Executive Order 13269: Expedited Naturalization of Aliens and Noncitizen Nationals Serving in an Active-Duty Status During the War on Terrorism
President: George W. Bush
Designated the period beginning September 11, 2001 as one in which the armed forces were engaged in armed conflict with a hostile foreign force, allowing qualifying service members to use the expedited naturalization rules in INA section 329.
Status: In effect.
Is Executive Order 13269 still in effect? Yes. Active; designated hostilities period has not been terminated.
What does Executive Order 13269 do?
The order assigned these duties: USCIS — Decide military naturalization applications under INA section 329; Armed forces and Defense Department — Certify military or naval service on Form N-426.
Verified the period-of-hostilities designation against INA section 329 and current USCIS naturalization instructions. The order enables an eligibility route but does not grant citizenship automatically or waive the remaining statutory requirements.
Before and after
Before the order
INA section 329 already waived some ordinary naturalization requirements for honorable service during a presidentially designated period of hostilities.
After the order
USCIS and the armed forces established military naturalization processing and service-certification procedures. Current USCIS instructions still list September 11, 2001 to the present as a designated period and state that it continues until ended by a future executive order.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| USCIS | Decide military naturalization applications under INA section 329 | For qualifying applications |
| Armed forces and Defense Department | Certify military or naval service on Form N-426 | When requested for an application |
| President | Designate the end of the hostilities period by executive order | No date specified |
What happened next
EO 13269 signed.
EO 13269 designated the current period of hostilities beginning on September 11, 2001.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order does not confer citizenship automatically. Applicants must still satisfy INA section 329, including qualifying honorable service and the remaining statutory eligibility requirements. Denials remain reviewable through the immigration-law procedures that apply to the application; no order-specific merits judgment was located.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- USCIS — Instructions for Form N-400 (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 2, 2026. How we research →