Title 8 — Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-73

§1403 Persons born in the Canal Zone or Republic of Panama on or after February 26, 1904

Title 8 › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - NATIONALITY AND NATURALIZATION › Part Part I— - Nationality at Birth and Collective Naturalization › § 1403

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Anyone born in the Canal Zone on or after February 26, 1904 is a U.S. citizen if a parent was or is a U.S. citizen at the time of birth. Panama births after that date make a person a U.S. citizen only if a parent was or is a U.S. citizen employed by the U.S. Government or the Panama Railroad Company (or successor); this applies regardless of the effective date.

Full Legal Text

Title 8, §1403

Aliens and Nationality — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any person born in the Canal Zone on or after February 26, 1904, and whether before or after the effective date of this chapter, whose father or mother or both at the time of the birth of such person was or is a citizen of the United States, is declared to be a citizen of the United States.

(b)Any person born in the Republic of Panama on or after February 26, 1904, and whether before or after the effective date of this chapter, whose father or mother or both at the time of the birth of such person was or is a citizen of the United States employed by the Government of the United States or by the Panama Railroad Company, or its successor in title, is declared to be a citizen of the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

For definition of Canal Zone, referred to in text, see section 3602(b) of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse. The

Effective Date

of this chapter, referred to in text, is the 180th day immediately following

June 27, 1952. See section 407 of act

June 27, 1952, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 1101 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Panama Railroad Company redesignated Panama Canal Company by act Sept. 26, 1950, ch. 1049, § 2(a)(2), 64 Stat. 1038. References to Panama Canal Company in laws of the United States are deemed to refer to Panama Canal Commission pursuant to section 3602(b)(5) of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1403

Title 8 — Aliens and Nationality

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73