A New Policy Alert Formalizes the Practice

On August 25, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a policy alert updating Volume 12 of its Policy Manual to further assess and corroborate the eligibility of people applying for naturalization. The guidance, titled “Investigations and Examinations for Naturalization Eligibility,” reintroduces what the agency calls personal investigations, more commonly known as neighborhood investigations, under section 335(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and it reinforces the agency’s obligation to validate an applicant’s information and documentation during the naturalization examination under section 335(b). The update is effective immediately and applies to any naturalization request pending or filed on or after its publication date, with the new guidance controlling over any prior instructions that conflict with it.

Reviving a Practice Dormant Since the Early 1990s

This is not an entirely new practice so much as the formal codification of a policy shift that began a year earlier. In August 2025, USCIS issued a memorandum ending the agency’s longstanding general waiver of neighborhood investigations, a waiver that had effectively kept the practice dormant since the early 1990s, during the George H.W. Bush administration. That original memo directed officers to resume personal investigations of naturalization applicants under the same INA 335(a) authority, and law firms tracking the change reported that USCIS began showing up unannounced at applicants’ homes, in some cases scrutinizing the legitimacy of marriages to U.S. citizens as part of the review. The August 2026 update builds directly on that memo, with USCIS stating that it has already conducted a number of these investigations since the practice was revived and that the agency believes they have helped it evaluate whether applicants meet naturalization requirements, including questions of good moral character.

How the Investigations Work

Under the newly formalized guidance, a neighborhood investigation covers a period of at least five years immediately before an applicant files for naturalization. It can involve interviews with witnesses who might speak to the applicant’s conduct, residence history, reputation in the community, and ties to that community, all aimed at cross-checking what the applicant has already put in their application. Unless an officer waives it, the investigation is meant to apply to every applicant and to be completed before that person is scheduled for a naturalization interview. Adjudicators are also instructed to verify information more broadly through interviews, document reviews, and whatever else emerges from these investigations, weighing evidence for consistency, detail, and credibility.

Waivers and Character Letters

There is a narrow release valve built into the process. Applicants may voluntarily submit character reference or testimonial letters, and USCIS has indicated a preference for letters coming from U.S. citizens who are not family members of the applicant. Officers may take those letters into account when deciding whether to waive a neighborhood investigation in an individual case, and the agency retains discretion to waive the requirement altogether for certain categories of applicants. In other words, the investigation is framed as a case-by-case tool rather than an automatic hurdle for everyone, even though the manual language states it generally applies unless waived.

Part of a Broader Tightening of Naturalization Rules

The policy change arrives amid a broader tightening of naturalization procedures over the past year. USCIS revived the 2020 version of the naturalization civics test in the fall of 2025, a move that drew a formal letter of concern from members of Congress who argued the change was made with little public notice and no formal comment period. Immigration attorneys have described the return of neighborhood investigations as introducing a more personal, and for many applicants unfamiliar, layer of scrutiny into a process that had relied for decades mainly on paper records, biometrics, and a single interview. Because the practice was last used at scale more than thirty years ago, current applicants, and in some reported cases even permanent residency applicants, are encountering a form of in-person verification that has no living precedent in most people’s immigration experience.

What It Means for Applicants

For prospective citizens, the practical upshot is that the naturalization timeline may now include an unannounced visit or witness outreach that did not exist as standard practice a few years ago, and that character letters from non-family U.S. citizens could carry more weight than before in determining whether that step is skipped. USCIS has framed the change as a corroboration measure meant to strengthen the integrity of the eligibility determination, while immigration lawyers are advising applicants to be prepared for the possibility of a home visit or neighbor interview as part of what has traditionally been a more document-driven process.

Legal Disclaimer and Contact Information

The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute formal legal advice. Reading this material does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case involves unique facts, and individuals seeking guidance on their case should consult an experienced attorney for legal advice. For a free phone consultation with Attorney Thomas Lee, please call (213) 251-5533.