🇺🇸 Citizenship

United States citizens will be able to apply for their first passport entirely online, beginning 'next year' (2027). This online process, facilitated through login.gov, will allow applicants to securely access pre-filled information, take or upload their own passport photo from a phone or device, and view the photo in the context of the finished passport, with options to retake it. Payment will also be processed securely online. The new process eliminates the need for printing forms, scheduling appointments, waiting in lines, or engaging third-party services. Additionally, real-time status tracking with estimated delivery dates will be available for passport applications. By the end of 2027, the goal is for the vast majority of Americans to apply for a passport or passport card via America.gov. A new 2028 United States passport design will feature the words 'United States of America' prominently at the top, a larger and more gold Great Seal, and an animated eagle that 'takes flight' when flipping through the pages, illustrating 250 years of American history. The new passport will also arrive in more dignified packaging.

Under the updated guidance, USCIS has revised its instructions for referring cases for revocation of naturalisation and renamed the relevant Policy Manual section. The updated guidance is intended to provide USCIS officers with a clearer framework for identifying cases that may warrant referral for revocation proceedings. Importantly, the update does not mean that USCIS officers can independently strip a person of U.S. citizenship simply by making a determination under the Policy Manual. Revocation of naturalisation remains subject to the statutory legal framework governing denaturalisation and the procedures required under that framework. The policy therefore operates primarily at the USCIS case-referral and adjudication level. Where USCIS identifies a naturalisation case that may meet the legal requirements for revocation, the updated guidance governs how the agency evaluates and refers that case for appropriate action. In practical terms, the change strengthens and updates the internal process through which USCIS can identify potentially defective or otherwise legally revocable naturalisations and move those cases into the appropriate revocation process.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has reinstated personal investigations, also known as neighbourhood investigations, under Section 335(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) for naturalisation applicants. USCIS will now assess and corroborate the eligibility of aliens by conducting these investigations, in addition to reinforcing the validation of applicant information and documentation under INA 335(b). USCIS may, however, waive a neighbourhood investigation at its discretion on a case-by-case basis or for classes of cases.