USCIS Restores Holistic Standard for Good Moral Character in Naturalization Cases – What This Means for Naturalization Applicants from Now On

Jasmyn Kamal • August 20, 2025
USCIS updates on Good Moral Character rules. Hand raised over USCIS seal on a blue background.

On August 15, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new policy memorandum, “Restoring a Rigorous, Holistic, and Comprehensive Good Moral Character Evaluation Standard for Aliens Applying for Naturalization.” This policy represents a major shift in how USCIS officers will evaluate whether applicants meet the good moral character (“GMC”) requirement for naturalization.


Why This Matters


Naturalization is more than paperwork—it is the legal transformation of becoming a full member of American society. One of the central requirements is showing that you are a person of good moral character during the statutory period, typically the last 3 or 5 years depending on your case.


Until now, and depending on the specifics of one’s case, many GMC evaluations had followed a “checklist” approach: if you avoided certain disqualifying crimes, you were presumed eligible. The new policy restores a totality of the circumstances approach, meaning officers will consider both positive and negative factors in your life when deciding if you meet the standard.


What USCIS Will Consider Positively


The memo instructs officers to give weight to applicants’ affirmative contributions to society, not just the absence of wrongdoing. Positive factors include:

  • Sustained community involvement and volunteer service
  • Family caregiving responsibilities and strong family ties in the U.S.
  • Educational attainment
  • Stable employment and career achievements
  • Long residence in the U.S.
  • Compliance with taxes and financial obligations


What Could Disqualify an Applicant


Certain acts will continue to trigger permanent or conditional bars to good moral character, such as:

  • Permanent bars: Murder, aggravated felonies, torture, genocide, and severe human rights violations.
  • Conditional bars: Controlled substance offenses, multiple DUI convictions, false claims to U.S. citizenship, unlawful voting, and similar offenses.
  • Other misconduct, even if technically legal, that falls short of community standards (e.g., repeated reckless driving, harassment, or other irresponsible behavior).


Rehabilitation and Second Chances


A key part of this new framework is recognizing rehabilitation. USCIS officers are directed to consider evidence that an applicant has taken steps to correct past mistakes. Examples include:

  • Paying back taxes or overdue child support
  • Successfully completing probation or court-ordered programs
  • Letters of support from community members
  • Demonstrating mentoring or service that reflects personal growth


What This Means for Applicants


This new standard gives applicants more room to tell their full story. For those with past mistakes, it opens the door to show rehabilitation, responsibility, and positive contributions. For those with clean records, it means their community involvement, family dedication, and civic responsibility will be recognized as affirmatively demonstrating good moral character.

At the same time, the holistic review also means greater scrutiny—officers may probe deeper into behavior and lifestyle, not just criminal history. Applicants should be prepared to present evidence of both compliance with the law and affirmative good deeds.


Final Thoughts


This shift signals that USCIS views citizenship as more than a legal formality—it is a reflection of character, responsibility, and community belonging. If you are considering naturalization, now more than ever it is important to document your positive contributions and be prepared to address any past challenges honestly and with evidence of rehabilitation.

Share This Post