USCIS issued new policy guidance on May 27, 2021 regarding an applicant’s registration to vote and its impact on good moral character determination during naturalization.
Some of the policy highlights include:
- USCIS will not penalize an applicant who unknowingly or unwilfully registers to vote.
- USCIS does not consider an applicant to have unlawfully registered to vote if the applicant did not complete or sign the voter registration section (including electronic signature, if applicable) in the motor vehicle or other state benefit application.
- USCIS does not consider an applicant to have unlawfully claimed to be a U.S. citizen if the applicant did not affirmatively indicate that he or she is a U.S. citizen. For voter registrations, applicants must prove that they did not directly answer a question on whether they are a U.S. Citizen.