“CIMT stands for a Crime Involving Moral Turpitude. In U.S. law, it means an act that is base, vile, depraved, or goes against the basic rules of honesty and morality. It plays a huge role in immigration cases. It can cause a noncitizen to face denial for visas, green cards, or lead to deportation …

“If a naturalized citizen committed a CIMT before they became a citizen, … the government can revoke their citizenship (denaturalization). Once stripped of citizenship, they revert to non-citizen status and can be deported for the CIMT.” –Google AI

What counts as a CIMT in a legal context? And what if a United States citizen commits a CIMT? For instance, what is ‘forgery and uttering’? Find out more on this intriguing topic below …

Image: “Moral Turpitude,” adapted from image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay – Pixabay License

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Dear Ones,

I ran across the intriguing legal phrase ‘moral turpitude’ as it applies to citizens and non-citizens of the United States. Here is what I found out CIMTs in a legal context …

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I asked Google AI: Does the INS use moral turpitude?

Google AI said: Yes, but the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) no longer exists. Its duties are now handled by USCIS, ICE, and CBP under the Department of Homeland Security. These agencies still use the concept of a “crime involving moral turpitude” (CIMT) to decide if a person can enter, stay, or become a citizen. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

How Moral Turpitude Works in Immigration

• The Rule: Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), committing a CIMT can make a person inadmissible to the U.S. or subject to deportation. [1, 2, 3]
• Definition: A CIMT is an act that is base, vile, or depraved, going against the moral rules of society. It usually involves bad intent like fraud or theft. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Good Moral Character: USCIS looks at CIMTs when deciding if an applicant has the “good moral character” required for naturalization. [1, 2]

Common Examples

• Yes (CIMT): Fraud, theft, murder, rape, and arson.
• No (Not a CIMT): Simple assault without bad intent or simple driving under the influence (DUI). [1, 2, 3, 4]

If you want to know more, tell me:

• Are you asking about a specific crime?
• Do you need to know how it affects a visa, green card, or citizenship?

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I asked Google AI: Please offer a complete list of CIMT.

Google AI said: There is no official, complete list of Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude (CIMTs) in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or USCIS regulations. Instead, federal and immigration courts decide what qualifies as a CIMT on a case-by-case basis depending on state laws and case precedent. [1, 2, 3]

However, immigration agencies and the USCIS Policy Manual group commonly recognized CIMTs into four main legal categories: [1, 2, 3]

1. Crimes Against a Person

These offenses involve intentional or reckless physical harm, or the threat of harm, to another individual. [1, 2, 3]

• Murder and voluntary manslaughter
• Aggravated assault (assault with a deadly weapon or intent to kill)
• Kidnapping
• Child abuse, neglect, or corporal injury to a child
• Domestic violence or spousal abuse (varies by specific state statute)
• Criminal threats or stalking
• Mayhem or torture [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

2. Crimes Against Property

These offenses must involve fraud, larceny, or an intent to permanently deprive an owner of their property. [1, 2]

• Grand theft, grand larceny, or shoplifting
• Burglary (if committed with the intent to commit a theft or felony inside)
• Robbery and extortion/blackmail
• Embezzlement
• Forgery and uttering
• Identity theft and credit card fraud
• Arson
• Receiving stolen property (knowingly) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

3. Sexual and Family Crimes

These involve violations of societal and familial rules, often targeting vulnerable victims. [1]

• Rape (statutory or forcible) and sexual assault
• Child molestation or lewd acts on a minor
• Prostitution, pimping, and pandering
• Bigamy or incest [, 2, 3]

4. Crimes Against the Authority of Government

The presence of fraud, deliberate deception, or systemic corruption determines if these are CIMTs. [1]

• Perjury (lying under oath)
• Bribery or offering a bribe to a government official
• Counterfeiting money or documents
• Bank, mail, wire, or Social Security fraud
• Tax fraud or willful tax evasion
• Making a false claim to U.S. citizenship
• Fraudulent misrepresentation on an immigration application
• Bail jumping or obstruction of justice [1, 2, 4, 5]

Crimes That Are Generally NOT CIMTs

Minor offenses that lack a mental state of malicious intent, fraud, or recklessness are typically excluded. [, 2, 3]

• Simple driving under the influence (DUI) or driving without a license
• Simple assault or battery (without aggravating factors like a weapon)
• Public intoxication, disorderly conduct, or vagrancy
• Minor traffic violations or possession of marijuana under 30 grams [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Do you need to analyze a specific criminal charge or arrest record to see how it affects a pending immigration application?

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I asked Google AI: In the United States, what happens if citizens commit CIMTs?

Google AI said: Nothing happens to U.S. citizens under immigration law if they commit a Crime Involving Moral Turpitude (CIMT) because CIMTs only apply to non-citizens. The federal government cannot deport, ban, or deny entry to a born or naturalized U.S. citizen. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Instead, a citizen faces the standard domestic criminal justice system: [1]

1. Standard Criminal Penalties

Citizens face the exact same state or federal criminal punishments as anyone else. [1]

• Incarceration: Jail or prison time based on the crime’s severity.
• Financial Penalties: Fines, court fees, and restitution to victims.
• Supervision: Probation or parole after release. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

2. Loss of Civil Rights (Collateral Consequences)

A conviction for a felony CIMT (like fraud, grand theft, or murder) can trigger the temporary or permanent loss of certain constitutional rights. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

• Voting Rights: Many states restrict voting privileges for convicted felons.
• Firearm Ownership: Federal law bans convicted felons from owning firearms.
• Jury Service: Felons are frequently disqualified from serving on a jury.
• Public Office: Convictions can bar citizens from running for certain government positions. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

3. Professional and Personal Impacts

Because CIMTs inherently involve dishonesty, fraud, or base behavior, they carry heavy social and professional penalties. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

• Professional Licensing: Background checks for lawyers, doctors, accountants, and teachers often automatically reject applicants with CIMTs.
• Employment: Employers can legally deny jobs based on a history of theft or fraud.
• Housing: Landlords frequently reject applicants with violent or fraudulent criminal histories. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

The Only Exception: Denaturalization

If a naturalized citizen committed a CIMT before they became a citizen, concealed it during their application, and the government discovers the fraud later, the government can revoke their citizenship (denaturalization). Once stripped of citizenship, they revert to non-citizen status and can be deported for the CIMT. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Are you looking into how a conviction affects a specific civil right, or are you comparing the legal differences between citizens and green card holders?

AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses

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I said: That was helpful, Google AI. Thanks very much!

Google AI said: You’re very welcome! I’m glad that information was helpful to you.

If you ever need assistance with other legal concepts, immigration topics, or anything else in the future, feel free to ask. Have a great day!

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I liked and closed the thread.

Io lux et pax nobiscum.
Joy, light and peace be with us!
Alice B. Clagett

Written and published on 11 August 2026

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MORE INFORMATION

I asked Google AI: What is ‘Bigamy or incest’?

Google AI said: Bigamy is the act of marrying a second person while still legally married to a first person. Incest is the act of having sexual relations or marrying a close blood relative. Both are illegal and treated as criminal offenses in most places, but they describe two different types of forbidden family or marital relationships. [1, 2, 3, 4]

. . . . .

I asked Google AI: What is ‘Criminal threats or stalking’?

Google AI said: Criminal threats and stalking are serious legal offenses involving intimidation, fear, and harassment. A criminal threat is an intentional statement threatening death or great bodily injury that causes a person sustained fear, while stalking involves repeatedly following, harassing, and threatening someone to place them in reasonable fear for their safety.

. . . . .

I asked Google AI: What is ‘Embezzlement’?

Google AI said: Embezzlement is a financial crime where a person steals or misuses money or property that was trusted to them. The key difference from regular theft is that the person had a legal right to access or manage the items, but they used them for personal gain instead. [1, 2, 3, 4]

. . . . .

I asked Google AI: What are ‘forgery and uttering’?

Google AI said: Forgery is the crime of making, altering, or falsifying a document with the intent to cheat or defraud. Uttering is the separate crime of using, passing, or presenting that fake document to someone else while pretending it is real, knowing full well that it is fake. [1, 2, 3]

. . . . .

I asked Google AI: Is racketeering considered a legal CIMT?

Google AI said: Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), a racketeering offense under 18 U.S.C. § 1962 carrying a potential sentence of one year or more is explicitly classified as an aggravated felony, which carries severe deportation consequences independent of whether it is formally labeled a CIMT in every jurisdiction. [1, 2]

So it looks like there are other crimes that can result in deportation, in addition to those labeled ‘CIMT’.

. . . . .

STYLE NOTES

I left the double quotes off of the beginning and end of Google AI’s response, and kept the double quotes as is within the responses. You will know by the light blue font that these are quotes from Google AI.

If you see purple font, that is being used for a term described in “More Information.”

I am using brown font for my questions in the Q&A. Also, through sparing use of square brackets and brown font, I sometimes change the transcript slightly or add my Comments to it.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). Attribution: By Alice B. Clagett.
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