§ 12.02-14 - Nationality of aliens.

(a) Any alien making application for a continuous discharge book or certificate of identification or merchant mariner's document representing a certificate of identification shall present acceptable evidence of nationality at the time of making application. No original document shall be issued to any alien until nationality is established by acceptable evidence.

(b) Any document of an official character showing the country of which the alien is a citizen or subject may be accepted as acceptable evidence of an alien's nationality. The following are examples of such a document:

(1) Declaration of intention to become a citizen of the United States made by the alien after 1929.

(2) A travel document in the nature of a passport issued by the government of the country of which the alien is a citizen or subject.

(3) A certificate issued by the consular representative of the country of which the alien is a citizen or subject.

(c) Should any doubt arise as to whether or not the document presented may be considered as acceptable evidence of the alien's nationality, the matter shall be referred to the Commanding Officer, National Maritime Center, for decision.