General. Persons arriving from foreign countries will be divided into two classes for Customs purposes:

Residents of the United States returning from abroad, and

All other persons, hereinafter referred to as nonresidents.

Status as returning resident. Citizens of the United States, or persons who have formerly resided in the United States, (including American citizens who are residents of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands of the United States) will be deemed residents of the United States returning from abroad within the meaning of “residents” as used in Chapter 98, Subchapter IV, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (19 U.S.C. 1202), in the absence of satisfactory evidence that they have established a home elsewhere. The residence of a minor child will be presumed to be the residence of the child's parents.

Status as nonresident. Any person arriving in the United States who is not a resident of the United States or who, though a resident of the United States, is not returning from abroad, will be treated for the purpose of these regulations as a nonresident.

Optional claim of nonresident status. Any person arriving in the United States who would otherwise be considered a returning resident, may claim at his option the status of a nonresident if he intends to remain in the United States for only a short period of time before returning abroad. If the status as a nonresident claimed by an arriving person is allowed, the procedures in § 148.8 will be followed.