§ 1015. — Naturalization, citizenship or alien registry.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC1015]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 47--FRAUD AND FALSE STATEMENTS
Sec. 1015. Naturalization, citizenship or alien registry
(a) Whoever knowingly makes any false statement under oath, in any
case, proceeding, or matter relating to, or under, or by virtue of any
law of the United States relating to naturalization, citizenship, or
registry of aliens; or
(b) Whoever knowingly, with intent to avoid any duty or liability
imposed or required by law, denies that he has been naturalized or
admitted to be a citizen, after having been so naturalized or admitted;
or
(c) Whoever uses or attempts to use any certificate of arrival,
declaration of intention, certificate of naturalization, certificate of
citizenship or other documentary evidence of naturalization or of
citizenship, or any duplicate or copy thereof, knowing the same to have
been procured by fraud or false evidence or without required appearance
or hearing of the applicant in court or otherwise unlawfully obtained;
or
(d) Whoever knowingly makes any false certificate, acknowledgment or
statement concerning the appearance before him or the taking of an oath
or affirmation or the signature, attestation or execution by any person
with respect to any application, declaration, petition, affidavit,
deposition, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship or
other paper or writing required or authorized by the laws relating to
immigration, naturalization, citizenship, or registry of aliens; or
(e) Whoever knowingly makes any false statement or claim that he is,
or at any time has been, a citizen or national of the United States,
with the intent to obtain on behalf of himself, or any other person, any
Federal or State benefit or service, or to engage unlawfully in
employment in the United States; or
(f) Whoever knowingly makes any false statement or claim that he is
a citizen of the United States in order to register to vote or to vote
in any Federal, State, or local election (including an initiative,
recall, or referendum)--
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five
years, or both. Subsection (f) does not apply to an alien if each
natural parent of the alien (or, in the case of an adopted alien, each
adoptive parent of the alien) is or was a citizen (whether by birth or
naturalization), the alien permanently resided in the United States
prior to attaining the age of 16, and the alien reasonably believed at
the time of making the false statement or claim that he or she was a
citizen of the United States.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 752; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII,
Sec. 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104-208, div.
C, title II, Sec. 215, Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009-572; Pub. L. 106-
395, title II, Sec. 201(d)(2), Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1635.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on subsections (a), paragraphs (1), (16), (17), (19), (32),
(b), (d), and (l) of section 746 of title 8, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Aliens
and Nationality (Oct. 14, 1940, ch. 876, Sec. 346(a), pars. (1), (16),
(17), (19), (32), (b), (d), and (l), 45 Stat. 1163, 1165, 1167).
Section consolidates, with minor changes, subsection (a), paragraphs
(1), (16), (17), (19), (32), and subsections (b), (d), and (l), of
section 746 of title 8, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Aliens and Nationality.
Such changes of arrangement and phraseology were made as were
appropriate and necessary.
Amendments
2000--Pub. L. 106-395 inserted at end of concluding provisions
``Subsection (f) does not apply to an alien if each natural parent of
the alien (or, in the case of an adopted alien, each adoptive parent of
the alien) is or was a citizen (whether by birth or naturalization), the
alien permanently resided in the United States prior to attaining the
age of 16, and the alien reasonably believed at the time of making the
false statement or claim that he or she was a citizen of the United
States.''
1996--Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 104-208 added subsecs. (e) and (f).
1994--Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under this title'' for
``fined not more than $5,000'' in concluding par.
Effective Date of 2000 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 106-395 effective as if included in the
enactment of section 215 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant
Responsibility Act of 1996, div. C of Pub. L. 104-208, and applicable to
an alien prosecuted on or after Sept. 30, 1996, except in the case of an
alien whose criminal proceeding (including judicial review thereof) has
been finally concluded before Oct. 30, 2000, see section 201(d)(3) of
Pub. L. 106-395, set out as a note under section 611 of this title.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in title 42 section 15544.
