Good Moral Character — Unintentional DMV Voter Registration Isn't Held Against You
PA-2021-08
USCIS issued policy guidance (PA-2021-08) on May 27, 2021 clarifying that an applicant who was automatically or unknowingly registered to vote through a state DMV's motor-voter process — without ever actually voting, and without intending to falsely claim citizenship — should not be found to lack good moral character or be inadmissible for it on that basis alone.
Published
2021-05-27
Summary
USCIS issued policy guidance (PA-2021-08) on May 27, 2021 clarifying that an applicant who was automatically or unknowingly registered to vote through a state DMV's motor-voter process — without ever actually voting, and without intending to falsely claim citizenship — should not be found to lack good moral character or be inadmissible for it on that basis alone. This reversed a stricter, more literal reading applied under the prior administration.
Current status
Superseded — see the August 2025 good moral character/voter registration entry below, which rescinds this 2021 guidance and takes a stricter view.
Source: USCIS: Naturalization Eligibility and Voter Registration Through a State's Benefit Application Process
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