Executive Order 14012: Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans
President: Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Directed review of barriers in legal immigration and naturalization, created interagency integration efforts, and revoked the May 23, 2019 sponsor-responsibility memorandum.
Status: Revoked.
Is Executive Order 14012 still in effect? No. EO 14148, section 2(w), and EO 14159, section 2(a), expressly revoked EO 14012 on January 20, 2025. These rescissions ended its executive review directions; the status of a particular regulation, immigration application or statutory eligibility rule requires separate analysis. EO 14148, January 20, 2025 ; EO 14159, January 20, 2025.
What does Executive Order 14012 do?
EO 14012 directed an executive review of barriers in legal immigration, naturalization and integration. State, Justice and Homeland Security were to examine rules, orders, guidance and other actions for obstacles to access and fair, efficient adjudication. Biden’s stated objective was a more welcoming and accessible system; the order required reviews and plans rather than immediately granting immigration status to a new category of applicants. Official source.
The text singled out public-charge policies and naturalization procedures for additional scrutiny. Agencies had to examine public-charge effects on the immigration system and public health, recommend lawful responses and communicate policies clearly. The naturalization review covered applications, fingerprints, security checks, interviews, language and civics tests, fees, military naturalization and use of denaturalization or passport revocation. Official source.
The Domestic Policy Council was assigned a Task Force on New Americans, and a Homeland Security-chaired working group was to prepare a national strategy promoting naturalization. The order also revoked the May 23, 2019 memorandum on enforcing sponsors’ legal responsibilities for immigrants and directed review of actions taken under it. That is the revocation in section 6; this order did not revoke an apportionment-exclusion executive order. Official source.
Before and after
Before the order
Immigration and citizenship decisions were already governed by the INA and implementing rules. Agency practices included a 2020 naturalization civics test and public-charge policies that the new administration directed officials to review. The order did not suspend all existing eligibility requirements while those reviews proceeded. Official source.
After the order
USCIS’s February 22, 2021 policy alert restored the 2008 civics-test framework with transition arrangements. DHS later issued its September 2022 public-charge rule, explaining its statutory interpretation through a separate rulemaking. EO 14148 revoked the overarching review order in January 2025, and USCIS published a new civics-test notice in September 2025. These separate administrative acts show why an executive review, an implementing rule and a later reversal must not be treated as the same legal instrument. Official source.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| State Secretary | Review immigration barriers; prepare access, public-charge and naturalization plans and progress reports; review passport practices. | Section 3 plan within 90 days and progress within 180 days after submission; public-charge report within 60 days; naturalization plan within 60 days and progress within 180 days after issuance. |
| Attorney General | Conduct Justice’s immigration, public-charge and naturalization reviews; report plans and progress. | Section 3 plan within 90 days and progress within 180 days after submission; public-charge report within 60 days; naturalization plan within 60 days and progress within 180 days after issuance. |
| Homeland Security Secretary / USCIS | Review benefits and naturalization administration, fees and tests; prepare plans and progress; chair Naturalization Working Group. | Section 3 plan within 90 days; naturalization plan and public-charge report within 60 days; progress 180 days after the relevant section 3 or 5 plan; group strategy within 90 days. |
| Domestic Policy Council / Task Force on New Americans | Coordinate federal welcoming, integration and inclusion efforts with participating agencies. | No fixed convening deadline. |
| Agriculture Secretary / HHS Secretary / HUD Secretary | Consult in review of public-charge policies. | During review; principal agencies’ public-charge reports due in 60 days. |
| Defense Department | Consult on naturalization improvements for eligible military members. | During the 60-day naturalization-plan process. |
| Labor Secretary / HHS Secretary / HUD Secretary / Education Secretary / Social Security Commissioner | Join Homeland Security’s Naturalization Working Group and develop the national promotion strategy. | Strategy to President within 90 days. |
| Relevant agency heads | Review investigations, compliance actions and guidance arising from revoked sponsor-responsibility memorandum; consider suspension and revised guidance where appropriate. | No separate deadline. |
The public-charge assignment in section 4(b) was a report within 60 days, not a plan with its own 180-day follow-up. The 180-day progress clocks belonged to the section 3 and section 5 plans and started with their submission or issuance, respectively. Signed reporting provisions.
What happened next
EO 14012 directs reviews of immigration barriers and naturalization procedures. Official source
USCIS issues its alert restoring the 2008 civics-test framework. Official source
DHS publishes the final public-charge rule following separate rulemaking. Official source
USCIS publishes notice of a new 2025 naturalization civics test. Official source
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The public-charge review specifically cited INA sections 212(a)(4) and 237(a)(5). The order could guide agency interpretation and lawful procedural change but could not waive statutory requirements or guarantee an application outcome. Its directions repeatedly required consistency with law and appropriations, preserving agency powers and OMB functions. Revising regulations remained distinct from changing an executive policy, so rescission of this order alone did not automatically erase every regulation issued during its operation. Official source.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans
- USCIS Policy Alert: naturalization civics test, February 22, 2021
- DHS final public-charge rule, September 9, 2022
- USCIS notice: 2025 naturalization civics test, September 18, 2025
- Federal Register — signed EO 14012
- Federal Register — EO 14148, January 20, 2025
- Federal Register — EO 14159, January 20, 2025
- Federal Register — 2021 disposition table
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 9, 2026. How we research →
Substantive evidence review: October 16, 2026. Earlier dated review notes are retained; original directives, later actions and unresolved outcomes are distinguished above.
The Immigration and Nationality Act and duly promulgated regulations control eligibility. The order directed executive review but could not waive statutory requirements or guarantee an application outcome.