Article Summary

USCIS has issued a new policy expanding the scrutiny of 'good moral character' for US citizenship applications, moving beyond a simple absence of criminal offenses to a holistic assessment of an immigrant's behavior, community involvement, and adherence to societal norms. The policy differentiates between merely lawful conduct and 'good moral character,' considering factors like reckless traffic infractions and rehabilitation efforts. Officials state the change ensures new citizens embrace American values, while critics suggest it aims to increase denial grounds for legal immigrants.

TNP AI: Key Insights

This policy significantly expands the criteria for 'good moral character' beyond a simple absence of criminal records, introducing a more subjective, holistic assessment for US citizenship applicants. For skilled professionals and Green Card holders, this means an increased level of scrutiny and potential uncertainty in their final step towards permanent integration into the US, making the naturalization process more challenging and less predictable.

Historically, 'good moral character' primarily focused on disqualifying criminal conduct. This new policy broadens the scope to include factors like traffic infractions or aggressive solicitation, which could be interpreted as an attempt to increase denial grounds and will likely face scrutiny and potential legal challenges.