You can hold a U.S. passport without being a U.S. citizen only if you are a U.S. non-citizen national. In practice, that means people born in American Samoa or Swains Island, plus a small number of people born abroad to non-citizen national parents who meet specific residency rules. Everyone else applying for a U.S. passport has to be a citizen.
Who Counts as a Non-Citizen National
Federal immigration law recognizes four groups as nationals but not citizens of the United States at birth:
- People born in an outlying possession of the United States on or after the date the U.S. formally acquired it. American Samoa and Swains Island are the only places currently defined as outlying possessions.
- People born outside the U.S. to two non-citizen national parents, where at least one parent previously resided in the U.S. or an outlying possession.
- Foundlings of unknown parentage found in an outlying possession before age five, unless later shown not to have been born there.
- People born abroad to one non-citizen national parent and one foreign parent, where the non-citizen national parent was physically present in the U.S. or its possessions for at least seven years within a continuous ten-year period, with at least five of those years after age fourteen.
The first category covers the vast majority of non-citizen nationals.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1408 – Nationals but Not Citizens of the United States at Birth
What Makes a Non-Citizen National’s Passport Different
The passport book looks almost identical to a standard U.S. passport, with one important difference. It carries endorsement code 09, which reads: “THE BEARER IS A UNITED STATES NATIONAL AND NOT A UNITED STATES CITIZEN.” A passport card issued to a non-citizen national prints “U.S. National” on the front instead of “USA.”2Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). 8 FAM 505.2 Passport Endorsements
That endorsement matters at border crossings and in dealings with foreign governments because it flags a different legal status than a U.S. citizen’s. It can also affect consular assistance in some situations. For most routine international travel, the passport works the same way a citizen’s does.
How to Apply
Non-citizen nationals use Form DS-11, the same first-time application citizens use. You must submit documentary proof of your non-citizen national status and your identity. In practice, that means a certified American Samoa birth certificate plus a valid government-issued photo ID.3U.S. Department of State. Certificates of Non Citizen Nationality
The adult passport book fee is $130, plus a $35 acceptance fee paid at the facility where you apply in person. These are the same fees citizens pay.4U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees Any passport acceptance facility or passport agency in the United States can take the application.
What the Passport Lets You Do
Non-citizen nationals can live and work anywhere in the United States without a visa, green card, or immigration paperwork. On Form I-9, they check a dedicated status box labeled “A noncitizen national of the United States,” and employers are not supposed to reverify their work authorization.5USCIS. Instructions for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
Federal competitive-service jobs are open to non-citizen nationals under Executive Order 11935. Military enlistment is available as well, in roles that do not require a security clearance.6Congress.gov. Foreign Nationals in the US Armed Forces: Immigration Issues
What the Passport Does Not Let You Do
Non-citizen nationals cannot vote in federal elections. They cannot hold federal offices or appointed positions that require citizenship, and they are ineligible for jury service in the many jurisdictions that require jurors to be U.S. citizens.
Security-sensitive careers are the other major limit. Because most security clearances require citizenship, non-citizen nationals are effectively shut out of intelligence agencies, officer commissions in the armed forces, and defense contractor roles that need access to classified information.
Naturalizing to Full Citizenship
A non-citizen national who wants to become a citizen has a lighter path than a typical green card holder. A standard applicant needs five years as a lawful permanent resident, five years of continuous U.S. residence, and 30 months of physical presence. A non-citizen national skips the permanent residency and continuous residence requirements. The main requirements are 30 months of physical presence in the United States, three months of residence in the state where you file, good moral character, and passing the English and civics tests. You are not a citizen until you take the Oath of Allegiance.7USCIS. A Guide to Naturalization
Passing the Status to Children Born Abroad
Non-citizen nationals can pass their status to children born outside American Samoa or Swains Island, but only if physical-presence rules are met. When both parents are non-citizen nationals, the child gets the status at birth as long as at least one parent previously resided in the U.S. or an outlying possession.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1408 – Nationals but Not Citizens of the United States at Birth
When only one parent is a non-citizen national and the other is a foreign citizen, the rules tighten. The non-citizen national parent must have been physically present in the U.S. or its possessions for at least seven years within any continuous ten-year period, with five of those years after age fourteen, and cannot have been absent from the U.S. for more than one continuous year during that ten-year window.8Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). 8 FAM 308.9 Acquisition by Birth Abroad to Non-Citizen US National Parent(s) If the parent doesn’t meet those thresholds, the child does not acquire the status and would go through regular immigration channels.
When the Passport Can Be Denied or Revoked
The grounds that block a citizen’s passport also apply to non-citizen nationals. The common ones:
- Past-due child support of $2,500 or more. Child support agencies report qualifying debts, and the State Department will deny a new application or revoke a current passport when the holder surrenders it for a routine service like a name change.9Administration for Children & Families. Passport Denial Program 101
- Seriously delinquent federal tax debt. The IRS certifies taxpayers with unpaid liabilities above a threshold that adjusts annually. For 2025 the threshold was $64,000. Entering a payment plan or having the debt under review can prevent certification.10Internal Revenue Service. Revocation or Denial of Passport in Cases of Certain Unpaid Taxes
- Certain drug trafficking convictions. Federal law bars issuance to anyone convicted of a federal or state drug felony if the person used a passport or crossed an international border while committing the offense. The bar runs through imprisonment and any supervised release, with narrow exceptions for emergencies or humanitarian reasons.11GovInfo. 22 USC 2714 – Denial of Passports to Certain Convicted Drug Traffickers
- An active federal arrest warrant for a felony.
- Incomplete documentation, such as a defective American Samoa birth certificate. This is usually fixable by resubmitting with correct records.
For child support and tax debt, resolving the underlying obligation is generally enough to clear the hold. The State Department removes it once the reporting agency confirms payment or an acceptable arrangement.12U.S. Department of State. Pay Child Support Before Applying for a Passport