Overview

• A new USCIS memo ends the decades-old general waiver on neighborhood investigations, making the checks available again effective immediately.
• Officers will request and review testimonial letters from neighbors, employers, coworkers, and business associates, and applicants are encouraged to submit such letters proactively.
• Cases will be evaluated individually, with officers deciding whether on-the-ground inquiries are warranted and retaining the option to waive them when evidence is sufficient.
• On August 15, USCIS adopted a totality-of-circumstances standard for assessing good moral character and has also broadened ideological and social media screening across immigration benefits.
• Director Joe Edlow says the changes ensure only the most qualified receive citizenship, while legal analysts and advocates foresee heavier documentation demands, longer processing times, and a higher risk of denial.