Citizenship & naturalizationPOLICY UPDATE
Lawful Admission for Permanent Residence Requirement for Naturalization
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify that a naturalization applicant’s burden to demonstrate they have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence applies only to the applicant’s initial admission as a lawful permanent resident (LPR) or adjustment to LPR status.
Effective date and application
This guidance, contained in Volume 12 of the Policy Manual, is effective immediately
Key changes
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify that a naturalization applicant’s burden to demonstrate they have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence applies only to the applicant’s initial admission as a lawful permanent resident (LPR) or adjustment to LPR status.
- Clarifies that for purposes of determining whether an applicant for naturalization meets the requirement of being lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, USCIS considers whether a naturalization applicant was lawfully admitted for permanent residence or was lawfully adjusted to permanent resident status at the time of their initial admission or adjustment, regardless of whether they were lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of any subsequent reentries to the United States.
