Honorary citizenship of the United States Honorary citizenship of the United States A person of exceptional merit, generally a non-United States citizen, may be declared an honorary citizen of the United States by an Act of Congress or by a proclamation issued by the President of the United States, pursuant to authorization granted by Congress. Eight people have been so honored, six posthumously, and two, Sir Winston Churchill and Mother Teresa, during their lifetimes. For Lafayette and Mother Teresa, the honor was proclaimed directly by an Act of Congress. In the other cases, an Act of Congress was passed authorizing the President to grant honorary citizenship
British nationality law and the Republic of Ireland made claims to retain British subject status since 1949. More claims, albeit at a slower rate, have been lodged since 1980. Before 1983, anyone born in the UK other than the child of a diplomat was automatically British by birth. From 1 January 1983 an additional requirement was put in place that one parent must be a British citizen or 'settled' in the United Kingdom. Irish citizens are automatically deemed to be "settled" in the United Kingdom. Since 2 October 2000, this is a more favourable status than that given to citizens of other EU and EEA member states. This