US Citizenship and Immigration Services has reinforced its use of “neighborhood investigations” in some naturalization cases, giving immigration officers another tool to verify information submitted by applicants seeking US citizenship.
Under the updated guidance, USCIS may conduct personal investigations as part of the adjudication process for certain naturalization applications, according to an analysis published by Fragomen. A neighborhood investigation is a form of personal inquiry used to verify whether an applicant meets the requirements for naturalization. It can involve USCIS gathering information beyond the documents and statements submitted with the citizenship application. Instead, USCIS officers may use them at their discretion when additional verification is considered necessary. The investigation is part of the overall review of an application and does not replace other eligibility checks.
The revised policy memorandum, issued on August 25, 2026, follows an earlier USCIS move that ended a decades-long general waiver of such investigations in August 2025. USCIS has already conducted a number of such investigations since reintroducing the practice in August 2025, according to the revised policy.
The agency said the inquiries have helped officers determine whether applicants meet the requirements for naturalization, including requirements related to character. Fragomen said USCIS views the investigations as a tool to help validate information and documentation and assess whether an applicant meets all naturalization requirements.
