The document is USCIS policy memorandum PM-602-0201, titled “Good Moral Character Determination: Failure to Support Dependents, Public Benefits, and Sponsorship through Affidavit or Declaration of Support.” It applies to everyone who files for naturalization, including green card holders from Poland.
What “good moral character” means
Good moral character is one of the requirements for citizenship. According to USCIS, a green card holder must show it for at least five years before filing Form N-400, and the spouse of a U.S. citizen for at least three years. The memo notes that character is measured against the standards of the average citizen in the applicant’s community, and that officers may weigh conduct even if the applicant was never arrested or convicted.
Supporting your family – including in Poland
USCIS reminds officers that willful failure to support dependents during the statutory period is a conditional bar to naturalization. That covers deserting a minor child, paying no support at all, or paying a clearly insufficient amount – one inconsistent with a court order or, where there is no order, with community standards. Applicants can show extenuating circumstances.
One footnote matters for Polish families split between two countries: officers may consider whether the applicant has met child support obligations in the United States or abroad. USCIS also says that a dependent’s receipt of means-tested benefits does not automatically bar the parent from naturalizing, but depending on the circumstances it may be evidence that the applicant failed to support that dependent.
Sponsors who signed Form I-864
Anyone who signed an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864 or I-864EZ) or a household member contract (Form I-864A) is legally required, for as long as the obligation remains enforceable, to support the sponsored immigrant at no less than 125 percent of the federal poverty line. If a sponsor does not meet that obligation – especially if the sponsored person receives means-tested benefits in the meantime – USCIS may treat it as a negative factor when the sponsor applies for citizenship. A sponsored person receiving benefits does not by itself mean the sponsor failed to meet the obligation, since income limits for some programs are higher than the Form I-864 threshold. USCIS may likewise weigh an unmet commitment on Form I-134 or I-134A while it was in effect, even though those forms create no statutory support obligation.
Public benefits: what counts against you and what does not
USCIS stresses that receiving public benefits does not, by itself, prevent anyone from becoming a citizen. The problem is fraud, even without a conviction. The memo lists examples of fraud or misconduct such as:
- giving false information about income or household size on a benefits application,
- receiving benefits without being eligible,
- failing to report changes that end eligibility – for example, an extended stay outside the U.S. while receiving a benefit, such as SSI, that requires presence in the country,
- not telling the benefits agency about a sponsor’s support obligation,
- using multiple identities.
The memo also introduces the idea of “intentional avoidance of self-sufficiency.” USCIS’s example is a person who learns they qualify for food assistance or housing subsidies and then stops working or sharply cuts their hours to stay under the income limit, without a legitimate personal or medical reason. Such conduct may count against the applicant even if it was technically lawful. Officers must still look at each case individually, and an adverse finding cannot rest on poverty, disability or lawful use of benefits alone.
What comes next
USCIS plans to add new content to its Policy Manual and issue guidance to officers. It will also revise Form N-400 to collect more information, including about public benefit use and support of dependents. The memo gives no dates for these changes. Once the guidance is published, officers are expected to question and scrutinize applicants more closely.
Before filing, it makes sense to gather proof of child support payments (including for children in Poland), paperwork related to any Form I-864 you signed, and letters from agencies that paid you benefits. For an overview of the whole process, see our guide “From Green Card to US Citizenship”.
Key takeaways
- USCIS memo PM-602-0201 (November 4, 2026) covers good moral character in N-400 cases.
- Officers will look at child and family support, including obligations abroad.
- Failing to meet sponsor obligations (I-864, I-864A, I-134) may count against an applicant.
- Benefits fraud hurts even without a conviction; lawful use of benefits alone does not.
- Form N-400 will be revised; no date has been given.
Sources: USCIS policy memorandum PM-602-0201, November 4, 2026 (PDF) and USCIS eligibility pages for permanent residents of 5 years and spouses of U.S. citizens.
This article is for information only and is not legal advice.
If you want a second look at your record before filing Form N-400, you can find a Polish-speaking attorney in the immigration law section of the Polish Pages directory.
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