The U.S. government has officially announced new changes to the civics test, which is a significant step by the Trump administration to strengthen the legal immigration process.
The latest move will restore a 2020 test from the first Trump administration that had been previously scrapped by the Biden administration.
The additional questions were created specifically to avoid barriers for legal immigrants to become citizens.
The prime requirement is that the legal immigrants applying to become U.S. citizens must illustrate that they have lived in the U.S. for at least 3 or 5 years.
The utmost requirement for permanent residents is that they can read, write and speak English and have a basic understanding of America’s history and political system.
The updated test will allow applicants to study 128 questions about U.S. history and politics, and answer 12 out of 20 of those questions correctly.
The test dating back to 2008 allows citizenship applicants to study a pool of 100 questions and answer 6 out of 10 questions correctly.
The test is administered orally, and the questions are not multiple choice at all. The participants who fail the test get a second chance to pass. If they fail again, their citizenship application is denied.
Those 65 or older who have been in the U.S. as permanent residents for 20 or more years only have to study a pool of 20 questions and can take the citizenship test in their preferred language.
A spokesperson for USCIS, Matthew Tragesser, said that the reinstatement of the 2020 civics test will help ensure that applicants who become citizens are fully assimilated and will ultimately contribute to America’s greatness.
The changes to the citizenship process are a part of a larger campaign by Trump administration officials.
The prime motive behind this move is to restrict access to legal U.S. immigration benefits including green cards and work permits.
The new test will apply to those who file citizenship applications after mid-October this year.
