USCIS Updates “Good Moral Character” Evaluation for Citizenship Applications
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced new guidelines for assessing the “good moral character” requirement in naturalization applications. The update seeks to ensure that officers conduct a more complete and holistic evaluation of applicants’ behavior when determining eligibility for U.S. citizenship.
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1. Key Changes in Good Moral Character Evaluation
Traditionally, proving good moral character focused mainly on verifying that applicants had no criminal history or disqualifying conduct under immigration law, such as:
- Serious or violent crimes.
- Drug-related offenses.
- Habitual alcoholism.
Under the new policy, USCIS officers are instructed to carry out a broader analysis that considers both positive and negative factors in applicants’ behavior.
2. Positive Factors to Be Considered
The updated memorandum directs officers to take into account an applicant’s contributions and personal attributes, including:
- Community involvement and volunteer work.
- Strong family ties and caregiving responsibilities.
- Educational achievements and professional training.
- Stable and lawful work history in the U.S.
- Timely payment of taxes and financial obligations.
- Length of residence in the U.S. and adaptation to social norms.
These elements will allow applicants to demonstrate affirmatively that they meet the good moral character requirement.
3. Negative Factors and Heightened Review
The new policy also expands the scope of behaviors that may raise concerns, beyond already established disqualifying crimes. These include:
- Reckless or frequent traffic violations.
- Harassment or aggressive solicitation.
- Conduct deemed “incompatible with civic responsibility” or with community standards, even if not technically illegal.
Officers must also weigh evidence of rehabilitation, such as:
- Compliance with probation terms.
- Payment of back taxes or child support.
- Support letters from community leaders or employers.
4. Impact on Citizenship Applicants
Legal permanent residents (green card holders) are generally eligible to apply for naturalization after 3 or 5 years, depending on their case. With this update:
- The review process will be more detailed and personalized.
- Simply lacking a criminal record will no longer be sufficient; applicants will be expected to show a history of positive behavior.
- More applications may require additional documentation to support claims of community contributions or family responsibility.
5. Broader Context of the Measure
Over the past decade, USCIS has naturalized between 600,000 and 1 million people per year. This update reflects an effort to strengthen eligibility standards and ensure that new U.S. citizens demonstrate strong personal and civic responsibility.
Conclusion
The new USCIS policy on good moral character expands the evaluation of naturalization applicants, combining positive contributions, potential negative behaviors, and evidence of rehabilitation. Future applicants will need to provide more comprehensive documentation and demonstrate not only compliance with the law but also active participation in their community and fulfillment of civic duties.
From: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-uscis-ctizenship-good-moral-character-scrutinize/
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