Good moral character letter for immigration: what it must show

This is information, not legal advice.

This guide explains the general rules. What they mean for your family member depends on their circumstances. Answer a few questions to check their situation.

Where good moral character is the test

• Cancellation of removal for someone without a green card: ten years of continuous presence, good moral character for those ten years, and exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to a U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse, parent or child (8 U.S.C. § 1229b(b)(1)).
• Voluntary departure at the end of the case: good moral character for the five years before the request (8 U.S.C. § 1229c(b)(1)).
• Citizenship: generally the five years before applying, or three for spouses of citizens.
• Some humanitarian applications, such as VAWA self-petitions.

It is not the test for a bond hearing. There, the judge asks about danger and flight risk. The same letters help there too; see character reference letters.

What rules it out by law

Section 101(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1101(f)) says a person cannot be found to have good moral character if, during the required period, among other things, they:

• were a habitual drunkard;
• committed certain crimes, including most controlled-substance offenses (with a narrow exception for a single offense of 30 grams or less of marijuana) and crimes involving moral turpitude, within the categories the statute names;
• were confined for 180 days or more as a result of a conviction;
• gave false testimony to obtain an immigration benefit;
• earned income mainly from illegal gambling, or engaged in prostitution or smuggling.

An aggravated felony conviction is a permanent bar. The list ends with a catch-all: the fact that someone is not in a listed category does not prevent a finding that they lack good moral character for other reasons. That is where letters matter most. Whether a particular conviction is a bar depends on the exact statute of conviction. Find that out before relying on any application that needs good moral character.

What a good moral character letter should show

• The period. How long the writer has known the person, ideally covering the years that count.
• Honesty and law-abiding conduct. Paying taxes, keeping a job, keeping promises, being trusted with money or children.
• Responsibility to others. Supporting children or parents, caring for a sick relative.
• Contribution. Volunteering, faith community, coaching, helping neighbors.
• Change, if there was a problem. Treatment completed, years of sobriety, what the writer has seen since.

Sample good moral character letter

[Writer’s name, address, phone]
[Date]

Dear Immigration Judge,

I am writing about the character of [full name], A-number [000-000-000]. I have known [first name] since [year], as [relationship: employer, pastor, neighbor, friend].

During those [number] years, I have seen [first name] [specific examples of honesty and responsibility: managed the cash register and closing deposits at my store since 2018 without a single discrepancy; supported their two children and their mother; volunteered every month at the St. Anne food pantry].

[If there was a problem: I know that in [year] [first name] [what happened]. Since then [what changed, what you have seen].]

I believe [first name] is an honest, responsible person, and I make this statement knowing it will be relied on by the court.

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct.

Signature: ____________________
[Printed name]

Format and filing

• One page, specific, signed by hand and dated. Include the writer’s contact information. No notary needed.
• Written in Spanish or another language? File it with a full English translation and a signed translator’s certificate (8 C.F.R. § 1003.33). The Spanish version of this guide has a template in both languages: cartas de buen carácter moral.
• In immigration court, letters are filed as exhibits with a copy to the government lawyer, not mailed to the judge. For citizenship, they go with the application or to the interview.

Questions people also ask

What is good moral character in immigration?

A legal standard in section 101(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It lists conduct that rules it out during the required period, such as certain crimes, false testimony to get an immigration benefit, or habitual drunkenness, and lets the decision-maker weigh everything else.

How many years of good moral character are required?

It depends on the application: ten years before applying for cancellation of removal by someone without a green card, five years before the request for voluntary departure at the end of proceedings, and generally five years (three for spouses of citizens) for naturalization.

Can a good moral character letter overcome a criminal conviction?

Not one that is a statutory bar during the period. Letters cannot change what the law excludes. For conduct that is not a bar, letters showing who the person is now carry real weight.

Is good moral character required for an immigration bond?

No. A bond judge asks whether the person is a danger or a flight risk, not whether they meet the good moral character test. The same letters help with both, though.

See which paths may apply to them

Check your family member’s situation to see which release options may apply, what to do next, and which documents to gather.