Overview

• A USCIS memo dated Aug. 22 ends the decades-long general waiver and restarts neighborhood investigations authorized by INA 335(a) after being largely unused since 1991.
• Potential steps include on-the-ground interviews with neighbors, coworkers, and employers, plus requests for testimonial letters to corroborate residency and character.
• Applicants are urged to submit testimonials proactively; declining to provide requested evidence can prompt an investigation and affect their ability to establish eligibility.
• Officers will determine on a case-by-case basis whether to conduct or waive checks covering at least the prior five years of residence and employment, with implementation guidance forthcoming in the policy manual.
• The shift accompanies new holistic “good moral character” guidance and heightened review of ideology and social media, drawing warnings about subjectivity, workload, and a chilling effect on naturalization.