A non-U.S. citizen of exceptional merit may be declared an Honorary Citizen of the United States by the President pursuant to an Act of Congress. As of August 6, 2002, six people have had this honor bestowed upon them:

• Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister during World War II (awarded 1963)
• Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Mother Teresa), Albanian nun and human rights advocate (1996)

Posthumously Awarded:

• William and Hannah Callowhill Penn, 18th century founders and rulers of Pennsylvania (1984)
• Marquis de la Fayette, French supporter of the American Revolution (2002)
• Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish diplomat and Holocaust hero (1981)

Honorary citizenship is not to be confused with permanent residency bestowed by a private bill. Private bills are, on rare occasions, used to provide relief to individuals, often in immigration cases, and are also passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by the President.

See also Citizenship.

External link

• Public Laws granting Honorary Citizenship