US Lists 5 Acts That Permanently Bar Foreigners From Becoming American Citizens

• The US government has published five acts that permanently prevent foreigners from satisfying the good moral character requirement for naturalisation
• Murder and aggravated felony convictions are among the acts that carry a permanent bar, with no time limit applied to murder disqualifications
• Murder and aggravated felony convictions are among the acts that carry a permanent bar, with no time limit applied to murder disqualifications

The United States government has identified five acts that permanently disqualify foreign nationals from establishing good moral character, a mandatory requirement for obtaining citizenship through naturalisation.

The information was published on the official US government website, which states that applicants who have committed any of these acts cannot satisfy the moral character standard, irrespective of any other qualifications they may hold.

Murder is the first disqualifying act. Any applicant with a murder conviction at any point in their lifetime is permanently barred from naturalisation. Unlike other disqualifications, this carries no time restriction.

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Conviction of an aggravated felony is the second bar. The US Congress expanded the scope of offences classified as aggravated felonies in 1996, and any applicant convicted of such an offence on or after 29 November 1990 is permanently excluded from meeting the moral character requirement.

The third act involves participation in Nazzi-era persecutions. Any applicant who ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise took part in the persecution of individuals in connection with Nazzi Germany, or any government that occupied or allied with the Nazzi regime, is permanently disqualified.

Genocide and Extrajudicial Killings

Participation in genocide constitutes the fourth permanent bar. This applies to acts committed with the specific intent to destroy, in whole or in substantial part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Any applicant who ordered, incited, assisted, or participated in such acts cannot meet the naturalisation standard.

The fifth act covers torture or extrajudicial killings. An applicant who committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in an act of torture or an extrajudicial killing carried out under the authority or apparent authority of a foreign government is permanently barred from establishing good moral character for naturalisation.

Applicants who fall under any of these categories remain ineligible for US citizenship through naturalisation regardless of how many years have passed or what other qualifications they may present.

Source: YEN.com.gh