The US Citizenship and Immigration Services reminded new citizenship applicants that its neighborhood investigation before granting citizenship is back and not only neighbors but employers will also get visits by USCIS officials to verify moral character, assimilation into the US way of life etc. The neighbourhood investigation resumed in November 2025 as the agency overhauled the entire process of granting citizenship, putting America’s protection at the top. “The purpose of a neighborhood investigation is to verify aliens’ eligibility for naturalization by reviewing their residency, moral character, loyalty to the U.S. Constitution, and commitment to the nation’s well-being. These investigations are vital to maintaining the integrity of the naturalization process, assuring assimilation, and safeguarding the value of American citizenship,” the agency announced before.
Good moral character check
Green card holders can become naturalized US citizens after five years of living in the US. Background checking has been always a process before granting US citizenship but that did not mean officials would visit the neighborhood or speak to the neighbors as this was an old and discarded process after the administration started relying on more high-tech screening like running the name in FBI, DHS databases to check whether there is any criminal history etc. They also look for tax compliance, if there is any child support issue, fraud, violations etc. In 2025, the Donald Trump administration announced that they were bringing back the old neighborhood checks as the absence of criminal record is not enough to qualify for citizenship — the involvement in the community, good moral character is what they are now looking for and neighbors would be able to vouch for that. The agency has also revised the naturalization test expanding the question bank from 100 to 128 questions; increased the number of questions on each test from 10 to 20; raised the passing score from 6 to 12 correct responses; and revised the questions to ensure the test provides a more meaningful assessment of the alien’s knowledge and understanding of US history and government.Naturalization is a privilege, and new citizens must understand the rights and responsibilities that come with this privilege, the administration said.
