§ 337.1 8 CFR Ch. I (1–1–97 Edition)

shall be made upon the Attorney Gen- which the applicant shall affix his or eral of the United States, and upon the her signature: official in charge of the Service office where the hearing was held pursuant to I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all alle- § 336.2. giance and fidelity to any foreign prince, po- (c) Standard of review. The review will tentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or be de novo, and the court will make its which I have heretofore been a subject or cit- own findings of fact and conclusions of izen; that I will support and defend the Con- law. The court may also conduct, at stitution and laws of the United States of the request of the petitioner, a hearing America against all enemies, foreign and do- de novo on the application for natu- mestic; that I will bear true faith and alle- ralization. giance to the same; that I will bear arms on (d) Exhaustion of remedies. A Service behalf of the United States when required by determination denying an application the law; that I will perform noncombatant for naturalization under section 335(a) service in the Armed Forces of the United of the Act shall not be subject to judi- States when required by the law; that I will cial review until the applicant has ex- perform work of national importance under hausted those administrative remedies civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, with- available to the applicant under sec- out any mental reservation or purpose of tion 336 of the Act. Every petition for evasion; so help me God. judicial review shall state whether the validity of the final determination to (b) Alteration of form of oath; affirma- deny an application for naturalization tion in lieu of oath. In those cases in has been upheld in any prior adminis- which a petitioner or applicant for nat- trative proceeding and, if so, the na- uralization is exempt from taking the ture and date of such proceeding and oath prescribed in paragraph (a) of this the forum in which such proceeding section in its entirety, the inapplicable took place. clauses shall be deleted and the oath shall be taken in such altered form. PART 337—OATH OF ALLEGIANCE When a petitioner or applicant for nat- uralization, by reason of religious Sec. training and belief (or individual inter- 337.1 Oath of allegiance. pretation thereof), or for other reasons 337.2 Oath administered by the Immigration of good conscience, cannot take the and Naturalization Service or an Immi- gration Judge. oath prescribed in paragraph (a) of this 337.3 Expedited administration of oath of section with the words ‘‘on oath’’ and allegiance. ‘‘so help me God’’ included, the words 337.4 When requests for change of name ‘‘and solemnly affirm’’ shall be sub- granted. stituted for the words ‘‘on oath,’’ the 337.5—337.6 [Reserved] 337.7 Information and assignment of indi- words ‘‘so help me God’’ shall be de- viduals under exclusive jurisdiction. leted, and the oath shall be taken in 337.8 Oath administered by the courts. such modified form. Any reference to 337.9 Effective date of naturalization. ‘oath of allegiance’ in this chapter is 337.10 Failure to appear for oath adminis- understood to mean equally ‘affirma- tration ceremony. tion of allegiance’ as described in this AUTHORITY: 8 U.S.C. 1103, 1443, 1448. paragraph. (c) Obligations of oath. A petitioner or § 337.1 Oath of allegiance. applicant for naturalization shall, be- (a) Form of oath. Except as otherwise fore being naturalized, establish that it provided in the Act and after receiving is his or her intention, in good faith, to notice from the district director that assume and discharge the obligations such applicant is eligible for natu- of the oath of allegiance, and that his ralization pursuant to § 335.3 of this or her attitude toward the Constitu- chapter, an applicant for naturaliza- tion and laws of the United States ren- tion shall, before being admitted to ders him or her capable of fulfilling the citizenship, take in a public ceremony obligations of such oath. held within the United States the fol- lowing oath of allegiance, to a copy of

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(d) Renunciation of title or order of no- ally involved in activities surrounding bility. A petitioner or applicant for nat- the ceremony should be encouraged to uralization who has borne any heredi- participate in Service-administered tary title or has been of any of the or- ceremonies by local arrangement. ders of nobility in any foreign state (b) Authority to administer oath of alle- shall, in addition to taking the oath of giance. The authority of the Attorney allegiance prescribed in paragraph (a) General to administer the oath of alle- of this section, make under oath or af- giance shall be delegated to Immigra- firmation in public an express renunci- tion Judges and to the following offi- ation of such title or order of nobility, cers of the Service: The Commissioner; in the following form: district directors; deputy district di- (1) I further renounce the title of rectors; officers-in-charge; assistant of- (give title or titles) which I have here- ficers-in-charge; or persons acting in tofore held; or behalf of such officers due to their ab- (2) I further renounce the order of no- sence or because their positions are va- bility (give the order of nobility) to cant. In exceptional cases where the which I have heretofore belonged. district director or officer-in-charge determines that it is appropriate for [22 FR 9824, Dec. 6, 1957, as amended at 24 FR employees of a different rank to con- 2584, Apr. 3, 1959; 32 FR 13756, Oct. 3, 1967; 56 FR 50499, Oct. 7, 1991] duct ceremonies, the district director or officer-in-charge may make a re- § 337.2 Oath administered by the Im- quest through the Commissioner to the migration and Naturalization Serv- Assistant Commissioner, Adjudica- ice or an Immigration Judge. tions, for permission to delegate such (a) Public ceremony. An applicant for authority. The request shall furnish naturalization who has elected to have the reasons for seeking exemption from his or her oath of allegiance adminis- the requirements of this paragraph. tered by the Service or an Immigration The Commissioner may delegate such Judge and is not subject to the exclu- authority to such other officers of the sive oath administration authority of Service or the Department of Justice an eligible court pursuant to section as he or she may deem appropriate. 310(b) of the Act shall appear in person (c) Execution of questionnaire. Imme- in a public ceremony, unless such ap- diately prior to being administered the pearance is specifically excused under oath of allegiance, each applicant shall the terms and conditions set forth in complete the questionnaire on Form N– this part. Such ceremony shall be held 445. Each completed Form N–445 shall at a time and place designated by the be reviewed by an officer of the Service Service or the Executive Office for Im- who may question the applicant re- migration Review within the United garding the information thereon. If de- States and within the jurisdiction rogatory information is revealed, the where the application for naturaliza- applicant’s name shall be removed tion was filed, or into which the appli- from the list of eligible persons as pro- cation for naturalization was trans- vided in § 335.5 of this chapter and he or ferred pursuant to § 335.9 of this chap- she shall not be administered the oath. ter. Such ceremonies shall be con- [60 FR 37803, July 24, 1995] ducted at regular intervals as fre- quently as necessary to ensure timely § 337.3 Expedited administration of naturalization, but in all events at oath of allegiance. least once monthly where it is required (a) An applicant may be granted an to minimize unreasonable delays. Such expedited oath administration cere- ceremonies shall be presented in such a mony by either the court or the Serv- manner as to preserve the dignity and ice upon demonstrating sufficient significance of the occasion. District cause. In determining whether to grant directors shall ensure that ceremonies an expedited oath administration cere- conducted by the Service in their dis- mony, the court or the district director tricts, inclusive of those held by sub- shall consider special circumstances of office managers, are in keeping with a compelling or humanitarian nature. the Model Plan for Naturalization Special circumstances may include but Ceremonies. Organizations tradition- are not limited to:

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