A policy alert is USCIS guidance to its own officers, not a regulation. It governs how USCIS adjudicates, and it can be revised or withdrawn without rulemaking.
What the document says
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is temporarily reverting to the June 28, 2017 policy guidance on non-governmental organization participation in administrative naturalization ceremonies, consistent with the court order in League of Women Voters v. USCIS , No. 25-cv-3777 (D. Md. Aug. 3, 2025). Pending final resolution of the litigation, this guidance permits nonprofit and nonpartisan non-governmental organizations to participate in administrative naturalization ceremonies by distributing and collecting voter registration applications and officially registering new citizens to vote following the ceremony, when state and local election offices are not available to do so. As of August 31, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is rescinding PA-2025-21, Voter Registration at Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies, and the related provisions. The USCIS Policy Manual version effective June 28, 2017, found in Volume 12, Part J, Chapter 5, Sections F and H, is reinstated.
Who the document names
The document does not name specific countries or visa categories in its scope language. Read the original to confirm whether it applies to a particular case.
Related changes
Agency updatePublished Aug 31, 2026
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is rescinding the August 29, 2025 policy, Voter Registration at Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies , PA-2025-21, and reinstating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to permit nonprofit and nonpartisan non-governmental organizations to participate in administrative naturalization ceremonies. Such organizations may participate by distributing and collecting voter registration applications and officially registering new citizens to vote immediately following the ceremony, when state and local election offices are not available to do so.
Agency updatePublished Aug 29, 2025
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is revising policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual emphasizing the non-partisan nature of voter registration services offered to new citizens at administrative naturalization ceremonies.
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- Source
- USCIS Policy Manual, checked Oct 30, 2026
- Review
- Classified automatically; not reviewed by a person
- The updates page does not publish an effective date. Where the guidance states one, it is in the linked document. This event does not assert an effective date it cannot cite.
- Affected Policy Manual sections, as listed by USCIS: 12 USCIS-PM J.5 (Citizenship and Naturalization).
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