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Title 8, Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-110

§1443 Administration

Title 8 › CHAPTER 12 — IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY › SUBCHAPTER III — NATIONALITY AND NATURALIZATION › Part II — Nationality Through Naturalization › § 1443

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Attorney General must write rules to run the naturalization process and decide what the citizenship exam will cover. The exam must be the same across the United States and focus on things like where the person lives and how long they have been here, good moral character, attachment to the basic ideas of the Constitution, ability to read, write, and speak English, and any other legal requirements. The Attorney General can promote citizenship training, work with schools and civic groups, prepare textbooks and a monthly bulletin, and share names of candidates with public schools. The Attorney General also must create the official forms people must use, and all naturalization and citizenship certificates must be printed on safety paper and given consecutive numbers in their own series. Employees the Attorney General names can give oaths and take depositions for free, and in cases of hardship may allow a postmaster, notary, or other authorized person to do this. Certificates issued by the Attorney General count the same as court-issued certificates everywhere. Certified copies of records can be used as if they were originals. The government may provide free space in Service buildings for nonprofit photo studios to help applicants, under Attorney General supervision. The Attorney General must widely share information about citizenship benefits and rules and may get help from community groups. Money is authorized each year as needed starting with fiscal year 1991.

Full Legal Text

Title 8, §1443

Aliens and Nationality, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Rules and regulations governing examination of applicants
The Attorney General shall make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this part and is authorized to prescribe the scope and nature of the examination of applicants for naturalization as to their admissibility to citizenship. Such examination shall be limited to inquiry concerning the applicant’s residence, physical presence in the United States, good moral character, understanding of and attachment to the fundamental principles of the Constitution of the United States, ability to read, write, and speak English, and other qualifications to become a naturalized citizen as required by law, and shall be uniform throughout the United States.
(b)Instruction in citizenship
The Attorney General is authorized to promote instruction and training in citizenship responsibilities of applicants for naturalization including the sending of names of candidates for naturalization to the public schools, preparing and distributing citizenship textbooks to such candidates as are receiving instruction in preparation for citizenship within or under the supervision of the public schools, preparing and distributing monthly an immigration and naturalization bulletin and securing the aid of and cooperating with official State and national organizations, including those concerned with vocational education.
(c)Prescription of forms
The Attorney General shall prescribe and furnish such forms as may be required to give effect to the provisions of this part, and only such forms as may be so provided shall be legal. All certificates of naturalization and of citizenship shall be printed on safety paper and shall be consecutively numbered in separate series.
(d)Administration of oaths and depositions
Employees of the Service may be designated by the Attorney General to administer oaths and to take depositions without charge in matters relating to the administration of the naturalization and citizenship laws. In cases where there is a likelihood of unusual delay or of hardship, the Attorney General may, in his discretion, authorize such depositions to be taken before a postmaster without charge, or before a notary public or other person authorized to administer oaths for general purposes.
(e)Issuance of certificate of naturalization or citizenship
A certificate of naturalization or of citizenship issued by the Attorney General under the authority of this subchapter shall have the same effect in all courts, tribunals, and public offices of the United States, at home and abroad, of the District of Columbia, and of each State, Territory, and outlying possession of the United States, as a certificate of naturalization or of citizenship issued by a court having naturalization jurisdiction.
(f)Copies of records
Certifications and certified copies of all papers, documents, certificates, and records required or authorized to be issued, used, filed, recorded, or kept under any and all provisions of this chapter shall be admitted in evidence equally with the originals in any and all cases and proceedings under this chapter and in all cases and proceedings in which the originals thereof might be admissible as evidence.
(g)Furnished quarters for photographic studios
The officers in charge of property owned or leased by the Government are authorized, upon the recommendation of the Attorney General, to provide quarters, without payment of rent, in any building occupied by the Service, for a photographic studio, operated by welfare organizations without profit and solely for the benefit of persons seeking to comply with requirements under the immigration and nationality laws. Such studio shall be under the supervision of the Attorney General.
(h)Public education regarding naturalization benefits
In order to promote the opportunities and responsibilities of United States citizenship, the Attorney General shall broadly distribute information concerning the benefits which persons may receive under this subchapter and the requirements to obtain such benefits. In carrying out this subsection, the Attorney General shall seek the assistance of appropriate community groups, private voluntary agencies, and other relevant organizations. There are authorized to be appropriated (for each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 1991) such sums as may be necessary to carry out this subsection.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (f), 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.

Amendments

1991—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–232 substituted “applicants” for “petitioners” in first sentence. 1990—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–649, § 407(d)(10), struck out “for the purpose of making appropriate recommendations to the naturalization courts” before period at end of first sentence and struck out second sentence which read as follows: “Such examination, in the discretion of the Attorney General, and under such

Rules and Regulations

as may be prescribed by him, may be conducted before or after the applicant has filed his petition for naturalization.” Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 101–649, § 406, added subsec. (h).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1991 Amendment Pub. L. 102–232, title III, § 305(m), Dec. 12, 1991, 105 Stat. 1750, provided that the amendment made by section 305(m) is effective as if included in section 407(d) of the Immigration Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101–649. 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. § 1443

Title 8, Aliens and Nationality

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110