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Title 8 — Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-73

§1501 Certificate of diplomatic or consular officer of United States as to loss of American nationality

Title 8 › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - NATIONALITY AND NATURALIZATION › Part Part IV— - Miscellaneous › § 1501

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

A U.S. diplomatic or consular officer who believes someone abroad lost U.S. nationality under part III or under chapter IV of the Nationality Act of 1940, as amended, must send a written report to the Secretary of State under the Secretary’s rules. If the Secretary approves the report, copies are sent to the Attorney General and to the person. That approval is the government’s final administrative decision that nationality was lost, is subject to any appeal rules the Secretary sets, and counts as a denial for purposes of section 1503.

Full Legal Text

Title 8, §1501

Aliens and Nationality — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whenever a diplomatic or consular officer of the United States has reason to believe that a person while in a foreign state has lost his United States nationality under any provision of part III of this subchapter, or under any provision of chapter IV of the Nationality Act of 1940, as amended, he shall certify the facts upon which such belief is based to the Department of State, in writing, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of State. If the report of the diplomatic or consular officer is approved by the Secretary of State, a copy of the certificate shall be forwarded to the Attorney General, for his information, and the diplomatic or consular office in which the report was made shall be directed to forward a copy of the certificate to the person to whom it relates. Approval by the Secretary of State of a certificate under this section shall constitute a final administrative determination of loss of United States nationality under this chapter, subject to such procedures for administrative appeal as the Secretary may prescribe by regulation, and also shall constitute a denial of a right or privilege of United States nationality for purposes of section 1503 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Chapter IV of the Nationality Act of 1940, as amended, referred to in text, which was classified to sections 800 to 810 of this title, was repealed by section 403(a)(42) of act
June 27, 1952. This chapter, referred to in text, 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. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 100 of this title.

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–416 inserted at end “Approval by the Secretary of State of a certificate under this section shall constitute a final administrative determination of loss of United States nationality under this chapter, subject to such procedures for administrative appeal as the Secretary may prescribe by regulation, and also shall constitute a denial of a right or privilege of United States nationality for purposes of section 1503 of this title.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service and

Transfer of Functions

For abolition of Immigration and Naturalization Service,

Transfer of Functions

, and treatment of related references, see note set out under section 1551 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1501

Title 8 — Aliens and Nationality

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73