United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has told its officers to look more closely at an applicant's family support, sponsorship promises and use of public benefits when deciding whether someone seeking citizenship has shown good moral character. The guidance came in Policy Memorandum PM-602-0201, issued on 4 November 2026, and it applies to Form N-400, the application for naturalization.

Good moral character is a legal requirement for naturalization, the process by which a lawful permanent resident becomes a United States citizen. Under the memo, officers may find that an applicant lacks it in three situations: wilfully failing to support dependents, committing fraud or deception in obtaining or using public benefits, or failing to meet obligations taken on under an Affidavit of Support, in the Form I-864 family, or a Declaration of Financial Support, in the Form I-134 family.

The memo also sets out an important limit. Lawful receipt of means-tested public benefits, by itself, is not a bar to naturalization, and a denial cannot rest on poverty or disability. Officers must weigh each case on its own facts.

The character review normally covers the five years before an application is filed, or three years for certain spouses of United States citizens, and continues until the oath of allegiance. The memo builds on an August 2025 instruction that officers judge character holistically, weighing past wrongdoing against rehabilitation and positive contributions.

USCIS said it will write new guidance in its Policy Manual and revise Form N-400 to collect information about benefit use and the support of dependents, but it gave no date for either change. Applicants should check the official USCIS pages before filing, as the rules and the form can change.