by Sharelle B. McNair
October 27, 2025
Immigration advocates pushed again on the change, voicing concern on the updates creating limitations, labeling the transfer because the Trump administration making citizenship for immigrants and visa holders tougher to acquire.
In a brand new shakeup from the Trump administration, passing the U.S. citizenship check can be twice as onerous because of added questions and an uptick within the variety of appropriate solutions to go, KVUE studies.
New adjustments embody added inquiries to the Naturalization Civics Check, an oral check facilitated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers. Beforehand required to reply 6 of 10 questions accurately, the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety introduced that check takers should now reply 12 of 20 questions accurately. Going into impact for individuals who filed for naturalization on or after Oct. 20, the company mentioned the change will “guarantee correct assimilation of lawful immigrants into the US and promote a unified American identification and attachment to the Structure, legal guidelines and founding ideas of the US.”
The citizenship check will finish as quickly as takers get 12 questions appropriate or 9 questions incorrect. Chosen at random, questions come from a brand new collection of 128, as soon as 100. Matters vary from figuring out the unique 13 colonies and who makes federal legal guidelines to Structure questions and naming federal holidays. Trump administration officers as soon as expressed the view that the check was “too straightforward” and sought to alter it.
And that’s not the one change check takers can put together for. In accordance with Quick Firm, check takers at the moment are required to exhibit “good ethical character,” quite than merely having a clear document being enough. Candidates can be requested to supply proof of “optimistic contributions to American society,” doubtlessly by having coworkers, neighbors, or members of the family interviewed by officers.
Immigration advocates pushed again on the change, voicing concern concerning the updates creating limitations, labeling the transfer because the Trump administration making citizenship for immigrants and visa holders tougher to acquire. Companion at Reeves Immigration Regulation Group, Eric Welsh, labeled the transfer as an “extraordinarily harmful and slippery slope” whereas highlighting that it may heighten the chance for “extra biased decision-making primarily based on arbitrary components like race.”
Julie Mitchell, authorized director at Los Angeles’ Central American Useful resource Heart, expressed concern about candidates with literacy limitations and restricted entry to preparation programs. “It’s onerous to think about these adjustments don’t scale back the quantity of people that can full the naturalization course of,” Mitchell mentioned.
Greater than 120 nationwide, state, and native organizations collaborated on a letter with The Citizenship Check Working Group, encouraging a pause on the adjustments as a result of adjustments posing “important challenges” for individuals who need to take the check. “The administration has not introduced substantial proof that the adjustments are crucial to guard the integrity of the naturalization course of, which it cites as a foundation for justifying this shift,” the letter reads.
Nevertheless, immigration legislation agency Vega & Associates has recommendation for these going through challenges after discovering near 75% of the 2025 check holds previous materials and extra questions masking U.S. historical past and authorities. The agency advises check takers to give attention to understanding ideas quite than memorizing solutions verbatim, since some questions could also be phrased in another way throughout the examination.
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