Legal Alien Purchasing Firearms?

[sparked1]

As for private transactions, just like its not your obligation to run a background check, you are under no obligation to question or validate someone’s immigration status.

 

[gh1950]

Being a Permanent Resident (green card holder), is not the same as having a a visa and having a permanent residence as in a home. He needs to apply for and be granted a green card before he can legally purchase a firearm.

Not true.Sorry to be so blunt, but that is just incorrect.

If you want to see the exceptions, look at the Form 4473 and the exceptions listed in the notes to question 18.

Even without a green card, he should have a resident alien number. If he doesn't then he has overstayed his visa. which is not at all unusual.

As long as he has a valid hunting license, he can own a firearm, and a private sale to him would be legal. A private seller has no obligation to investigate the immigration status of a potential purchaser, and in truth, as the comments here show. most potential sellers could not correctly evaluate that status.

If he were my friend, i would encourage him to join a competitive shooting organization, even if he never participates, as that is another exception which is pretty fuzzily defined.

 

[Fatal_Bert]

Yes he can. I've transferred to a non citizen before who was a permanent resident. Didn't need a hunting license or any of that either. I forget exactly what kind of documentation he had but the instructions and exceptions are all right there in black and white on the 4473.
He just filled it out, I called it all in and they approved no problem.

I asked him what the difference between being a permanent resident and a citizen is and he said pretty much the only thing he can't do that a citizen can is vote. Said It would cost him about $600 to become a citizen and he hadn't saw a politician worth that much yet. Can't argue with that.

 

[StuP]

Not true.Sorry to be so blunt, but that is just incorrect.

Even without a green card, he should have a resident alien number. If he doesn't then he has overstayed his visa. which is not at all unusual

A Visa does not have a resident alien number and does not qualify the holder as a permanent resident. I've lived here on both.

 

[sparked1]

Not true.Sorry to be so blunt, but that is just incorrect.

If you want to see the exceptions, look at the Form 4473 and the exceptions listed in the notes to question 18.

Even without a green card, he should have a resident alien number. If he doesn't then he has overstayed his visa. which is not at all unusual.

As long as he has a valid hunting license, he can own a firearm, and a private sale to him would be legal. A private seller has no obligation to investigate the immigration status of a potential purchaser, and in truth, as the comments here show. most potential sellers could not correctly evaluate that status.

If he were my friend, I would encourage him to join a competitive shooting organization, even if he never participates, as that is another exception which is pretty fuzzily defined.

You’re correct. I always thought the exceptions only applied to foreign diplomats or similar but looks like all you need is a valid hunting license. Interesting.

 

[Joshua223]

Visiting foreign nationals with a hunting license can purchase long guns.

If they have a resident alien number they can purchase handguns and long guns.

So yes, legal aliens can purchase firearms.

 

[gh1950]

You’re correct. I always thought the exceptions only applied to foreign diplomats or similar but looks like all you need is a valid hunting license. Interesting.

Some exposure to this, as I used to be quite involved in sporting clays. A lot of the top shooters are Brits, and they would come shoot and bring their guns no problem. Likewise they could buy and swap guns no problem, other than getting them back in Great Britain.

A lot of the top live pigeon shooters are Italian or Spanish and same thing.

Americans could buy guns overseas without much problem. just a lot of paperwork getting it into the United States, but's it's mostly related to customs. not the fact that it's gun.

Perazzi in particular had a program where you could buy a gun at the factory, have it fitted, and they would ship it to a broker in the U.S. so you weren't paying retail in the U.S. and got a custom fitted gun out of it, and a trip to italy, which made it an easier sale to the significant other.

 

[Jsmit484]

This is all great information. Thank you all for your input.

So just to clarify, it seem like he just needs purchase and upkeep a hunting license to be able to purchase firearms. Would this be limited to long guns, or would he be able to buy pistols too? His primary use would be shooting pistols at the range with myself, and our co-workers. I imagine he would probably take up trap shooting as well since our local range offers it.

Lastly, after speaking with him about it he would be storing them at his permanent residence here in the US when he's not here in the states.

Thanks again for all of your help guys. This has all been really good information!

 

[glocker]

Tell him to come on here and pay the full asking price of above retail and people will sell him whatever he wants.

 

[41mag]

Tell him to come on here and pay the full asking price of above retail and people will sell him whatever he wants.

At the same time there are a bunch of private citizens that think they belong to the Feds and want all your ‘papers’ to sell a gun but they wont go get an FFL