News Alert: New USCIS Policies for N-400 Naturalization Citizenship Applicants, Military, Good Moral Conduct and Neighborhood Investigations
Canva on Pixabay. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a series of significant policy updates in September and August 2025 that fundamentally change the standards and procedures for naturalization. Find out how this affects new applicants, the good moral character determination, and special considerations for military service members in our News Alert.
Major Overhaul to U.S. Naturalization Process: Higher Standards for Good Moral Character and Military Service
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a series of significant policy updates in September and August 2025 that fundamentally change the standards and procedures for naturalization. Among these changes—affecting how "Good Moral Character" (GMC) is determined, the resumption of personal investigations, and new, stricter guidance for military service members—signal a more rigorous approach to gaining U.S. citizenship. We recently wrote about the implementation of a new N-400 Naturalization Test.
What do I Need to Know?
Naturalization Guidance for Alien Service Members. In recognition of their service, members of the U.S. Armed Forces since World War I, may naturalize with certain statutory exemptions. However, new guidance creates a new standards:
Only "Honorable" and "General-Under Honorable Conditions" discharges are now accepted. "Uncharacterized" discharge on the DD Form 214 will no longer be considered a separation "under honorable conditions" for naturalization purposes.
USCIS will no longer coordinate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to conduct naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies for veterans at a port of entry. Former alien service members who reside overseas must now seek a visa or parole to enter the U.S. for their interview.
Failure to comply with COVID vaccination requirement no longer disqualifying.Identifies that aliens who separated or were discharged from the military under less than honorable conditions for reasons like failure to comply with COVID vaccination requirements may request a change in the “characterization of their discharge” with the Department of War/Defense.
Restoring Rigorous Good Moral Character (GMC) Evaluation. The bar for establishing Good Moral Character has been raised, shifting the focus from merely the "absence of misconduct" to an active demonstration of being "worthy" of U.S. citizenship.
"Totality of the Circumstances" Approach. Officers are instructed to use a holistic approach to evaluate GMC, weighing all positive and negative factors to determine if the applicant has affirmatively demonstrated good moral character commensurate with the "standards of average citizens" in their community.
Emphasis on Positive Contributions. Applicants should now proactively highlight their positive attributes, which include:
Sustained community involvement and contributions.
Family caregiving, responsibility, and ties in the U.S.
Educational attainment.
Stable and lawful employment history.
Compliance with tax obligations and financial responsibility.
Expanded Disqualifying Conduct. Beyond permanent bars (like murder) and conditional bars (like multiple DUIs), officers may now consider other acts that are "contrary to the average behavior of citizens" in the jurisdiction, even if technically lawful. Examples given include reckless or habitual traffic infractions, harassment, or aggressive solicitation.
Rehabilitation Matters. For applicants with past issues, evidence of genuine rehabilitation is critical. This includes rectifying overdue child support or taxes, complying with probation, and submitting community testimony.
Resumption of Personal Investigations. USCIS is ending the general waiver of "neighborhood investigations" under INA §335(a), a practice largely discontinued since the 1990s.
Case-by-Case Discretion. USCIS will now make an individualized discretionary decision on whether to conduct a personal investigation for each case.
Broader Inquiries. Investigations can include inquiries with neighbors, employers, co-workers, and business associates to corroborate information on an applicant's residency, good moral character, and attachment to the Constitution.
Proactive Submission Encouraged. Applicants are encouraged to proactively submit testimonial letters from neighbors, employers, and co-workers with their initial Form N-400 application. Failure to provide such evidence may lead to an investigation, which could significantly delay the adjudication process.
Overhaul of the N-400 Naturalization Test and Process. As mentioned above, on October 20th 2025, USCIS begins the implementation of the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test. The core of the new test is based on a bank of 128 questions, a significant increase (28 new questions) from the previous 2008 version with 100 questions. Applicants will now be asked up to 20 questions and must correctly answer 12 to pass, double the previous requirement. Another notable change is in the administration of the test. Now, officers will stop asking questions once an applicant has reached a passing score or has failed. Read our blog post about this for more information.
What else should I know?
These USCIS updates reflect a significant policy shift relating to naturalization. While the new military guidance offers clarity on discharge status, the new GMC and investigation standards increases scrutiny for all applicants. Those applying for citizenship must be prepared for a deeper review of their personal history, community engagement, and character.
Consulting with a knowledgeable and trustworthy immigration legal professional is highly recommended to strategically prepare a robust and comprehensive application under these new policies. Here is the link to the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (AILA) Lawyer Search Service. AILA is a professional association of immigration attorneys of good standing. If you cannot afford a private attorney, find a local nonprofit organization who provides free assistance to immigrants and their families. Stay tuned as we monitor this development. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr and TikTok, for up-to-date immigration news.
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