Seeking US citizenship? Why USCIS reinforced neighborhood investigations for some cases
USCIS reintroduces neighborhood investigations for some naturalization cases to independently verify applicant information.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reinstated the use of "neighborhood investigations" in certain naturalization cases, giving immigration officers an additional tool to verify information provided by applicants seeking US citizenship. The updated policy, announced on August 25, 2026, follows a reversal of a previous move that ended general waivers of these investigations in August 2025.
While neighborhood investigations are discretionary and not automatically applied to all applicants, they provide a means to verify whether an applicant meets the requirements for naturalization, including character-related criteria.
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