{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/u-s-national","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/u-s-national","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":"u-s-national","term":"U.S. National","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"A person who owes allegiance to the U.S. and is entitled to its protection, but is not necessarily a U.S. citizen. The SBA has specific eligibility rules for non-citizens.","what_it_means":"For a 7(a) loan, the borrower (you) must be a U.S. citizen or a \"Qualified Alien\" legally admitted for permanent residence. A U.S. National, while not a citizen, typically meets the \"Qualified Alien\" criteria. You'll need to provide documentation like Form I-551 (Green Card) to prove your status if you're not a citizen.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/u-s-national","official_sources":[{"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"},{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"}],"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":"uscis","term":"USCIS","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/uscis"},{"slug":"equity-owner","term":"Equity Owner","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/equity-owner"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Can a foreign national who is not a U.S. citizen or LPR serve as a personal guarantor on a 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/can-a-foreign-national-who-is-not-a-u-s-citizen-or-lpr-serve-as-a-personal-guarantor-on-a-"},{"question":"How does a lender confirm an owner's U.S. citizenship if they were born in a U.S. territory or abroad to U.S. parents?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-does-a-lender-confirm-an-owner-s-u-s-citizenship-if-they-were-born-in-a-u-s-territory-"},{"question":"What specific documentation is required for a lender to verify U.S. citizenship if an owner was born in a U.S. territory or abroad to U.S. parents?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-specific-documentation-is-required-for-a-lender-to-verify-u-s-citizenship-if-an-owner"},{"question":"What documentation proves U.S. citizenship or Qualified Alien status for owners?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-documentation-proves-u-s-citizenship-or-qualified-alien-status-for-owners"},{"question":"Are U.S. citizens residing abroad eligible to apply for an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/are-u-s-citizens-residing-abroad-eligible-to-apply-for-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"Are funds from a non-U.S. citizen or non-resident investor acceptable for equity injection?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/are-funds-from-a-non-u-s-citizen-or-non-resident-investor-acceptable-for-equity-injection"}]},"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 — U.S. National","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/u-s-national","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}