Articles Posted in Citizenship Interviews

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In this video we discuss five emerging trends in 2025 that are likely to affect U.S. green card holders — they reflect changes and risks that are gaining traction.

If you’re a green card holder—or hoping to become one—you need to know that getting arrested for driving under the influence, accumulating speeding tickets, not paying taxes, or even prolonged absences from the United States can have serious consequences for your status.

What to Avoid

To stay off the radar of immigration enforcement—especially under stricter policies—it’s crucial to avoid any legal troubles that could flag your record. This means steering clear of DUIs, repeated traffic violations like speeding tickets, and making sure you’re fully compliant with tax filings. Also, be cautious with international travel. Extended or frequent trips abroad without proper documentation can raise red flags.

Staying law-abiding, keeping your paperwork in order, and consulting an immigration lawyer if issues arise are the best ways to minimize risk and protect your status.

Here’s what you need to know.

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Recent changes to the green card application process have added new hurdles that could make interview approvals more difficult. In this blog, we’ll break down what these changes are and how they could affect your chances of success.

What’s changed?

  • USCIS officers now have expanded authority
  • Immigration officers have been granted law enforcement powers as federal agents
  • Increased ability to investigate immigration cases for fraud, misrepresentation, and other violations
  • Authority to refer cases for criminal prosecution
  • Power to arrest and detain applicants during green card interviews for violations

USCIS Shifts from Administrative to Law Enforcement Agency

For decades, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has primarily served as an administrative agency. Its core function has been to process immigration benefits such as green cards, work permits, naturalization, and other legal status applications. USCIS operated separately from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which is tasked with enforcing immigration laws, including detaining and removing individuals who are in violation. This separation reflected a clear distinction between those applying for lawful immigration benefits and those facing enforcement actions.

However, in recent months, USCIS policies have started to shift in a direction that aligns more closely with immigration enforcement. Officers within the agency are being granted expanded authority, including certain law enforcement powers. For example, USCIS officers now have increased discretion to investigate cases for fraud, misrepresentation, or other immigration violations — and in some cases, they may refer cases for prosecution or even detain applicants during in-person interviews for immigration violations.

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As of August 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has resumed conducting personal investigations for certain naturalization applicants including home visits, neighborhood investigations, and visits at places of employment. These visits are part of the agency’s new efforts to verify the accuracy of information provided in citizenship applications and to prevent immigration fraud.

Highlights

  • Neighborhood Visit Policy Revived: USCIS has reinstated the neighborhood investigation policy after more than 30 years of limited or no enforcement.
  • Applies to Citizenship Applicants: This is a new development specifically affecting individuals applying for U.S. naturalization.
  • Focus on Verifying Eligibility: Neighborhood visits may be used to verify details such as residence, good moral character, and other naturalization requirements.
  • Supporting Documentation Encouraged: Applicants are advised to submit testimonial letters from neighbors, employers, or associates to potentially avoid in-person visits.

Policy Overview

Although neighborhood visits are not a new practice, they were generally suspended because USCIS relied on biometric checks and criminal history checks to determine an applicant’s good moral character and eligibility for naturalization. Their resurgence reflects a renewed emphasis on evaluating a person’s background to determine whether they possess “good moral character”—a requirement for citizenship. Officers may visit applicants’ residences to confirm details like physical presence, marital status (especially in spousal-based cases), and other eligibility requirements.

In practice, this is likely to occur if, after the USCIS citizenship interview, the officer remains unconvinced that the applicant demonstrates good moral character or meets other eligibility requirements.

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