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USCIS just released two major policy memos in August 2025 that change how good moral character is evaluated for U.S. citizenship applicants. These are the biggest updates in decades and they affect how cases are reviewed, what evidence is required, and how officers judge your community contributions, financial responsibility, and past mistakes.
In this video, Immigration Lawyer John Kasabi explains: β
What the new memos mean for citizenship applicants β
Examples of βpositive factorsβ USCIS is now requiring β
Why community service, taxes, and testimonial letters matter more than ever β
How these changes could affect your approval chances
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Timestamps: 0:00 β What is good moral character for citizenship? 0:20 β USCIS releases new policy memos (Aug 2025) 0:48 β Why this update is so important 1:37 β Old vs. new standards for good moral character 2:05 β What βshowing moreβ now means 2:52 β The two new policy memos explained 3:23 β USCIS will use a holistic assessment 4:52 β Bars to naturalization (permanent vs. conditional) 5:45 β Factors officers will now consider 6:02 β The βpreponderance of the evidenceβ standard 7:20 β Community involvement, volunteering, education 8:39 β Employment history, taxes, and financial responsibility 9:15 β Traffic violations, harassment, and unusual denial reasons 9:47 β Rehabilitation and community testimony 10:33 β Why USCIS may no longer accept tax payment plans 11:04 β Policy memo on neighborhood investigations 11:48 β Impact on applicantsβ personal lives 12:15 β Why testimonial letters are now important 13:20 β Problems with poorly written letters 13:59 β Need for tailored letters in each case 14:42 β Why full case reviews with attorneys are critical
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