{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/citizenship-requirement","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/citizenship-requirement","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"citizenship-requirement","term":"Citizenship Requirement","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"This refers to the SBA's rule that at least one owner of the applicant business must be a U.S. citizen or Qualified Alien. Buyers care because it's a fundamental eligibility criterion for obtaining an SBA loan.","what_it_means":"For an SBA 7(a) loan, the applicant business must be at least 51% owned by U.S. citizens or Qualified Aliens. If you're not a U.S. citizen, you'll need to provide documentation like a Green Card (Form I-551) to prove Qualified Alien status. This is checked on SBA Form 1919.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/citizenship-requirement","official_sources":[{"slug":"sba-form-1919","title":"SBA Form 1919 — Borrower Information Form","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sba-form-1919-borrower-information-form","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":4,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sba-form-1919"},{"slug":"13-cfr-part-120","title":"13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans","official_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120","official_label":"View on eCFR","authority_tier":1,"publisher":"Office of the Federal Register","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/13-cfr-part-120"}],"related":[{"slug":"qualified-alien","term":"Qualified Alien","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/qualified-alien"},{"slug":"form-i-551","term":"Form I-551","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/form-i-551"},{"slug":"form-1919","term":"Form 1919","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/form-1919"},{"slug":"key-principal","term":"Key principal","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/key-principal"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"What are the citizenship requirements for an SBA 7(a) loan applicant?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/what-are-the-citizenship-requirements-for-an-sba-7-a-loan-applicant"},{"question":"Are there citizenship or residency requirements for SBA 7(a) loan applicants?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/are-there-citizenship-or-residency-requirements-for-sba-7-a-loan-applicants"},{"question":"Are there specific citizenship or residency requirements for SBA 7(a) loan applicants?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/are-there-specific-citizenship-or-residency-requirements-for-sba-7-a-loan-applicants"},{"question":"What are the citizenship or residency requirements for a 7(a) loan applicant?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-are-the-citizenship-or-residency-requirements-for-a-7-a-loan-applicant"},{"question":"What are the requirements for citizenship or residency for SBA 7(a) loan applicants?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-are-the-requirements-for-citizenship-or-residency-for-sba-7-a-loan-applicants"},{"question":"What are the U.S. citizenship or residency requirements for an SBA 7(a) loan applicant?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/what-are-the-u-s-citizenship-or-residency-requirements-for-an-sba-7-a-loan-applicant"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Citizenship Requirement","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/citizenship-requirement","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}