‘Good Moral Character’ Standard Stressed in Citizenship Memo

To fulfill a President Donald Trump campaign promise on merit-based immigration, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has directed officers to apply a “rigorous, holistic, and comprehensive” review of naturalization applicants in a new memo that sets standards for “good moral character” (GMC).

Citizenship should be reserved for “the world’s best of the best,” USCIS spokesman Matthew J. Tragesser told The Washington Post in a statement.

Friday’s USCIS memo ensures officers consider “community involvement, achievements, and financial responsibility rather than the absence of misconduct,” he added to the Post.

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