Have you ever been a polygamist?

When the USCIS officer asks whether the applicant has ever been a polygamist, the standard answer for almost all applicants is "No," because polygamy (being married to more than one person at the same time) is a permanent bar to good moral character under section 101(f)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Polygamy is illegal in all 50 U.S. states, and the federal government has long opposed plural marriage as a matter of public policy. The N-400 application Part 12 asks the polygamy question explicitly.

Applicants who currently have multiple spouses are not eligible for naturalization until the polygamous relationships have ended. Applicants who previously had multiple spouses simultaneously and who have since divorced or annulled the additional marriages may still face the bar; the statute applies to the practice of polygamy at any time relevant to the application.

The polygamy bar dates from the late nineteenth century when the United States was concerned about Mormon polygamy in Utah Territory. The Edmunds Act of 1882 and the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887 outlawed polygamy and disfranchised polygamists. The Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) officially renounced polygamy in 1890, and Utah was admitted as a state in 1896 after adopting an anti-polygamy constitutional provision. Some breakaway sects continue to practice polygamy in violation of state and federal law.

Applicants from countries where polygamy is legal or culturally accepted (including parts of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia) must understand that U.S. law does not recognize plural marriages and that being a current or recent polygamist bars naturalization. Applicants from polygamous societies who have only one spouse at present and who never personally entered into a polygamous marriage are not affected by this bar. Applicants whose father or other relatives practiced polygamy but who themselves did not are not personally barred. Applicants who immigrated as a single spouse from a polygamous family situation should be able to demonstrate that they themselves are not in a polygamous marriage.

The N-400 question is yes or no. Applicants who answer "Yes" face denial of the application. Applicants who answer "No" but who actually are or were polygamists may face revocation of citizenship if discovered later, plus criminal prosecution for false statement. Applicants from polygamous backgrounds should consult an immigration attorney before filing if they have any doubt about their status. The vast majority of applicants can answer "No" honestly without any issue.