Title 8, Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-102
§1402 Persons Born in Puerto Rico on or After April 11, 1899
Title 8 › CHAPTER 12 — IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY › SUBCHAPTER III — NATIONALITY AND NATURALIZATION › Part I — Nationality at Birth and Collective Naturalization › § 1402
Summary
People born in Puerto Rico from April 11, 1899 until before January 13, 1941 who met the law’s conditions were declared U.S. citizens on January 13, 1941. People born on or after January 13, 1941 are U.S. citizens at birth.
Full Legal Text
Title 8, §1402
Aliens and Nationality, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
All persons born in Puerto Rico on or after April 11, 1899, and prior to January 13, 1941, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, residing on January 13, 1941, in Puerto Rico or other territory over which the United States exercises rights of sovereignty and not citizens of the United States under any other Act, are declared to be citizens of the United States as of January 13, 1941. All persons born in Puerto Rico on or after January 13, 1941, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, are citizens of the United States at birth.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
8 U.S.C. § 1402
Title 8, Aliens and Nationality
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102