Good Moral Character

To be eligible for naturalization, you must be a person of good moral
character. A person is not considered to be of good moral character if he or she commits certain crimes during the five years before applying for naturalization, or if he or she does not tell the truth during the naturalization interview.

The following behaviors might show a lack of good moral character:

● Drunk driving or being drunk on a regular basis
● Illegal gambling
● Prostitution
● Lying to gain immigration benefits
● Failing to pay court-ordered child support or alimony
● Persecuting someone because of race, religion, national origin, political opinion, or social group

If you commit some specific crimes, you can never become a U.S. citizen and will probably be removed from the country. These crimes are called bars to naturalization.

Crimes called aggravated felonies (if committed on or after November 29, 1990), including murder; rape; sexual abuse of a
child; violent assault; treason; and illegal trafficking in drugs, firearms, or people are some examples of permanent bars to naturalization. In most cases, immigrants who were exempted or discharged from serving in the U.S. armed forces because they were immigrants and immigrants who deserted from the U.S. armed forces are also permanently barred from U.S. citizenship.

You also may be denied citizenship if you behave in other ways that show you lack good moral character.

Other crimes are temporary bars to naturalization. Temporary bars usually prevent you from becoming a citizen for up to five years after you commit the crime. These include:
● Any crime against a person with the intent to harm;
● Any crime against property or the government involving fraud;
● Two or more crimes with combined sentences of five years or more;
● Violating controlled substance laws (for example, using or selling illegal drugs); and
● Spending 180 days or more during the past five years in jail or prison.

Report any crimes that you committed when you apply for naturalization. This includes crimes removed from your record or committed before your 18th birthday. If you do not tell USCIS about them, you may be denied citizenship and you could be prosecuted.