Regulatory Basics

Persons and Entities
U.S. Person

 A U.S. Person is a citizen of the U.S. or a lawful permanent resident (as defined by 8 U.S.C. 11011(a)(20)) (a.k.a. "green card holder") or a protected individual (as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)). A protected individual is someone that has obtained political asylum from the United States Government. It also means a corporation, business association, partnership, society, trust, or any other entity, organization or group that is incorporated to do business in the U.S., and any U.S. Government entity. Do not think of U.S. Person or Foreign Person in terms of just an individual, remember that the term applies to entities as well.

This term can be a little confusing because it refers not only to an individual but to entities as well. A U.S. Person is someone that was born in the United States (or in a U.S. territory) or has become a naturalized citizen (meet the requirements of the U.S. to become a legal citizen of the country).

A U.S. Person can also be someone that has a "green card" or lawful permanent resident card. These are issued for a certain time period and must be verified that they are still valid. The United States can grant asylum for political or religious reasons to an individual and this provides them status as a U.S. Person as well.

Finally, a company that is incorporated in the U.S. or a U.S. Government branch are considered U.S. Persons as well.