The test for US citizenship is about to get harder

The Trump administration is making it harder to pass the oral exam required for immigrants seeking naturalization as U.S. citizens. The new test also is longer.

Green card holders who file for citizenship after Oct. 20 will have to answer twice as many questions correctly during the civics interview that tests their knowledge of U.S. history, politics and government and that is one of the final steps in the naturalization process. The list of possible questions also will get longer and include more difficult questions.

A spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Matthew Tragesser, said in a statement when the changes were announced recently that the new test will ensure "that those joining us as fellow citizens are fully assimilated and will contribute to America's greatness."

It's just one of several changes the Trump administration has instituted to make citizenship harder to earn as it seeks more broadly to limit the ability of immigrants and visa holders to enter, remain or settle in the U.S.

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The citizenship test that USCIS has used since 2008 requires applicants to answer six questions correctly out of 10. The new test will require 12 correct answers out of 20. The list of possible questions the agent chooses from will grow from 100 to 128, and many will be more difficult.

Questions about U.S. holidays and geography and others with short answers — "What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?" — are being reduced or eliminated and replaced with tougher ones: "Why did the United States enter the Persian Gulf War?" (Answer, according to the study guide: "To force the Iraqi military from Kuwait.") Another new question: "Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?" (Answer, according to the study guide: "To stop the spread of communism.")

Aside from the tougher civics test, applicants for citizenship also will have to convince an immigration officer that they have "good moral character." Until now, the absence of bad behavior or criminal conduct on an applicant's record has been enough. Now, they'll need to submit evidence of their "positive contributions to American society." Immigration officers also will more rigorously check applicants' backgrounds, possibly interviewing co-workers, family members or neighbors.

Advocates who help people prepare for the citizenship test say the changes present more obstacles in an already challenging and cumbersome process.

"It's hard to imagine that these changes don't have a negative impact on the number of people who are able to continue the naturalization process," said Julie Mitchell, legal director of the Central American Resource Center in Los Angeles, which offers citizenship courses. "Particularly considering that these changes will impact individuals with low literacy levels and those who don't have access to classes and preparation materials."

She said the naturalization process also could become more uncertain because it's unclear what standards immigration officers will use to assess "good moral character."

Speaking in Washington last month, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said the current test is "just too easy" because some questions require simple answers, like naming the governor of an applicant's home state or two federal holidays.

"We need to know more," Edlow said. "Especially if we're going to really understand whether someone has a true attachment to the Constitution as required by the statute."

A woman holds a American flag during a naturalization ceremony.

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Joseph Prezioso

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AFP/Getty Images

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But Amanda Frost, a professor of immigration law at the University of Virginia and the author of You Are Not American, a book about the history of citizenship stripping, said that while requiring applicants for citizenship to jump over hurdles is appropriate, there's no proof that the existing naturalization process is falling short.

"Has there been any evidence that we're allowing people to naturalize who don't share our values and don't make for good participants in our democracy?" Frost asked. "I don't see any evidence of that."

She notes that nearly half of all Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children.

"Those who naturalize and their children thrive in the United States and have benefited this country," Frost said.

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