Immigration Lawyer Blog
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.