NPZ Immigration Law Blog

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plans to conduct a trial for updates to the current naturalization test. The naturalization test has four components: reading, writing, civics, and ability to speak English. The reading and writing portions of the naturalization test are standard. The purposes of the trial are to test a civics component with updated format and content and a newly developed English-speaking component that could become standard.

President Biden’s Executive Order 14012, Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans, includes a directive to review the naturalization process. In response, USCIS subject matter experts conducted reviews of the naturalization test and recommended redesigning the speaking and civics test to improve testing standards. The proposed revisions are consistent with the feedback that USCIS has received from multiple external stakeholder groups.

“The naturalization test is a key step in becoming a U.S. citizen,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “We welcome input from – and the participation of – stakeholders who are familiar with this important process, as we continue to improve and update our naturalization test, ensuring that it is consistent with industry testing standards.”

The updates to the naturalization test that will be assessed during this trial are based on feedback from stakeholders about the standardization and structure of the naturalization test. USCIS will conduct the trial with the help of volunteer community-based organizations (CBOs) who work with immigrant English language learners and lawful permanent residents preparing for naturalization. USCIS will seek approximately 1,500 individuals enrolled in adult education classes to take the trial test. The agency may use the results of the trial to support changes to the naturalization test.

USCIS will conduct national engagements for interested CBOs and will then publish a request for volunteer CBOs on the USCIS Citizenship Resource Center. The trial is tentatively scheduled for a five-month period in 2023.

USCIS welcomes all interested parties to submit written data, views, comments, and arguments on all aspects of this trial and test. Comments may be emailed to natzredesign22@uscis.dhs.gov.

USCIS link: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-announces-trial-for-updates-to-the-naturalization-test