00:00U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is tightening the scrutiny of legal immigrants
00:05applying to be American citizens. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
00:12has issued a fresh set of rules outlining stricter standards for applicants.
00:19Green card holders typically become eligible for citizenship after three or five years,
00:24depending on their case. Along with passing English and civics tests, they must demonstrate
00:31good moral character, a requirement now facing a broader review. Under the new rules,
00:38U.S. immigration officers are told to take a holistic assessment of applicants looking beyond
00:45criminal records. Officials must now consider positive contributions to society, including
00:51community service, caregiving, stable employment, and payment of taxes. The Trump administration
00:58memo also flags conduct that isn't illegal, but could signal a lack of civic responsibility.
01:05And examples include records of reckless driving, harassment, or aggressive solicitation. Behaviors,
01:13it says, are considered contrary to the average behavior of citizens in the country.
01:19The Trump administration memo says that rehabilitation should be weighed in cases of past wrongdoing,
01:27compliance with probation, paying overdue taxes or child support, and community support letters
01:34could mitigate concerns. The U.S. Immigration Agency says the new policy is part of Trump's push
01:42to restore integrity to the naturalization process. The agency says the U.S. citizenship can be granted to
01:50those who embrace America's culture, history, and language while demonstrating strong moral character.
01:58Over 800,000 people became American citizens in 2024 during the naturalization ceremonies held all over
02:07the United States. The new standards could change the approval process and affect future applicants,
02:15especially the ones from countries such as India and China. To put it simply, the Trump administration
02:21is raising the bar for immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship. With hundreds of thousands of immigrants
02:28becoming citizens each year, this new policy could significantly reshape who qualifies in the coming years.
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03:13English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese,
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03:47First post.
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