Adding more questions to the citizenship test in the last step to redo the legal immigration process
The American government adds more questions to the civic test than candidates must pass to become American citizens, the last stage of the Trump administration to tighten the legal immigration process.
This decision will restore a test in 2020 of the first Trump administration which had been abandoned by the Biden administration, which supported additional questions created unnecessary obstacles for legal immigrants seeking to become citizens.
Among other requirements, legal immigrants who apply to become American citizens must demonstrate that they have lived in the United States as legal permanent residents for at least 3 or 5 years, depending on their case; that they can read, write and speak English; And that they have a basic understanding of the history and political system of America.
The civic test has long been administered to assess the last requirement. As part of the new version of the test, candidates will have to study 128 questions about the history and policy of the United States and answer correctly on 12 of these questions. Previously, under a test dating from 2008, citizenship candidates had to study a pool of 100 questions and answer correctly on 6 questions out of 10.
The test is administered orally and the questions are not multiple choice. Most have several acceptable answers. Those who fail the test have a second chance to pass. If they fail again, their request for citizenship is refused. The 65 years or over in the United States as permanent residents for 20 years or more have to study a pool of 20 questions and can pass the citizenship test in their favorite language.
The new test will apply to those who apply for citizenship after mid-October, according to American citizenship and immigration services, the Federal Agency which prevents requests from potential citizens.
Some of the new questions deal with the 10th amendment, federalist papers, former president Dwight D. Eisenhower, founding fathers Alexander Hamilton and James Madison and examples of American innovation.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has announced other measures strongly Those who ask for American citizenship, including by expanding the factors considered when the candidates have a “good moral nature”, another requirement to become an American citizen.
He also has reinstated A long -sleeping practice, known as “neighborhood checks”, involves sending government investigators to interview the neighbors and colleagues of candidates to assess their eligibility for American citizenship.
Matthew Trageser, USCIS spokesperson, said that the reintegration of the Civic 2020 test would help guarantee that those authorized to become citizens “are fully assimilated and will contribute to American size”. He said that this decision was the “first of many changes.
“American citizenship is the most sacred citizenship in the world and should only be reserved for foreigners who will fully embrace our values and our principles as a nation,” added Trageser.
Defenders of pro-immigrant immigrants said that the changes made to the test would make it heavier.
“All of this is to make long -standing residents every day that contribute to this country to finally obtain the permanent protections that only American citizenship can offer,” said Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, a main political advisor to the National Immigration Law Center.
The changes to the citizenship process are part of a broader campaign of officials of the Trump administration to restrict access to legal immigration benefits, which also include green cards and work permits.
Since President Trump took office for the second time, the USCIS aggressively extended the verification procedures, in particular by emphasizing more emphasis on the activity of the social media of the candidates. A memo published this summer ordered the USCIS officers to probe the “anti-American” views and the activities of those who ask for green cards, work permits and other immigration services.
