H.R. 449 — To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to waive certain naturalization requirements for United States nationals, and for other purposes.

This section revises naturalization requirements under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) for non-citizen U.S. nationals (i.e., persons owing permanent allegiance to the U.S., primarily those born in American Samoa or Swains Island). Specifically, it rewrites INA §325 (8 U.S.C. 1436) to allow such nationals residing in any state (with outlying possession residence counting toward U.S. residence and physical presence requirements) or continuously residing from birth in any state or outlying possession to naturalize without complying with INA §312 (English and civics), §337(a), or §316(a)(1)-(2) (residence and physical presence); directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make naturalization proceedings (applications, interviews, oaths, ceremonies) available in outlying possessions for qualifying nationals and certain children; and authorizes the Secretary to waive personal interviews and impose reduced fees for such applications (thus, facilitating expedited, local naturalization for lifelong outlying possession residents, including those serving in the U.S. Armed Forces). This section further amends INA §322(a)(5) (8 U.S.C. 1433(a)(5)) to allow a U.S. citizen parent (or citizen grandparent or guardian if the parent died within preceding five years) to apply for naturalization of a foreign-born child under age 18 who is present and resides in an outlying U.S. possession (previously, required the child to be temporarily present in the United States pursuant to lawful admission and maintaining lawful status). (As background, INA §322 enables post-adoption or non-automatic naturalization of such children in the legal and physical custody of the applicant.)