USCIS Ends 34-Year Waiver of Neighbourhood Investigations in 2025

It took over 30 years of dormancy before the US citizenship investigations of the neighbourhood process reappeared. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on August 22, 2025, that it will reinstitute personal investigations of individuals seeking naturalisation, and that the overall waiver that has existed since 1991 will cease.

This drastic policy change implies that the immigration officers can now go on-site to interview with the neighbours, employers, and community members to assess whether an applicant is eligible to obtain US citizenship. The alteration will impact all future applicants of USCIS naturalisation seeking to attain the status of American citizens.

What Are Neighbourhood Investigations?

US citizenship investigations of their neighbourhoods include detailed background checks over and above standard FBI criminal record checks. Under Section 335(a) INA (Immigration and Nationality Act), USCIS officers are officially capable of probing an applicant's residences and labour history.

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These Investigations Typically Cover:

This section elaborates on what these investigations typically cover:

• Five years of residency history before filing

• Employment verification and character assessment

• Community involvement and moral character evaluation

• Constitutional attachment and civic disposition

This practice was initiated in 1802 when citizenship applicants had to bring two witnesses who could testify to their qualifications. Between 1981 and 1991, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service slowly eliminated and replaced these cheques with computerised background checks.

Key Changes in USCIS Policy

The policy memorandum of August 22, 2025, will be a breakthrough in the procedures of naturalisation processes in the US. The USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said that the agency is taking the charge very seriously regarding the proper vetting of aliens and their good moral character.

Case-by-Case Implementation

Instead of generalising in the application of neighbourhood investigations, USCIS officers will now operate selectively. This discretion technique implies that two applicants having comparable backgrounds may be scrutinised differently.

The policy memo states that USCIS will consider pertinent evidence in every case and determine whether to conduct waiver neighbourhood investigations. It is at the prerogative of officers to decide when such investigations need to be carried out.

Evidence Requirements

USCIS naturalisation applicants can now be requested to offer testimonial letters USCIS considers acceptable, such as:

• Nearby neighbours who may testify to character and community activity.

• Current and former employers

• Co-workers and business associates

• Community leaders and organisation members

The agency highly recommends receipt of such letters by the applicants with their first naturalisation application to avoid any delay and other information requests.

Impact on Citizenship Applications

Immigration lawyers and community advocates are both concerned about the change. Immigration attorney Kripa Upadhyay condemned the policy and said it would not get America any safer, but instead would instill fear and reinforce a perception of immigrants being undeserving outsiders.

Historical Context and Legal Authority

The practice of neighbourhood investigations for US citizenship has its roots deep in American immigration law. This was a customary practice in most US history, and different types of community testimony were obligatory to become a naturalised citizen.

Timeline of Neighbourhood Investigations

Here is a table showing the timeline of neighbourhood investigations:

The legal basis of these investigations is still the same. Section 335(a) INA has never restricted USCIS from conducting such investigations, and the agency has waived the process for practical reasons. The new policy change merely cancels the blanket waiver since 1991.

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Preparing for Potential Investigations

Immigration experts advise USCIS naturalisation applicants to ensure they are ready to face any form of neighbourhood investigation. Erik Finch, a former USCIS officer and director of global operations at Boundless, states that there is now broad discretion and little guidance among the officers.

Recommended Preparation Steps

The following are the suggested preparation steps:

• Collect testimonial letters. USCIS is interested in receiving the testimonial letters from various community sources.

• Document community involvement and volunteer activities

• Maintain positive relationships with neighbours and colleagues

• Keep employment and character reference records.

• Consult with immigration attorneys about case-specific strategies

Many applicants expressed concern about neighbours' reactions to USCIS inquiries. A green card resident remarked, We do not live in a neighbourhood dominated by Indians and We are not close to our neighbours and how the neighbours would react to questions posed by the authorities.

Processing Timeline and Implementation

The policy will also be included in the official USCIS Policy Manual and considered in individual officer decisions. The agency clarified that this memo is an internal guide and is not an enforceable right to applicants or third parties.

The ongoing case of citizenship background checks could take longer, in instances where the case was chosen as an investigation of the neighbourhood. Nonetheless, USCIS has not given timeline estimates for the duration of these investigations.

Application Volume Context

Here is a table showing the application volume context:

The practical implications of neighbourhood investigations will rely on the frequency with which the officers decide to carry out such investigations, given that more than 800,000 people naturalise yearly. Immigration lawyers propose that the policy can be more of a deterrent than a mass implementation because of the lack of resources.

Expert Analysis and Community Response

The law experts are divided on whether it is practical to resume the neighbourhood inquiries to grant US citizenship. Others consider the policy a political game aimed at producing a potentially chilling effect on immigration applications.

An analysis by immigration attorneys indicates that neighbourhood checks are highly labour-intensive, time-consuming, and hardly ever yield information of use. This is why they have not been in use since 1991. The Trump administration's move to reinstate them can be more symbolic than substantive.

Yet, the policy also gives officers considerable new power to analyse applicants regarding their integration into the community and good moral standing - a condition already subject to additional examination in the recent USCIS instructions.

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Conclusion

USCIS has reinstated the neighbourhood investigations of the US citizenship, which ended a 34-year waiver and significantly altered the naturalisation process. These cheques will now be case-by-case and target residency, moral character, and attachment to the Constitution over the past five years before application. Applicants should also provide testimonial letters from neighbours, employers, or coworkers to avoid delays and additional investigations caused by a weak application.

This policy takes the concept of personal vetting to citizenship approval, and a person should be ready to gather evidence and to learn the new conditions. Contact TerraTern for more information!