U.S. naturalization reviews will focus on “good moral character”

Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in a memo called for a more “rigorous, holistic and comprehensive” approach to evaluating naturalization petitions.  The memo states that “good moral character” is defined by an individual’s “behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions.” USCIS officers are instructed to judge applicants “on a case-by-case basis.”   

 

My colleague, Jack Chin, is quoted in the article.  “Gabriel J. Chin, a professor and scholar of immigration law at the University of California at Davis, said the latest guidance is `so loose and discretionary that it is obviously susceptible to arbitrary enforcement.’”

 

KJ