The Trump administration is making it more difficult for immigrants, including green card holders seeking naturalization as US citizens to pass the mandatory civics test examination.
Green card holders who apply for citizenship after October 20 will be required to answer twice as many questions correctly during the civics interview, which assesses their knowledge of U.S. history, politics, and government and is one of the final phases in the naturalization process. The range of possible questions will expand to include more difficult queries.
Green card holders who have become US citizens through Naturalization also face the possibility of losing their citizenship. The US government, particularly the Department of Justice, is prioritizing the revocation of citizenship for some Americans.
A Department of Justice document empowers Civil Division employees to start civil proceedings to revoke US citizenship from persons who obtained it by illicit acquisition, concealment of material facts, or willful misrepresentation. Even underreporting income on a tax return may result in being deemed a non-US citizen.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has posted a Federal Register notice announcing the implementation of the 2025 naturalization civics test for foreigners applying for US citizenship.
USCIS will administer the 2025 Civics Test to foreigners applying for U.S. citizenship through naturalization, who file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, on or after October 20, 2025.
USCIS will administer the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test to foreigners who file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, on or after October 20, 2025. For those filing Form N-400 before October 20, 2025, the 2008 Naturalization Civics Test will apply.
This means all Green card holders will need to take the modified 2025 civics test administered by USCIS to seek U.S. citizenship through naturalization.
Green card holders, also known as lawful permanent residents (LPRs), can obtain U.S. citizenship through a process called Naturalization. This process is available to foreign immigrants authorized to live permanently in the United States who meet the requirements set forth by Congress and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
US is taking several measures to ensure foreigners are fully aligned with American values and meet all eligibility conditions before being granted US citizenship. One of those critical changes is the implementation of the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test.
The 2025 Naturalization Civics Test is an oral test consisting of 20 questions from the list of 128 civics test questions. You must answer 12 questions correctly to pass the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test.
One will fail the test if they answer 9 of the 20 questions incorrectly. Officers will stop asking questions when the foreigners answer 12 questions correctly or 9 questions incorrectly.
If you are 65 years old or older and have been a lawful permanent resident of the United States for 20 or more years, USCIS will continue to administer a test with 10 questions from a specially selected bank of 20 test questions from either the 2008 or 2025 test, based on when you file Form N-400. You may also take the naturalization test in the language of your choice.
For full list of 2025 Naturalization Civics Test questions, click here.
2025 Naturalization Civics Test
The 2025 test assesses a foreigner’s understanding of U.S. history and government in line with the statutory requirement and is one of many steps in an ongoing effort to restore integrity to the naturalization process and meet congressional intent.
Naturalization is a privilege that allows foreigners to become fully vested members of American society, with important rights and responsibilities that all citizens should exercise and respect.
The 2025 naturalization civics test will ensure that only foreigners meeting all eligibility requirements, including English proficiency and knowledge of U.S. government and civics, become citizens, thereby guaranteeing their full assimilation and potential contribution to America.
USCIS has already announced several changes, including restoring robust vetting for all foreigners and stricter reviews of disability exceptions to the English and civics requirements.
USCIS has also provided officers with guidance on assessing foreigners’ good moral character, looking for positive contributions to American society instead of a mere absence of bad behavior.
Lawful permanent residents or green card holders in the US will be subject to ‘neighbourhood investigations’ as part of the naturalization process for American citizenship. These investigations will require testimonial letters from individuals such as neighbours, employers, co-workers, and business associates.
Other recent policies include clarifying that unlawfully voting, registering to vote, and making false claims to U.S. citizenship disqualify foreigners from showing good moral character.
In the coming weeks and months, USCIS is expected to announce other initiatives to further enhance the integrity of the naturalization process.
