U.S. immigration screening is getting tougher on two fronts, with new rules affecting both green card and citizenship applicants. The changes expand how officials can weigh public benefits and formally allow neighborhood-style checks in naturalization cases.
For green card applications filed on or after Sept. 18, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can treat noncash public benefits such as food stamps, Medicaid and government housing assistance as negative factors in determining whether an applicant is likely to rely on public support. Officers will also consider an applicant’s age, health, income, assets, education and English ability, along with benefits received by dependents tied to the applicant’s income. Benefits received before Sept. 18 will not count against applicants under the new standard.
Applicants must use the revised forms starting Sept. 18, and filings sent in on older forms may be returned. The policy does not apply retroactively, meaning earlier benefit use will not be treated as a penalty under the new rule.
Citizenship screening is also being tightened. In a policy alert this week, USCIS said it may now officially conduct checks with people around an applicant, such as neighbors or co-workers, as part of naturalization reviews. The practice is rooted in the 1952 immigration law, but it had largely fallen out of use since the 1990s before being written back into policy. The checks can be used to assess an applicant’s character, loyalty to the United States and any ties to groups that advocate the overthrow of the government.
