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The First Naturalization Act
The first naturalization act was passed saying that any free, white, adult alien, male or female who has resided within the limits and jurisdiction of the United States for a period of 2 years was eligible for citizenship. -
Naturalization Act of 1795
The period of residence required for citizenship increased from 2 years to 5 years. A new requirement was added that all applicants must declare publicly their intention to become U.S. citizens and renounce any allegiance to other countries 3 years prior to admission. -
Naturalization Act of 1798
To become a citizen, you have to live in the U.S. for at least 14 years when you submitted your application and had to have declared your intention to become a U.S. citizen at least five years before you submitted your application. -
Naturalization Law of 1802
The court must record all entries of aliens into the U.S. Each applicant was granted a certificate that could be used as evidence of the time of arrival in the United States. Every State and Territorial court is considered a district court and any person naturalized has the same rights and privileges as if they had been naturalized in a district or circuit court of the United States. -
Naturalization Act of 1855
A child born outside of the United States is a U.S. citizen if the child's father is a U.S. citizen. It also provides that alien immigrant women can gain citizenship through marriage to an American citizen, or the naturalization of their alien husband. -
Act to Encourage Immigration 1864
This act encouraged immigration by declaring its support to companies that would pay for immigrants to come to the U.S., in exchange for their labor. This created the position of the Commissioner of Immigration, who served under the Secretary of State, thereby institutionalizing the notion of federal agency regulation of immigration. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
This was the first United States federal law to define citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by the law. It declared all persons born in the United States to be citizens, "without distinction of race or color, or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude." -
The 14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all people "born or naturalized in the U.S. including formerly enslaved people. It provided all citizens equal protection under the laws, extending the provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states. -
Naturalization Act of 1870
Rights were extended to all “aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent,” while denying the right to all other groups of non-whites. -
The Page Act 1875
This law prohibited the importation of unfree laborers as well as women brought for “immoral purposes.” It was enforced primarily against the Chinese. This law was an effort to limit Asian immigration without restricting it on the basis of race. Select categories of persons whose labor was perceived as immoral or coerced were restricted. -
Chinese Exclusion 1882
This act prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years however, it excluded merchants, teachers, students, travelers, and diplomats. -
Immigration Act 1882
This act imposed a head tax of fifty cents on each immigrant and excluded the entry of idiots, lunatics, convicts, and people likely to become a public charge. -
Scott Act 1888
All Chinese laborers who resided in the U.S. were banned from traveling out of the country and if they were out of the country and had documents allowing their return, were not allowed to come back. -
Immigration Act of 1891
This law clarified and centralized the immigration enforcement authority of the federal government by creating the Office of Superintendent of Immigration. It also extended immigration inspection to land borders and expanded the list of excludable and deportable immigrants. -
Geary Act 1892
This act required all Chinese residents to carry a permit at all times. If the Chinese residents failed to carry a permit, they could face deportation or a year of hard labor. Chinese immigrants could not bear witness in court, and could not receive bail in habeas corpus proceedings. -
Immigration Act 1903
The first U.S. law restricting immigration based on an immigrant's political beliefs. Entry into the U.S. was banned for anarchists, beggars, epileptics, and importers of prostitutes. -
Naturalization Act of 1906
A uniform rule for the naturalization of aliens throughout the United States was created. The courts were required to use standard naturalization forms. This Act required that all applicants had to be able to speak English. The Department of Commerce and Labor were split into two separate departments. The Bureau of Immigration and the Bureau of Naturalization joined into a single entity titled the BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION in the Department of Labor. -
Gentlemen's Agreement 1907
This was an informal agreement between Japan and the U.S. that the influx of Japanese immigrants would be restricted in exchange for desegregating San Francisco's public schools. -
Immigration Act 1907
This act limited the number of Japanese immigrants. The law also barred inadmissible persons, those with physical or mental defects, those suffering from tuberculosis, children under 16 without parents, and women from entering for "immoral purposes." -
Immigration Act 1917
This act created more categories for people barred from immigration and imposed literary tests on immigrants. -
Immigration Act of 1918
Any alien who has been a member of the Armed Forces for 3 or more years can file a petition for naturalization without proof of the 5-year residency requirement, and any applicant who was in the service during World War I was exempt from the requirement to file a declaration of intention. -
Emergency Quota Act 1921
This limited the number of immigrants accepted from any country annually to 3% of the number of residents from that country living in the U.S. as of the 1910 Census. -
Cable Act 1922
This act ended the loss of citizenship for women who married foreigners. -
Immigration Act of 1924
This act limited the number of immigrants allowed into the U.S. through a national origins quota. -
Tydings-McDuffie Act 1934
This was a promise to provide for the Philippines and after a 10-year transition period, the Philippines would become an independent territory. -
Filipino Repatriation Act 1935
This law allowed free transportation for Filipinos in the U.S. who wanted to return to the Philippines but couldn't afford the trip back to their homeland. -
Nationality Act of 1940
Granted children born outside of the U.S. to become citizens if their parents were U.S. citizens. -
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Bracero Program 1942-1964
This was a contract between the U.S. and Mexico allowing Mexican men to work short-term contracts (without their families) on farms and other and other was industries. -
Magnuson Act 1943
This act allowed some Chinese immigrants living in the U.S. to become naturalized citizens. -
War Brides Act 1945
Spouses of members of the armed forces were allowed into the country without counting against federal immigration quotas. -
Alien Fiancées and Fiancés Act 1946
This was an extension of the War Brides Act allowing Filipino and Asian Indian fiancés and fiancées non-quota immigration. -
Luce Celler Act 1946
The U.S. provided a quota of 100 Filipinos and 100 Indians from Asia to immigrate to the United States per year allowing these people to naturalize as American citizens.