8 C.F.R. PART 310—NATURALIZATION AUTHORITY
Title 8 - Aliens and Nationality
Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1103, 1421, 1443, 1447, 1448; 8 CFR 2.
Source: 56 FR 50480, Oct. 7, 1991, unless otherwise noted.
(a) Attorney General. Commencing October 1, 1991, section 310 of the Act confers the sole authority to naturalize persons as citizens of the United States upon the Attorney General. (b) Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Pursuant to §2.1 of this chapter, the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service is authorized to perform such acts as are necessary and proper to implement the Attorney General's authority under the provisions of section 310 of the Act. The Service shall accept an application for naturalization from an applicant who is subject to a continuous residence requirement under section 316(a) or 319(a) of the Act as much as three months before the date upon which the applicant would otherwise satisfy such continuous residence requirement in the State or Service district where residence is to be established for naturalization purposes. At the time of examination on the application, the applicant will be required to prove that he or she satisfies the residence requirements for the residence reflected in the application. (a) An applicant for naturalization may elect, at the time of filing of, or at the examination on, the application, to have the oath of allegiance and renunciation under section 337(a) of the Act administered in a public ceremony conducted by the Service or by any court described in section 310(b) of the Act, subject to section 310(b)(1)(B) of the Act. (b) The jurisdiction of all such courts specified to administer the oath of allegiance shall extend only to those persons who are resident within the respective jurisdictional limits of such courts, except as otherwise provided in section 316(f)(2) of the Act. Persons who temporarily reside within the jurisdictional limits of a court in order to pursue an application properly filed pursuant to section 319(b), 328(a), or 329 of the Act or section 405 of the Immigration Act of 1990 are not subject to the exclusive jurisdiction provisions of section 310(b)(1)(B) of the Act. (c)(1) A court that wishes to exercise exclusive jurisdiction to administer the oath of allegiance for the 45-day period specified in section 310(b)(1)(B) of the Act shall notify, in writing, the district director of the Service office having jurisdiction over the place in which the court is located, of the court's intent to exercise such exclusive jurisdiction. (2) At least 60 days prior to the holding of any oath administration ceremony referred to in §337.8 of this chapter, the clerk of court shall give written notice to the appropriate district director of the time, date, and place of such ceremony and of the number of persons who may be accommodated. (d) A court that has notified the Service pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) of this section shall have exclusive authority to administer the oath of allegiance to persons residing within its jurisdiction for a period of 45 days beginning on the date that the Service notifies the clerk of court of the applicant's eligibility for naturalization. Such exclusive authority shall be effective only if on the date the Service notifies the clerk of court of the applicant's eligibility, the court has notified the Service of the day or days during such 45-day period on which the court has scheduled oath administration ceremonies available to the applicant. The Service must submit the notification of the applicant's eligibility to the clerk of court within 10 days of the approval of the application pursuant to §337.8 of this chapter. (e) Waiver of exclusive authority. A court exercising exclusive authority to administer the oath of allegiance pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section may waive such exclusive authority when it is determined by the court that the Service failed to notify the court within a reasonable time prior to a scheduled oath ceremony of the applicant's eligibility such that it is impractical for the applicant to appear at that ceremony. The court shall notify the district director in writing of the waiver of exclusive authority as it relates to a specific applicant, and the Service shall promptly notify the applicant. The Service shall then arrange for the administration of the oath of allegiance pursuant to §337.2 of this chapter. [58 FR 49911, Sept. 24, 1993, as amended at 66 FR 32144, June 13, 2001] (a) Jurisdiction. No court shall have jurisdiction under section 310(a) of the Act, to naturalize a person unless a petition for naturalization with respect to that person was filed with the naturalization court before October 1, 1991. (b) Withdrawal of petitions. (1) In the case of any petition for naturalization which was pending in any court as of November 29, 1990, the petitioner may elect to withdraw such petition, and have the application for naturalization considered under the administrative naturalization process. Such petition must be withdrawn after October 1, 1991, but not later than December 31, 1991. (2) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the petitioner shall not be permitted to withdraw his or her petition for naturalization, unless the Attorney General consents to the withdrawal. (c) Judicial proceedings. (1) All pending petitions not withdrawn in the manner and terms described in paragraph (b) of this section, shall be decided, on the merits, by the naturalization court, in conformity with the applicable provisions of the judicial naturalization authority of the prior statute. The reviewing court shall enter a final order. (2) In cases where the petitioner fails to prosecute his or her petition, the court shall decide the petition upon its merits unless the Attorney General moves that the petition be dismissed for lack of prosecution. (a) After 120 days following examination. An applicant for naturalization may seek judicial review of a pending application for naturalization in those instances where the Service fails to make a determination under section 335 of the Act within 120 days after an examination is conducted under part 335 of this chapter. An applicant shall make a proper application for relief to the United States District Court having jurisdiction over the district in which the applicant resides. The court may either determine the issues brought before it on their merits, or remand the matter to the Service with appropriate instructions. (b) After denial of an application. After an application for naturalization is denied following a hearing before a Service officer pursuant to section 336(a) of the Act, the applicant may seek judicial review of the decision pursuant to section 310 of the Act.
Title 8: Aliens and Nationality
PART 310—NATURALIZATION AUTHORITY
Section Contents
§ 310.1 Administrative naturalization authority.
§ 310.2 Jurisdiction to accept applications for naturalization.
§ 310.3 Administration of the oath of allegiance.
§ 310.4 Judicial naturalization authority and withdrawal of petitions.
§ 310.5 Judicial review.
§ 310.1 Administrative naturalization authority.
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§ 310.2 Jurisdiction to accept applications for naturalization.
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§ 310.3 Administration of the oath of allegiance.
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§ 310.4 Judicial naturalization authority and withdrawal of petitions.
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§ 310.5 Judicial review.
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