Usa - Oath of Allegiance - Naturalization ceremony

     United States Oath of Allegiance is an oath that must be taken by all immigrants who wish to become United States citizens (Citizenship ceremony).

I hereby declare on oath,

that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure

all allegiance and fidelity

to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty

of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen;

that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws

of the United States of America

against all enemies, foreign and domestic;

that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;

that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law;

that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law;

that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law;

and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion;

so help me God.

     The principles embodied in the Oath are codified in Section 337(a) in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which provides that all applicants shall take an oath that incorporates the substance of the following:

     - Support the Constitution;

     - Renounce and abjure absolutely and entirely all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which the applicant was before a subject or citizen;

     - Support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;

     - Bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and

     - A. Bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; or

       B. Perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; or

       C. Perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law.

     The Oath of Allegiance for prospective citizens originated with the Naturalization Act of 1790, which required applicants to take an oath or affirmation "to support the constitution of the United States", but did not provide a text. The Naturalization Act of 1795 added renunciation of the new citizen's former sovereign to the oath. The Naturalization Act of 1906 added the section of the oath requiring new citizens to defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; and bear true faith and allegiance to the same.

     The Oath acquired a standard text in 1929. Prior to then, spoken oaths were adapted from naturalization law, and each court could develop its own procedures for administering the oath.

     The Internal Security Act of 1950 added the text about bearing arms and performing noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States. The section about performing work of national importance under civilian direction was added by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.