USCIS publishes updated guidance on Military Naturalization

On September 26, 2025, USCIS published guidance explaining that “uncharacterized discharges” occurring on or after August 1, 2024 “do not meet the requirement of a separation ‘under honorable conditions’ for former [noncitizen] service members to naturalize.” This change is based on updates the Department of Defense (DOD) made to its discharge instructions on August 1, 2024. Prior to this date, the DOD always used uncharacterized military discharges for “administrative matters,” but the August 1, 2024 update removed this requirement. The DOD update “also addressed entry-level separations as a distinct and separate category of discharges apart from honorable and general (under honorable conditions discharges.” 

Under the same announcement, USCIS also stated that they will no longer coordinate with CBP to perform naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies at ports of entry. Naturalization applicants living outside the U.S. must instead obtain a visa or be paroled into the U.S. for a naturalization interview. 

Read the USCIS announcement here.