Naturalization Law of 1802

Naturalization Law of 1802

Other short titles	Naturalization Act of 1802
Long title	An Act to establish an uniform rule of Naturalization, and to repeal the acts heretofore passed on that subject.
Enacted by	the 7th United States Congress
Effective	April 14, 1802
Citations
Public law	Pub. L. 7–28
Statutes at Large	2 Stat. 153, chap. 28
Codification
Acts repealed	Naturalization Act of 1798
Legislative history
Signed into law by President Thomas Jefferson on April 14, 1802

The Naturalization Law of 1802 (2 Stat. 153, enacted April 14, 1802) was passed by the United States Congress to amend the residency and notice periods of the previous Naturalization Act of 1798. It restored the less prohibitive provisions of the Naturalization Act of 1795, namely reducing the required residency period for aliens to become eligible to be naturalized citizens of the United States, from 14 years to 5, and cutting the Declaration of Intention minimum notice time from 5 years to 3. The 1802 Act replaced the Naturalization Act of 1798, and provided:

• The "free white person" requirement remained in place
• The alien had to declare, at least three years in advance, his intent to become a U.S. citizen.
• The previous 14-year residency requirement was reduced to 5 years.
• Resident children of naturalized citizens were to be considered citizens
• Children born abroad of U.S. citizens were to be considered citizens
• Former British soldiers during the "late war" were barred unless the state legislature made an exception for them