Recently, I have heard from lawful permanent residents who are worried about reports on social media that more applications for U.S. citizenship are being denied.
Unlike many rumors circulating on social media, there is some factual basis for this concern. Recent data indicate that naturalization denial rates have increased, while U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also adopted policies calling for more intensive review of applicants for citizenship.
That does not mean that permanent residents should be afraid to apply for citizenship. It does mean that applicants should understand that naturalization is an important legal proceeding and that USCIS will look at more than whether an applicant can pass the English and civics tests.
Are N-400 Denial Rates Really Increasing?
Yes, according to an analysis of USCIS data by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP).
NFAP reported that the denial rate for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, increased from 8.3% in May 2024 to 18.1% in May 2026. The increase became particularly pronounced in late 2025 and early 2026.
At the same time, naturalization processing has slowed considerably. USCIS’s own historical processing data show that the national median processing time for non-military N-400 applications increased from 5.0 months in fiscal year 2024 to 5.6 months in fiscal year 2025 and approximately 7.1 months in fiscal year 2026 through June 30.
These statistics deserve attention, but they should also be kept in perspective. A higher denial rate does not tell us why individual applications were denied. Naturalization applications can be denied for many reasons, including failure to establish eligibility, criminal or immigration issues, failure of the English or civics examination, or failure to respond properly to USCIS.
The statistics therefore do not establish that USCIS is simply denying otherwise approvable applications. They do, however, confirm that applicants are facing a more challenging adjudication environment.
USCIS Has Changed Its Approach to “Good Moral Character”
One particularly important change occurred on August 15, 2025, when USCIS issued a policy memorandum entitled “Restoring a Rigorous, Holistic, and Comprehensive Good Moral Character Evaluation Standard.”
Good moral character has always been a requirement for naturalization. Traditionally, much of the analysis focused on specific conduct identified by the immigration laws, including certain criminal convictions, controlled substance violations, false testimony, failure to support dependents, and other statutory or regulatory bars.
Under the new policy, USCIS officers are instructed to conduct a broader review of the applicant under the “totality of the circumstances.” Officers may consider not only conduct that creates a specific legal bar to naturalization, but other behavior that USCIS believes may be inconsistent with the standards expected of an average citizen in the applicant’s community.
The USCIS memorandum specifically mentions, among other examples, “reckless or habitual traffic infractions.”
That language understandably makes some applicants nervous.
Does a Speeding Ticket Mean You Cannot Become a Citizen?
Ordinarily, no.
There is an important difference between an isolated traffic violation and the “reckless or habitual” traffic conduct referenced in the new USCIS policy.
In fact, USCIS’s own instructions for Form N-400 state that an applicant generally does not even need to submit documentation concerning a traffic incident unless the incident involved alcohol or drugs, resulted in an arrest, or seriously injured another person.
A routine speeding ticket from years ago that was paid is therefore very different from repeated reckless-driving violations, DUI offenses, an accident involving serious injury, or a history demonstrating habitual disregard of traffic laws.
Nevertheless, applicants should answer the questions on Form N-400 carefully. The form broadly asks about arrests, citations, crimes, and offenses. A minor incident that is unlikely to prevent naturalization can become more significant if an applicant gives an inaccurate answer about it.
What About Tax Problems?
Tax issues also require some perspective.
Form N-400 asks about an applicant’s tax history, and USCIS warns that failure to pay taxes as required can affect a determination of good moral character. An applicant who has failed to file required tax returns, owes substantial overdue taxes without making arrangements to pay them, or has engaged in tax fraud may have a genuine naturalization issue.
That is very different from making an innocent mistake in calculating estimated taxes or withholding, being assessed a penalty, and then paying everything owed.
USCIS’s August 2025 policy memorandum itself identifies full payment of overdue taxes as evidence that may demonstrate rehabilitation when past conduct is being evaluated.
Tax problems therefore should not be ignored, but neither should every IRS penalty be treated as a reason to abandon an application for citizenship.
USCIS Has Also Authorized More Intensive Investigation
Another policy change has received less public attention.
In August 2025, USCIS ended its longstanding general waiver of “neighborhood investigations” in naturalization cases. USCIS now reserves the right to determine on a case-by-case basis whether such an investigation is appropriate.
USCIS has stated that it may seek information from neighbors, employers, coworkers, or business associates concerning an applicant. This does not mean that USCIS will conduct a neighborhood investigation in every naturalization case. It does, however, illustrate the agency’s broader shift toward more intensive scrutiny of naturalization applications.
Minor Problems and Serious Problems Are Not the Same Thing
Over nearly three decades of practicing immigration law, I have found that applicants sometimes worry excessively about relatively minor matters while overlooking issues that deserve much closer examination.
An old speeding ticket, for example, ordinarily presents a very different issue from a DUI or repeated reckless-driving convictions. A paid tax penalty is very different from years of unfiled tax returns. A brief vacation outside the United States is very different from an absence that may have disrupted continuous residence.
Other matters that can warrant careful review include criminal arrests or convictions, prior immigration violations, inconsistencies in earlier immigration applications, extended periods outside the United States, failure to file tax returns, child-support problems, unlawful voting or voter registration, and false claims to U.S. citizenship.
Sometimes an issue that sounds serious has a perfectly satisfactory legal explanation. Conversely, something an applicant considers insignificant can raise an immigration issue that was not apparent to the applicant.
When Should You Consider Getting Legal Advice?
Many permanent residents have straightforward naturalization cases and successfully complete the process without difficulty. Nevertheless, Form N-400 asks about a wide range of matters, and applicants do not always know which facts are legally significant.
This can be particularly important because applying for naturalization gives USCIS an opportunity to review an applicant’s immigration history, including the circumstances under which permanent residence was obtained, travel history, tax compliance, criminal history, and information provided in previous immigration applications.
An old speeding ticket or a resolved tax issue may turn out to be insignificant. Other issues—such as arrests, extended absences from the United States, prior immigration violations, or inconsistencies in earlier applications—may deserve closer examination.
If there is any uncertainty, consulting an experienced immigration attorney before filing can help determine whether there is actually a problem and, if so, how it should be addressed. With USCIS applying greater scrutiny to naturalization applications, careful review before filing is more important than ever.
Don’t Let Social Media Make the Decision for You
Permanent residents should take the recent changes seriously, but they should not be frightened away from citizenship by stories on Facebook, Reddit, TikTok, or other social media.
Every naturalization case turns on its own facts.
For many permanent residents, a speeding ticket, a resolved tax issue, or another minor imperfection will have little or no effect on eligibility for citizenship. For others, a seemingly minor fact may deserve additional analysis before an application is filed.
The answer is not to panic. It is to know what is in your history, understand how the naturalization rules apply to it, and address any genuine issues before filing.
Becoming a U.S. citizen is one of the most important benefits available under our immigration laws. In today’s adjudication environment, it deserves careful preparation.