8 USC 1438 – Former citizens losing citizenship by entering armed forces of foreign countries during World War II
(a) Requirements; oath; certified copies of oath
Any person who, (1) during World War II and while a citizen of the United States, served in the military, air, or naval forces of any country at war with a country with which the United States was at war after December 7, 1941, and before September 2, 1945, and (2) has lost United States citizenship by reason of entering or serving in such forces, or taking an oath or obligation for the purpose of entering such forces, may, upon compliance with all the provisions of subchapter III of this chapter, except section 1427(a) of this title, and except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), be naturalized by taking before the Attorney General or before a court described in section 1421(b) of this title the oath required by section 1448 of this title. Certified copies of such oath shall be sent by such court to the Department of State and to the Department of Justice and by the Attorney General to the Secretary of State.
(b) Exceptions
Terms Used In 8 USC 1438
- Attorney General: means the Attorney General of the United States. See 8 USC 1101
- naturalization: means the conferring of nationality of a state upon a person after birth, by any means whatsoever. See 8 USC 1101
- Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
- oath: includes affirmation, and "sworn" includes affirmed. See 1 USC 1
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- permanent: means a relationship of continuing or lasting nature, as distinguished from temporary, but a relationship may be permanent even though it is one that may be dissolved eventually at the instance either of the United States or of the individual, in accordance with law. See 8 USC 1101
- person: means an individual or an organization. See 8 USC 1101
- residence: means the place of general abode. See 8 USC 1101
- State: includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. See 8 USC 1101
- United States: except as otherwise specifically herein provided, when used in a geographical sense, means the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. See 8 USC 1101
No person shall be naturalized under subsection (a) of this section unless he—
(1) is, and has been for a period of at least five years immediately preceding taking the oath required in subsection (a), a person of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States; and
(2) has been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence and intends to reside permanently in the United States.
(c) Status
Any person naturalized in accordance with the provisions of this section, or any person who was naturalized in accordance with the provisions of section 323 of the Nationality Act of 1940, shall have, from and after such naturalization, the status of a native-born, or naturalized, citizen of the United States, whichever status existed in the case of such person prior to the loss of citizenship: Provided, That nothing contained herein, or in any other provision of law, shall be construed as conferring United States citizenship retroactively upon any such person during any period in which such person was not a citizen.
(d) Span of World War II
For the purposes of this section, World War II shall be deemed to have begun on September 1, 1939, and to have terminated on September 2, 1945.
(e) Inapplicability to certain persons
This section shall not apply to any person who during World War II served in the armed forces of a country while such country was at war with the United States.