U.S. Citizen / Naturalization

USCIS announced that, effective Oct. 1, 2021, applicants subject to the immigration medical examination must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the civil surgeon can complete an immigration medical examination and sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record.
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Over the past week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services celebrated Independence Day by welcoming more than 9,400 new citizens in 170 naturalization ceremonies between June 30 and July 7. These ceremonies demonstrate our commitment to welcoming immigrants. We are proud to welcome people from all over the world as our newest U.S. citizens during our nation’s celebration of Independence Day.

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Policy Highlights

• Specifies that applicants engaged outside the United States in a qualifying religious vocation provided under INA 317 must file an Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes (Form N-470) with USCIS to have time outside the United States considered towards the continuous residence and physical presence requirements.
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding applicants’ registration to vote through a state’s department of motor vehicles or other state benefit application process and the effects on an applicant’s good moral character (GMC).
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As of May 21, 2021, U.S. citizens will be able to use their expired U.S. passports to return to the United States through December 31, 2021.

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Applying for U.S. citizenship can be an exciting, anxious, and frustrating time.
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If confirmed by the Senate, Juddou will lead an agency that is looking to tackle visa and naturalization backlogs, avoid future budgetary concerns and address cumbersome agency processes.
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USCIS announced today it is reverting to the 2008 version of the naturalization civics test beginning March 1, 2021.

Policy Highlights

• Provides that USCIS will administer the 2008 civics test to applicants who filed for naturalization before December 1, 2020, or who will file on or after March 1, 2021.
• Provides that USCIS will give applicants the choice to either take the 2008 civics test or the 2020 civics test in cases where applicants filed their naturalization application on or after December 1, 2020 and before March 1, 2021, and where the initial examination (interview) is scheduled to occur before April 19, 2021.

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In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is extending the flexibilities it announced on March 30, 2020, to assist applicants, petitioners,
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On October 7, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) hosted a public webinar to discuss USCIS’ Processing of Concurrently Pending Forms N-400 (Application for Naturalization) and Forms I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence). Subject matter experts (SMEs) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also joined this session and they committed to provide answers (in writing) to the additional questions from stakeholders after the webinar.
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On Nov. 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the circumstances when USCIS will find applicants ineligible for naturalization because they were not lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Applicants are ineligible for naturalization if they obtained lawful permanent residence (LPR) status in error, by fraud or otherwise not in compliance with the law.
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