In August 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new policy memorandum introducing a “holistic and rigorous approach” to assessing “good moral character” for naturalization applicants. Moving beyond a simple check for criminal misconduct, USCIS will now evaluate a broader range of positive attributes, including the naturalization applicant’s community involvement, family caregiving, educational achievements, stable lawful employment, duration of legal residence, and compliance with tax obligations.
The updated policy underscores that demonstrating good moral character entails being commensurate with the standards of average citizens in one’s community—a shift that introduces subjectivity and discretion into the process. Applicants must now show positive civic behavior—not just the absence of wrongdoing—but affirmatively establish that their conduct aligns with societal expectations.
Simultaneously, the policy calls for greater scrutiny of conduct that may be legal but deemed inconsistent with the average behavior of citizens—such as repeated traffic infractions. USCIS may also probe for signs of anti‑Americanism or extremist ideology, including monitoring social media for antisemitic sentiments. The looser guidance and increased discretion in interpreting what constitutes “good moral character” could lead to arbitrary and inconsistent adjudications. It is very important for all people beginning the naturalization process to put in the effort to gather evidence of anything that demonstrates that they are a person of “good moral character” and not simply a person who is not of “bad moral character.”
