (d), (e), and (g) of [section 1401 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1401&num=0&edition=prelim), and of paragraph (2) of [section 1408 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1408&num=0&edition=prelim), shall apply as of the date of birth to a person born out of wedlock if—
(1) a blood relationship between the person and the father is established by clear and convincing evidence,
(2) the father had the nationality of the United States at the time of the person’s birth,
(3) the father (unless deceased) has agreed in writing to provide financial support for the person until the person reaches the age of 18 years, and
(4) while the person is under the age of 18 years—
(A) the person is legitimated under the law of the person’s residence or domicile,
(B) the father acknowledges paternity of the person in writing under oath, or
(C) the paternity of the person is established by adjudication of a competent court.
**(b)** Except as otherwise provided in section 405 of this Act, the provisions of [section 1401(g) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1401/g&num=0&edition=prelim) shall apply to a child born out of wedlock on or after January 13, 1941, and before December 24, 1952, as of the date of birth, if the paternity of such child is established at any time while such child is under the age of twenty-one years by legitimation.
**(c)** Notwithstanding the provision of subsection (a) of this section, a person born, after December 23, 1952, outside the United States and out of wedlock shall be held to have acquired at birth the nationality status of his mother, if the mother had the nationality of the United States at the time of such person’s birth, and if the mother had previously been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Unless otherwise provided in [section 1401 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1401&num=0&edition=prelim), the following shall be nationals, but not citizens, of the United States at birth:
(1) A person born in an outlying possession of the United States on or after the date of formal acquisition of such possession;
(2) A person born outside the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are nationals, but not citizens, of the United States, and have had a residence in the United States, or one of its outlying possessions prior to the birth of such person;
(3) A person of unknown parentage found in an outlying possession of the United States while under the age of five years, until shown, prior to his attaining the age of twenty-one years, not to have been born in such outlying possession; and
(4) A person born outside the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a national, but not a citizen, of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than seven years in any continuous period of ten years—
(A) during which the national parent was not outside the United States or its outlying possessions for a continuous period of more than one year, and
(B) at least five years of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years.
The proviso of [section 1401(g) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1401/g&num=0&edition=prelim) shall apply to the national parent under this paragraph in the same manner as it applies to the citizen parent under that section.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** As used in this chapter—
(1) The term “administrator” means the official designated by the Secretary of State pursuant to [section 1104(b) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1104/b&num=0&edition=prelim).
(2) The term “advocates” includes, but is not limited to, advises, recommends, furthers by overt act, and admits belief in.
(3) The term “alien” means any person not a citizen or national of the United States.
(4) The term “application for admission” has reference to the application for admission into the United States and not to the application for the issuance of an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa.
(5) The term “Attorney General” means the Attorney General of the United States.
(6) The term “border crossing identification card” means a document of identity bearing that designation issued to an alien who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or to an alien who is a resident in foreign contiguous territory, by a consular officer or an immigration officer for the purpose of crossing over the borders between the United States and foreign contiguous territory in accordance with such conditions for its issuance and use as may be prescribed by regulations. Such regulations shall provide that (A) each such document include a biometric identifier (such as the fingerprint or handprint of the alien) that is machine readable and (B) an alien presenting a border crossing identification card is not permitted to cross over the border into the United States unless the biometric identifier contained on the card matches the appropriate biometric characteristic of the alien.
(7) The term “clerk of court” means a clerk of a naturalization court.
(8) The terms “Commissioner” and “Deputy Commissioner” mean the Co
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:
**(a)** a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof;
**(b)** a person born in the United States to a member of an Indian, Eskimo, Aleutian, or other aboriginal tribe: Provided, That the granting of citizenship under this subsection shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of such person to tribal or other property;
**(c)** a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are citizens of the United States and one of whom has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions, prior to the birth of such person;
**(d)** a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year prior to the birth of such person, and the other of whom is a national, but not a citizen of the United States;
**(e)** a person born in an outlying possession of the United States of parents one of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year at any time prior to the birth of such person;
**(f)** a person of unknown parentage found in the United States while under the age of five years, until shown, prior to his attaining the age of twenty-one years, not to have been born in the United States;
**(g)** a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Page 484
TITLE 8—ALIENS AND NATIONALITY
§ 1408
Editorial Notes
REFERENCES IN TEXT
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (c), was in the
original, ‘‘this Act’’, meaning act June 27, 1952, ch. 477,
66 Stat. 163, known as the Immigration and Nationality
Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For
complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title note set out under section 1101 of this title
and Tables.
§ 1408. Nationals but not citizens of the United
States at birth
Unless otherwise provided in section 1401 of
this title, the following shall be nationals, but
not citizens, of the United States at birth:
(1) A person born in an outlying possession of
the United States on or after the date of formal
acquisition of such possession;
(2) A person born outside the United States
and its outlying possessions of parents both of
whom are nationals, but not citizens, of the
United States, and have had a residence in the
United States, or one of its outlying possessions
prior to the birth of such person;
(3) A person of unknown parentage found in an
outlying possession of the United States while
under the age of five years, until shown, prior to
his attaining the age of twenty-one years, not to
have been born in such outlying possession; and
(4) A person born outside the United States
and its outlying possessions of parents one of
whom is an alien, and the other a national, but
not a citizen, of the United States who, prior to
the birth of such person, was physically present
in the United States or its outlying possessions
for a period or periods totaling not less than
seven years in any continuous period of ten
years—
(A) during which the national parent was
not outside the United States or its outlying
possessions for
Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 8 U.S.C. § 1409
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