67.31 – Stock or Equity Interest Requirements

(a) The stock or equity interest requirements for citizenship under this subpart encompass: Title to all classes of stock; title to voting stock; and ownership of equity. An otherwise qualifying corporation or partnership may fail to meet stock or equity interest requirements because: Stock is subject to trust or fiduciary obligations in favor of non-citizens; non-citizens exercise, directly or indirectly, voting power; or non-citizens, by any means, exercise control over the entity. The

applicable stock or equity interest requirement is not met if the amount of stock subject to obligations in favor of non-citizens, non-citizen voting power, or non-citizen control exceeds the percentage of the non-citizen interest permitted.

(b) For the purpose of stock or equity interest requirements for citizenship under this subpart, control of non-fishing industry vessels includes an absolute right to: Direct corporate or partnership business; limit the actions of or replace the chief executive officer, a majority of the board of directors, or any general partner; direct the transfer or operations of any vessel owned by the corporation or partnership; or otherwise exercise authority over the business of the corporation or partnership. Control does not include the right to simply participate in these activities or the right to receive a financial return, e.g., interest or the equivalent of

interest on a loan or other financing obligations.

(c) For the purpose of this section, control of a fishing industry vessel

means having:

    (1) The right to direct the business of the entity that owns the vessel;

    (2) The right to limit the actions of or to replace the chief executive officer, the majority of the board of directors, any general partner, or any person serving in a management capacity of the entity that owns the vessel;

    (3) The right to direct the transfer, the operation, or the manning of a vessel with a fishery endorsement.

(d) For purposes of meeting the stock or equity interest requirements for citizenship under this subpart where title to a vessel is held by an entity comprised, in whole or in part, of other entities which are not individuals, each entity contributing to the stock or equity interest qualifications of the entity holding title must be a citizen eligible to document vessels in its own right with the trade endorsement sought.