§ 310.4 Judicial naturalization authority and withdrawal of petitions.

(a) Jurisdiction. No court shall have jurisdiction under section 310(a) of the Act, to naturalize a person unless a petition for naturalization with respect to that person was filed with the naturalization court before October 1, 1991.

(b) Withdrawal of petitions. (1) In the case of any petition for naturalization which was pending in any court as of November 29, 1990, the petitioner may elect to withdraw such petition, and have the application for naturalization considered under the administrative naturalization process. Such petition must be withdrawn after October 1, 1991, but not later than December 31, 1991.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the petitioner shall not be permitted to withdraw his or her petition for naturalization, unless the Attorney General consents to the withdrawal.

(c) Judicial proceedings. (1) All pending petitions not withdrawn in the manner and terms described in paragraph (b) of this section, shall be decided, on the merits, by the naturalization court, in conformity with the applicable provisions of the judicial naturalization authority of the prior statute. The reviewing court shall enter a final order.

(2) In cases where the petitioner fails to prosecute his or her petition, the court shall decide the petition upon its merits unless the Attorney General moves that the petition be dismissed for lack of prosecution.