US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

8 U.S.C. § 1483

Restrictions on loss of nationality

(a)
section 1481(a) of this title Except as provided in paragraphs (6) and (7) of , no national of the United States can lose United States nationality under this chapter while within the United States or any of its outlying possessions, but loss of nationality shall result from the performance within the United States or any of its outlying possessions of any of the acts or the fulfillment of any of the conditions specified in this Part if and when the national thereafter takes up a residence outside the United States and its outlying possessions.
(b)
section 1481(a) of this title A national who within six months after attaining the age of eighteen years asserts his claim to United States nationality, in such manner as the Secretary of State shall by regulation prescribe, shall not be deemed to have lost United States nationality by the commission, prior to his eighteenth birthday, of any of the acts specified in paragraphs (3) and (5) of .

June 27, 1952, ch. 47766 Stat. 269Pub. L. 97–116, § 18(r)95 Stat. 1621Pub. L. 99–653, § 20100 Stat. 3658Pub. L. 100–525, § 8o102 Stat. 2618Pub. L. 103–416, title I, § 105(a)108 Stat. 4308Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title VI, § 671(b)(3)110 Stat. 3009–721(, title III, ch. 3, § 351, ; , , ; , , ; (), , ; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

act June 27, 1952, ch. 47766 Stat. 163section 1101 of this titleThis chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original, “this Act”, meaning , , 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 and Tables.

Amendments

Pub. L. 104–2081996—Subsec. (a). struck out comma after “United States nationality”.

Pub. L. 103–4161994— in section catchline substituted “loss of nationality” for “expatriation”, in subsec. (a) substituted “lose United States nationality” for “expatriate himself, or be expatriated” and “loss of nationality” for “expatriation”, and in subsec. (b) substituted “lost United States nationality” for “expatriated himself”.

Pub. L. 100–525Pub. L. 99–6531988—Subsec. (b). amended . See 1986 Amendment note below.

Pub. L. 99–653Pub. L. 100–5251986—Subsec. (b). , as amended by , substituted “paragraphs (3)” for “paragraphs (2), (4),”.

Pub. L. 97–116, § 18(r)(1)1981—Subsec. (a). , substituted “paragraphs (6) and (7) of section 1481(a)” for “paragraphs (7), (8), and (9) of section 1481”.

Pub. L. 97–116, § 18(r)(2)Subsec. (b). , substituted “and (5)” for “(5), and (6)”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Pub. L. 104–208Pub. L. 103–416section 671(b)(14) of Pub. L. 104–208section 1101 of this titleAmendment by effective as if included in the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994, , see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Pub. L. 100–525Pub. L. 99–653section 309(b)(15) of Pub. L. 102–232section 1101 of this titleAmendment by effective as if included in the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1986, , see , set out as an Effective and Termination Dates of 1988 Amendments note under .

Effective Date of 1986 Amendment

Pub. L. 99–653section 23(g) of Pub. L. 99–653section 1481 of this titleAmendment by applicable to actions taken before, on, or after , see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

Pub. L. 97–116section 21(a) of Pub. L. 97–116section 1101 of this titleAmendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .

Right of Expatriation

section 1481 of this titleProvisions preserving the right and disavowal of foreign allegiance, see note under .