The Naturalization Law of 1802 (, 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 The Naturalization Act of 1798 (, enacted June 18, 1798) passed by the United States Congress, to amend the residency and notice periods of the previous Naturalization Act of 1795. It increased the period necessary for aliens to become naturaliz ...

. 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 Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

citizens Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

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

, 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

References

1802 in law United States federal immigration and nationality legislation 7th United States Congress {{US-law-stub